“You, too.”
“So, what brings you into Corinth? I assume you know who we are and what we do. I’ve read your file, so you don’t need to fill me in on those details.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, repeating my mantra.I am safe. I am safe. My mother is downstairs. I’m not in danger.
When I felt that I had control over my fear, I opened my eyes to see Lillian studying me.
“Davis said you could help me.”
“I will do my very best to help you in any way I can, Nova. I promise you that.”
I nodded, letting her confidence in my situation encourage me to continue.
“I was… rescued. Last week.” I watched as she opened my file and took a pen in her hand to write some notes.
“I’m glad you’re home safe. How are you adjusting to being home?”
“I’m glad I’m home, but I’m not doing very well. I can’t sleep through the night. I’m having nightmares consistently… I keep seeing his face.” Tears began to form in my eyes and I briskly wiped them away.
“Whose face?” She asked me pointedly.
“The Demon.”
Lillian’s eyes widened briefly before she let the kindness cover it again. “Why do you call him the Demon?”
“I never knew his name, and he was so evil. I kept referring to him as Demon.”
She nodded again, taking notes. “What were you doing just a few moments ago? While I waited for you to talk.”
I turned to look out the window while I spoke, avoiding her direct gaze. “I was repeating certain phrases to myself in my head to calm me down. It’s been helping.”
“Good. Would you tell me what those are?”
I nodded. “I say, ‘I am safe. My mother is close. I am not in danger.’”
She wrote these down on her notes and looked up at me.
“Nova, I want to tell you that you are safe. You’re not in danger here. This place is a restoration house. We are secure, we have guards and security in place. Anything that happens here is also protected. No matter what we discuss, it will not leave this room. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.” She set the file on the coffee table and folded her hands in her lap, leaning forward a bit. “Now, we’re going to have to start the process of healing for you. It’s not going to be easy, by any means. You’re going to have to relive some of the things you went through, so we can give you effective means of handling your everyday life. You’re doing great already. Having a calming technique is very important. Can you give me a list of people that you trust with your safety? People that you know without any doubt will never hurt you?”
I nodded. “My father and my mother. Also, my best friend, Evie.”
She nodded, writing down the list of names. “Is there anyone else?”
“Davis.”
“Right. Davis was a key part to your rescue, right?”
“He is the one who got me out.”
“And have you spoken to him since you’ve been home?”
“Only briefly. We saw each other yesterday.”
“How did you react when he was there?”
“I tried to run.”
She nodded, glancing down at her writing as she spoke. “Why do you think you ran from him, when you’ve told me you can trust him? That you believe he will never bring you harm?”
“I run from every man. Even my father. I know he’s not going to hurt me, but sometimes…” I started shaking as my eyes went blurry. “I don’t want to pull away from him, and I know it hurts him, but I don’t want a man to touch me.”
“Did you think Davis was going to come near you or touch you in any way?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it. He says he gets it and always keeps his distance.”
“I can promise you that he does get it. He has worked for us for five years and has been witness to many things. Why do you trust him?”
“Because I just know he would never hurt me. And I can see it in his eyes, he wants to protect me.”
She smiled softly. “Good. We’re going to give you an assignment for this week. Take your time to complete it. When you’re ready, do the task. I promise you that you’ll be safe and it won’t hurt you in any way. Okay?”
I nodded, waiting for her to continue.
“Good. I want you to sit down with the people that you’ve listed on this list and I want you to tell them what happened to you.”
My eyes went wide in horror. “I…I…” I stuttered, shaking my head back and forth. Lillian’s eyes firmed up before speaking again.
“Nova, repeat your calming phrases.”
I am safe. My mother is downstairs. I am safe. I am not in danger. When I felt like I could breathe again, I looked up at her smiling face.
“Great job, Nova. Now, tell me why you feel like you can’t tell these people what happened.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to relive it.”
“You’re already re-living it every night. You might as well tell them. I’m sure they have as many questions as you can imagine, but how can they know how to act around you without knowing what has brought you to this point? They can’t fully understand your fear until you let them in. It will be hard, yes, but I know these people care about you and they want to see you succeed and be healthy again.”
I nodded, flexing my hands as Lillian stood up.
“Every person on this list, Nova. If you are going to trust these people, they have to know. All right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. That’s it for today. I’ll see you in a few days. Same time.” She picked up my folder but did not reach for me. I stood and headed toward the door.
“Nova?” She stopped me and I turned to face her.
“I’ll be praying for you every night. When you wake up from your nightmares, know that someone is out there fighting this battle with you, warring for you, and covering you in prayer.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as I stepped out the door and went to find my mother.
Chapter 12
DAVIS
Three days had passed since I saw Nova at the creek. I’d ridden out there every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, waiting to ask her if she called the offices. But the spot under that old oak tree was always empty.
On the fourth day, I had an appointment with the doctor, so I drove to town after breakfast and my morning chores were complete. It was nearing noon as I pushed through the chiming doors of the office. Mrs. Vester glanced up and smiled, waving me forward.
“Well, if it isn’t little Davis Matthews. You’re not so little anymore.” She winked and reached for a pen to cross my name off a list in front of her.
“No ma’am. I grew just a bit since the last time I saw the doc.” I gave her a wink and she blushed slightly, fumbling with the papers tossed across her desk. Mrs. Vester was a burly older woman in her sixties and had been working for the doc as far back as I could recall.
“I’ll just check you in. Have a seat and the doctor will be with you shortly.”
I tapped the counter and turned, limping toward one of the few chairs lined against the entry wall. After a bit of time, she finally poked her head out of the door on the side of the room and motioned me in. She led me to a small sterile room and I perched on the plastic table, shifting until I was comfortable.
“All right, let’s see how you’re healing.” Doctor Jack Mitchell pulled the bandages away, causing me to wince as it tugged at my raw skin. He prodded his fingers around my scabbed-over wound and stitches. I gripped the plastic bench as he examined the wound.
“Looks good. I can remove the stitches for sure. Just take it easy. You should keep the bandage around it while you’re outside to keep it clean, but other than that, you can leave it off if you are in the house and wearing shorts. You don’t want to agitate it.”
“Sure. It still feels a bit weak when I walk, though. What can I do to help that?”
“Just keep stretching
it and wait until it heals all the way. Once it’s healed, you can begin strengthening exercises. Try walking on the leg, keep it mobile. Your strength should build up. If you get weak, or feel like it’s getting to be too much to walk, use the crutches. We don’t want you falling and injuring yourself any further.”
“Sounds good.”
“Other than that, I’ll see you back here in two weeks, and we can talk about where to go from there,” he said as he pulled out his scissors to cut the stitches, gently drawing them out. Brief discomfort rushed the wound, but I was glad they were gone.
Later, I headed out of the office and toward my truck when I saw Mr. Drake, Nova’s father, walking down the sidewalk.
He caught my eyes and smiled, waving me over. I once again limped across the street, meeting him in front of Maggie’s Diner.
“Hey.” I offered my hand.
He gripped my palm, smiling. “How are you, son?”
“I’m doing okay. Got my stitches out just now, so a little sore, but better.”
“Great. Are you busy? Want to join me for lunch?”
I glanced at my watch to check the time and then nodded. “Sure. I have some time.”
“Perfect.”
We walked into the small diner and found an empty booth in the back. Sliding into the plastic seat, I set my hat on the bench and looked across to Nova’s father.
“How is she?”
He looked at me and I took in the tiredness that creased around his aged eyes. “Not good, but we’re figuring it out. My poor girl hasn’t really slept a full night since she’s been home. Her mother and I are sleeping in the room with her.”
“That’s to be expected, sir. Girls that go through this kind of thing take a while to get back to regular sleeping patterns.”
“She called that place you gave us the card for. Had an appointment yesterday.”
Relief flooded me, knowing she’d be in the best hands possible with the ladies at the foundation.
“That’s great. Did it help?”
“A little, I suppose. The caseworker has asked Nova to do some things, and it’s helping with the calming techniques. She’s still having the nightmares, but she wakes up and calms down a lot faster, at least last night she did.”
“That’s good, I guess. It’ll take time, sir. But I promise that the ladies at Corinth are amazing. They really know what they’re doing and will help.”
“I hope so.”
The waitress stepped up to the table and smiled at us. “What can I get you two?”
We placed our orders and waited for the waitress to leave before resuming our conversation.
“Nova was given an assignment, which is why I’m glad I ran into you. She asked me to contact you and see if you would be willing to come over to the house tonight. Part of her assignment, I guess. Evie is coming as well.”
“Uh, sir?” I fidgeted nervously. “Do you think that’s a good idea? I don’t want to set her back in any way.”
“Well, from what I understand, you are an integral part of this. I’m not sure what exactly is happening, but I’m sure Nova will explain later. Can you be there around five?”
“I can,” I spoke hesitantly, still not sure I should be involved.
“Good. It’s settled then.”
The waitress walked toward our table, carrying a tray of food and our drinks. “Here you go, enjoy.” She said as she set it in front of us. We ate our food in relative silence, minus the few snips of conversation between bites.
“So, tell me a little more about yourself,” Mr. Drake said, breaking the silence that had stretched between us.
“Like what, sir?”
“How did you get involved with Corinth?”
“That’s a long story but in short, I met my fiancée in college and she was involved with the organization. I thought it sounded like a great way to get involved and do some good, as well as travel.”
“Wait. You have a fiancée?” he paused his bite and stared hard at me.
“Not anymore, sir,” was my pained answer as I sipped my water. He studied me for a brief moment.
“Something you want to talk about, or not?” He asked pointedly.
I shrugged. “She was killed just over a year ago, back in Sydney.”
His eyes went wide with horror at first, but then sorrow and pity. I knew it was coming, but it made me feel uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, son.”
“Yeah.” I kept my eyes trained on my plate, pushing my eggs back and forth across the dish.
“How did it happen?” He prodded, waiting patiently for me to answer. Flashes of blonde hair and blue eyes flashed across my mind as I absentmindedly rubbed my fist across my chest.
“She went undercover, and I didn’t save her in time.”
Mr. Drake set his food down and looked at me sternly. “Davis, you know it wasn’t your fault, right?”
I shrugged noncommittally.
“Son, as unfortunate as those circumstances were, you can’t put her death on you. In the little time I’ve known you, I know that you probably did everything you could have humanly done to stop it from happening, but sometimes we can’t become a one person barrier to the evil in this world.”
“I know that, or at least I tell myself that, but it was my job as her almost husband to protect her. I should have stopped her from going or done something else to guarantee her safety.”
“Davis, it’s not your fault. She was doing what she loved and dedicated her life to. Even knowing the risks, I can guarantee she wouldn’t have wanted you to feel guilty for how things transpired.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” My chest eased a little and I glanced up to meet his gaze.
“All right, then. Work on that, son. It’s going to eat you alive if you let it.”
“Yes, sir.”
After that, the conversation turned to more menial topics, and time passed quickly. An hour later, we finished our meal and Mr. Davis paid the check.
“So, we’ll see you later?” He asked me as we stepped out onto the sidewalk.
“Yes. I’ll be there at five.”
He nodded then stepped down the curb and around his truck to the door. I waved as he drove away and slowly crossed the street to my own vehicle and headed for home.
When I pulled up the driveway, people were running out of the barn and Charlie was yelling at some of the ranch hands. My heart rate sped up, and I threw open the door and bolted from the truck, limping quickly toward him and grabbing his shoulders.
“What happened?”
His eyes filled with anger as he glared across the field.
“Someone broke the fence line between ours and the Davis ranch. We have to stop the rest of the cattle from moving over there. Big Blue is running loose over there and the Davis girl can’t be found. Her mother called, telling us she went for a walk to the back of the property.”
My face blanched as I turned and jogged as fast I could to my horse, ignoring the protest in my leg. The saddle was already in place, thanks to the guys prepping every horse we had available. I quickly pulled myself up and over Racer, nudging his sides and bracing for takeoff. “Yip! Yip!” We bolted through the open fence of the corral and out across the field toward the west side of the property, where I had found Nova before. It seemed to take forever, but eventually I trotted into the tree line and saw the fence broken, with cattle scattered about on both sides and crowding through the creek to the other side. The wooden planks were splintered as if someone had driven a vehicle through it.
“Nova!” I screamed, looking all around the area, in between the cows, praying that she wasn’t injured or worse. “Nova!”
I kept calling until I heard her voice come from above. “I’m here!”
I looked up into the large oak tree, the same one I had found her sitting under just a few days ago. She had climbed up the tree and straddled a thick knobby branch, wrapping her arms around the trunk. Her eyes were closed and she was trembling. Slowly maneuvering
Racer through the cattle, I made it through the opening in the fence and to the base of the tree.
“It’s all right, Nova. I’ll get you out of here. Can you climb down?”
Her eyes went wide with horror, realizing that she’d have to touch me, ride with me. I could see the battle raging in her face before she started whispering to herself.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I questioned, trying to take her mind off of her fear.
She finally met my gaze, quieting herself. “No. I’m fine.”
“Good. Now slide off that branch to the one below it.” I moved Racer underneath the branch I pointed to. She nodded her head and slipped her leg over the limb, using her arms as leverage until she felt her toes hit solid wood beneath her. She quickly lowered herself and moved against the trunk of the tree to balance herself.
“You’re doing great, Nova. Now, just scoot out a bit, and I’ll help you get down on the back of Racer here. He’s real gentle, so you don’t have to worry about that.” I nudged Racer’s sides a little to move closer to the trunk of the tree and turned him around so his rear was facing the trunk. I glanced up at Nova, who looked down to the back of the horse and then at me.
“You’re safe, Nova. I’m going to take you home.”
At this point, the other guys were milling around on their horses, attempting to steer the cattle back through the opening. The dogs were running wildly around the pack, nipping at their heels, forcing them to turn and move back onto our property.
I turned my torso and reached my hand up to Nova. “You got this. Just step down, then slide onto the back here.”
She nodded and slowly reached for my hand. I gripped her palm steadily, letting her use my strength to balance herself. She slid down into position, gently wrapping her arms around my middle, to keep herself steady.
“All right, let’s get you home.” I started off slowly trotting up the field, keeping an eye out for Big Blue. He stood grazing, separated from the rest of the herd. The sounds of my horse trotting closer made him look up.
“Nova?”
“Hmm,” she said, with her face buried between my shoulders.
“Hold on, okay? We’re going to have to go faster.”
I felt her slightly nod against my spine and I kicked Racer in the side as he took off. Big Blue snorted and scraped his hooves against the rocky ground. Moments later, the thousand-pound animal was running toward us, but we were moving faster. I maneuvered Racer around the huge bull, digging my heels again to command him to kick it up another notch.
Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) Page 12
