Chapter 45
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Two cappuccinos for Bailey,” the server calls.
I rush over to the counter to collect my order, then head down the street to meet Teddy. He’s just coming out the door when I get to our therapist's office, his mouth splitting into a wide grin when he sees me.
“Everything go okay?” I ask, thrusting the coffee into his hand.
He nods, taking a sip. “Today was less heavy. He told me how to calm myself down from panic attacks—which I didn’t realise I’ve been partly doing instinctively, anyway. But there were some new things to try. Different ways to ground myself.”
“Using the senses?”
“Yeah, and a thing called a butterfly hug … have you done that?” He side-eyes me, looking a little self-conscious.
“I’ve tried everything I could in the past five years, honestly.
” I’ve heard this all before from my own sessions, but I listen to every word.
Proud of him for agreeing to go to therapy after I suggested it might help him.
He didn’t even argue; it took a few months to find the courage, but after coming with me, he booked his first session straight away.
I think he just needed someone to tell him it was okay to go.
That what happened to him shouldn’t be compared to anyone else's trauma.
Teddy takes my hand as we walk down the street, and it’s so … normal. It catches me off guard. I realise that even if Teddy and I had left together twelve years ago, we would still be in the same place we are now. Holding hands as we walk through Portree, with two cappuccinos.
Both in therapy.
Both survivors.
My chest feels tight, and I squeeze Teddy’s hand a little harder. I’m angry about the years we lost, but nothing could have kept us apart. I smile at that and lean over to kiss his cheek, his beard tickling my lips.
He looks at me and mischief sparkles in his eyes. “Wanna know what else he said?”
“What?”
“I should spend time with nature and take note of the details within the natural world,” he says, mimicking his therapist's thicker accent.
I look up.
And up.
And up a bit more.
“No,” I say.
“Come on! The therapist said it was good for me, I’m sure it wouldn’t do you any harm either,” Teddy whines.
I glare at him. “If you think climbing a bloody tree won’t do me any harm, or you, for that matter, then you should go right back to your therapist and tell him you’re delusional, too.”
Teddy laughs, then quickly schools his face to glare back at me. “Climb the tree, Bay.”
“No.”
He stalks towards me, and I retreat, fully prepared to run.
“Come on, I’ll give you a boost.” He sticks out his bottom lip, and those brown eyes go wide like a puppy’s.
Fuck him. He knows that works on me. I stomp over to the trunk where there’s a lower-hanging branch and cross my arms over my chest. “Fine.”
Teddy beams as he jogs over and bends down, cupping his hands. I place my foot on them, wondering why I’m doing this. He pushes me up, and I manage to pull myself onto the branch.
“Happy?” I ask.
He scrambles up after me, then sits, huffing and puffing. “That wasn’t as easy as the last time.”
“You did it topless last time, maybe your clothes made it more difficult,” I say sarcastically.
He shoves me, making me wobble. My fingernails dig into the bark on the branch, and I look daggers at him. “Okay, I’ve touched enough nature. I want to go down now,” I say.
Teddy groans, but jumps down from the branch, turning to hold his arms up to me. “Come on, then.”
Feeling a little stupid, but not trusting my coordination enough to turn down his offer of help, I shift as far forward as I can, then drop into his open arms.
“Oof,” Teddy wheezes out. His legs give out instantly, and we collapse to the floor.
Lucky for me, he softened the fall. “Thought you said it wouldn’t do any harm,” I say, laughing at his scrunched up face. I push myself off of him, but he wraps his arms around me and flips us over. He kisses up my neck and along my jaw, capturing my lips before pulling away again.
“Would you do it again?” he asks, brushing his thumb against my bottom lip.
I don’t have to think twice. Nodding, I ask, “Would you?”
“Always,” he whispers.
The End.