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He watched her blush.
“So why are we sitting here? Oh.” She bit her lower lip. “I wasn’t really having a panic attack, you know. I could have pushed through the crowd.”
“Honey, I don’t doubt that in the slightest. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. You remind me a lot of some of the other ladies of Omega Sky.”
“Huh?”
“The name of my Navy SEAL team is Omega Sky. You didn’t get a chance to meet the other men on my team, but all of the ones who were on the mission to rescue you have paired up with incredible women. Some of them have faced horrifying and traumatic circumstances, but they’ve all come out the other side stronger. That’s going to be you, too.”
“Yeah, sure I am.” Jenny rolled her eyes. “Brax, I have to shove a chair against the door of my hotel room every night, even after I put on the deadbolt. I’m not stronger, I’m a hot mess.”
“That’s why you need to see a psychologist. Hell, they have one on tap for all of us if we need one.”
“Hmm-mm. And how many times have you been to the psychologist?”
“I’ll admit it, I haven’t, but I know men who have. One guy I know needed a psychologist for a long time. He said it really helped.”
“He talked about it?”
“Absolutely, he talked about it. He didn’t want there to be a stigma about seeking out help. He’s one of the best snipers in all the SEAL teams.”
“Can I ask why he needed to go, or is that too personal?”
“PTSD, same as you.”
“Do you really think that’s what’s going on with me?” she asked in a whisper. He saw the hope and fear on her face.
Brax moved his arm and cupped her cheek. He brushed his thumb against the soft skin of her jaw. “I’m not sure, but that’s what I suspect. I would check in with a professional, and then let them give you the tools to handle it, if it is PTSD. Or if it is something else, they could help with that, too.”
She grabbed his wrist and he thought she was going to push him away, but instead she kept his hand where it was. “I’m not sure if I agree with your diagnosis, Dr. Walker. If it was me having flashbacks, I wouldn’t be panicked about being in a mall full of people. As a matter of fact, I should be happy to be there. It should only be small, confined places that would make me panic.”
Brax nodded. “I see your point. But you admit there’s something?”
She nodded.
He slipped his hand around and cupped the back of her neck. “Wanna talk about it?”
She looked down and her dark brown eyelashes fanned her cheeks. When she looked up her green eyes shimmered with tears. “I guess. I’d prefer to talk to you, than some shrink.”
Brax sucked in a deep breath, stunned that she would feel that comfortable with him. His ultimate goal was to get her to see someone, but in the meantime he could still listen.
“Okay. Lay it on me.”
“When we were inside the mall, all those people were talking, and coming at us. I felt like I was going to be knocked over at any second. And the noise. It was so loud. Even in my hotel room, I can’t handle loud TV shows. I’m fine with those whispery nature documentaries where they talk about lions in their natural habitats.”
“So, you lied when you said that you were bored watching golf. You actually like it because the commentators whisper. Got it.”
“Maybe,” she admitted.
“Having a panic attack is nothing to be ashamed of. You know that, don’t you?”
She bowed her head, and he couldn’t stand it. He touched her chin and tilted her head back up. “Seriously, after everything you’ve been through, you’re amazing. Trust me. Do you think you would be up for talking to my sister and a couple of friends of mine? They’ve been through some trauma, too. If you don’t want to talk to a shrink, maybe talking to others who have been through the fire could help you.”
“Like the sniper?”
“I was actually thinking of my sister and two or three other women.”
“Not your sister. Don’t tell me she went through something like I did. I would hate that for her.”
