AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She smiles. “I need you to go back to school.”
Delaney shakes her head. “Okay, I should have specified. Anything but that.”
Tessa giggles. “I’m serious, Lane. Go. I’ll be in good hands, but I’ll never forgive myself if I mess something up for you. I’m doing what I need to for me. You have to do what’s needed for you.”
It looks like she wants to tell her to go fuck herself, but she agrees anyway. They wrap their arms tightly around each other for a moment, and when they pull away, I know I’m next.
I turn my head up to the sky, blinking to try to keep in the tears. Tessa comes closer and reaches up to grab my face. She pulls my head down until I’m looking at her.
“Ash, don’t cry.”
“Psht, I’m not crying. I just have something in my eye.”
She laughs at my horrible attempt to play it off. “It’s just one month, right?”
“Right. It’ll be over before we know it.”
I bend down and press my lips to hers, kissing her in a way that hopefully relays everything I’m feeling. When we break it, her cheeks pink.
“I love you, Cherry Bomb. Now, go be incredible like I know you are.”
She kisses me once more then takes her bags from me and walks toward the lady waiting at the door for her. Just before she goes in, she turns around and waves with a smile on her face that I’m going to hold onto the entire time she’s gone. The smile that said she is going to face the trauma of her past, and she’s going to beat it.
She’s going to beat it.
32
TESSA
One Month Later
“I can’t believe you’re going home today,” my roommate, Paisley, whines. “I’m going to miss you.”
Packing my stuff back into my suitcase, I smile. The last month hasn’t been without struggles. It took a lot of work just to get me to open up, let alone make any real progress.
Paisley got here a couple weeks ago, and she’s become like a little sister to me. She didn’t want to be here at first, either. The seclusion. The pressure to talk about things that make you uncomfortable, that trigger feelings and memories that are excruciating. It’s all a lot to handle, but she had me to help her through it.
When I think back to how I was when I got here, versus how I feel now, it’s almost like I’m a different person. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, everyone was right. I needed the help. I needed to learn how to cope with the sexual assaults, the betrayals, the violence I witnessed. I needed to learn how to deal, otherwise it was just going to continue controlling my life.
Once my bags are packed, I make my way downstairs to where all the counselors and other patients are waiting for me. As I walk in, everyone starts to clap—applauding not only my graduation from the treatment program, but the hard work I put in to get where I am. Tears spring to my eyes, and pride fills my chest. Paisley wraps her arms around me and holds me tightly.
“It’s with great privilege and honor that I award Tessa Callahan with this certificate of completion,” Danielle, my favorite therapist announces, coming closer and handing it to me. “I am so proud of you, Tess. You did the work, not only for the people you love who wanted you to get better, but for you. We’re really going to miss you around here.”
The hug she gives me hits different, and I don’t want to let go. Danielle is the one who really got through to me in the beginning. I wanted to get better, but I honestly didn’t believe I could. I thought I was too far gone. Too broken. Too hopeless. She showed me that it was possible to be better than my past, and I’ll never be able to thank her, or any of the amazing people here, enough.
After I’ve said all my goodbyes, Paisley walks me to the front door. She’s already crying by the time we get there.
“You have my number, right?” I ask, and she nods.
“And you’re going to come back to visit?”
I smile. “Of course. I’ll be here for your graduation, as long as you promise me you’ll eat.”
Paisley’s problem was different from mine. She suffers from anorexia, and this is the first treatment program that is actually started to help her. I swear, the people here are like magic. They make you feel like you matter, while teaching you how to matter to yourself.
“I promise.”
Pulling her close, I give her a hug that shows her even though I’m not going to be here, I’ll always be available to her. When we pull away, I wave to everyone else and grab my bags. The second the door opens, I see Asher standing at the end of the walkway, leaning up against his car and making my heart stop just from the look of him.
