Chapter 22 #3
Kara sighed in frustration. She wished she knew more about Edge’s situation so she had the right words to comfort Jen right about now.
“He does,” she insisted. “Something about his ex. And you of all people know how vindictive and mean women can be, thanks to your past. You think a man like Edge, or any of the Night Stalkers, would let anything stand in their way if they wanted something…unless it was something big? Huge? If there weren’t massive consequences if they acted on their desires? ”
Jen was quiet in her arms, and Kara took that as a good sign that she was truly listening.
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Jen.
And it’s not as a friend. It’s almost…tortured.
As if everything he’s ever wanted is right there in front of him, but he can’t reach for it.
I’m not saying a relationship with the man would be easy, because I have a feeling whatever’s been holding him back, this situation with his ex, hasn’t gone away.
And I think being with you could actually hurt him.
But I also think he’s done letting that stop him. ”
“Hurt him? How?” Jen asked, lifting her head.
The interest she was showing now was a huge improvement to the listlessness she’d displayed ever since Kara had walked into her bedroom.
“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “Chaos only mentioned that his ex-wife is crazy, and she’s been making Edge’s life hell.
Knowing the kind of man he is, it’s easy to assume he wouldn’t want to expose you to someone like her.
But, despite that, you also can’t deny that he’s a different man than he was before your ordeal.
How many times has he been over here trying to see you? ”
Jen’s head fell back onto Kara’s shoulder with a sigh. “Um…every day?”
Kara wasn’t exactly surprised by that answer. “Right. And how often does he text or call you now, compared to before?”
“He never texted or called before.”
“Exactly. The way I see it, you have a choice, Jen. You can choose to stay on the path you’ve been on.
Pushing your friends away, hiding out, working yourself and Fred to the bone.
Letting Nolan fucking Colins live in your head.
Letting him win. Or you can tell him to fuck off, shove him out of your brain, and be the kick-ass wonder woman you were when you faked being dead, and when you wouldn’t let anything stop you from getting help for yourself and for me. ”
Jen didn’t answer immediately. Then she let out a small chuckle. “Don’t hold back, tell me how you really feel.”
Kara smiled. “I’m not trying to be a bitch, I’m just sharing stuff I’ve figured out through my own traumatic experiences. What he did, it sticks with you. But you can give those memories power to continue to hurt you, to make you a victim, or you can deal with them and move on.”
“You have nightmares?” Jen asked.
“Yes.”
“Flashbacks?”
“Yes. That’s what happened the night I moved in here, when I first got to Norfolk.”
“Do you think you see him out of the corner of your eye, only to turn and there’s no one there?”
“Uh-huh.”
“How do you get them to stop?” she whispered.
“Time,” Kara said without hesitation. “And leaning on those who love you. Like me. And the rest of the girls. Talking about what happened…to me, to a psychologist, or someone else you trust and know would understand. And maybe take some kickboxing classes and kicking the shit out of one of those bags that hangs from the ceiling, pretending it’s his face or balls. ”
That earned her a small huff of a laugh. Then Jen sobered. “I shouldn’t have called you. I shouldn’t have done what he ordered me to do.”
“If you hadn’t, you’d definitely be dead.
You did what you had to do in order to survive, and I hold no ill will toward you for it.
” Kara took a chance and ran her hand over the top of Jen’s bald head.
“This? It’s nothing compared to what you’ve lived through, Jen.
And none of us care. I’m actually jealous that you can be a redhead one day, then have an adorable black bob the next.
And think of the cool cosplays you can pull off way better than anyone else because you’re bald. ”
“Like who?”
Kara racked her brain to think of good examples.
“Um…Sigourney Weaver in Alien. Demi Moore in GI Jane. And wasn’t there a whole group of bald women in Dune?
The eighties version, not the more recent one.
Oh! And remember the list of names that everyone was looking for was actually tattooed on the back of that one chick’s head, in one of the Rush Hour movies? ”
“You have the worst taste in movies, girlfriend,” Jen said with a laugh.
“Probably. Oh, wait, two more…the main villain in that new one with Wolverine, and the best one yet, Nebula from the Guardians of the Galaxy.”
“Okay, okay, I get your point.”
“I’m going to go back to the beginning of this convo and say once more…
thank you, Jen. For being the kind of friend who does what she needs to in order to help someone else.
Who didn’t give up. I’ve been in your shoes, and it’s not a comfortable place to be.
Feeling duped. Stupid. Used. But all that is on him.
Not us. So what if we fell for his lies?
That doesn’t make us bad people or unlovable.
It just means we had the shitty luck to cross paths with a user and abuser.
A killer. And if anything, I should be asking for your forgiveness.
If not for me, you wouldn’t have met Nolan Colins. ”
Jen’s arms tightened around Kara, then she sat up. “It would suck if we didn’t know each other.”
“Yeah.”
“I stink. I need to shower. And you’re right, Fred probably needs to pee.”
The black lab’s tail began to wag at hearing his name.
“You want to come over for dinner?” Kara was pressing her luck, but she figured she didn’t have anything to lose.
“You know what? Yes.”
“Yay!”
“I’m going to try, Kara…but I can’t promise that things will go back to exactly how they were,” Jen warned.
“Everything we experience changes us. It’s a part of life,” she told her.
“And no matchmaking. If Roman has something going on that makes him reluctant to be with me, like his ex, it is what it is. Okay?”
“Of course,” Kara agreed. She really, really, really wanted Edge and Jen to work out, but she wouldn’t meddle…
much. Now that Jen was making an effort to get back to her life, she wouldn’t do anything to derail that.
But she had a feeling she wouldn’t have to do a damn thing…
Edge would take care of making sure Jen knew he was interested, all on his own.
Jen still had a long way to go. One cuddle session and heart-to-heart wasn’t going to slay all her demons, but it was a start.