“Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Please do it again. Now, feel calmer?”Dr. Saunders scribbled in her notebook as she spoke softly.
Justus nodded.
“Let's not borrow trouble until it happens. Did anything else happen yesterday?”Dr. Saunders inquired.
“I picked a fight with Chaney on purpose to get her to sever all ties with me so she would be safe away from us.”Justus stared straight ahead, glancing at her therapist to see her reaction to this news.
“How did Chaney react to this?”
“She wasn't happy. Her parents want her to come back to Baltimore and are threatening to withdraw their financial support if she continues to see me or Liberty outside of the trial preparations. And here I go, saying cruel things to make her break all ties with us when she needs our support. How do you think she reacted? She was fighting tears but walked away with her protector holding her head high.”
Dr. Saunders tapped her pen on the notebook a few times. “Have you reached out to her to apologize yet? You did this for a reason and were not upset with her. You must tell her as soon as possible to keep your friendship.”
“I know. And I will. But how can I do it without making Chaney hate me more than she possibly does right now?”
“Ican't answer that for you, Justus,”Dr. Saunders replied.
“Then there's my protector. What am I going to do about him, Dr. Saunders?”
“What do you mean?”
“Liberty thinks it's because I can't trust myself around men after what Kurtis did to me that I feel like I do about Rafferty.”
“And what do you think?”
“I'm not sure. It goes against my nature to allow some random guy that Hank Patterson is forcing to protect me to come in and take over. I've always been such a free spirit. I practically raised myself after my parents passed away. Liberty only had a little time for me growing up. She was always too busy with her law degree and work. Our twelve-year age difference has always been an issue between us. Now she's hovering like she wants to make up for lost time and do better because of my abduction.”
“That has to be hard on you.”
“It is. And we are butting heads big time over it. But it doesn't mean I don't love Liberty or that I don't want her here with me right now. I am so thankful she has uprooted her life to move to Colorado Springs to be with me during my ordeal. If I ever doubted she loved me, I don't anymore.”
“Have you told her that?”Dr. Saunders asked.
“No.”
“I think you should. It will help lessen the tension between you. It will let Liberty know how you truly feel about her.”Dr. Saunders stopped writing and looked at her. “As for Rafferty, I hear everything you're saying, Justus. After the ordeal you've been through, it's only natural you want to take back control of your life. But are you refusing protection from the Brotherhood Protectors? Or are you refusing protection from Rafferty? If it is the former, do you feel that is wise? Especially after the attack on you yesterday. If it is the latter, then is there a solution?”
Justus dug into her tiny purse strapped across her body, opened her photo gallery, and handed the phone to her therapist. “He's gorgeous,”she said.
For a moment, Dr. Saunders looked puzzled. “And this is a problem…because?”
“It just is.”
“I see. How can you get around feeling that way?”
“By not being around him and having to look at him.”
“That might be avoidance,”Dr. Saunders pointed out. “Not a good option. And we are back with you needing a protector. Could you switch protectors with Chaney?”
Justus laughed and then buried her face into the pillow.
“What's the matter?”
She looked up. “They're identical twins.”
Dr. Saunders smiled. “Oh. Then that isn't an option.”
“Besides, Chaney likes her guy very much. She wouldn't appreciate my wanting to switch even if we could.”
