That Summer (Part One)
Page 23
“So long as you realise that we can do this at your own pace, Serena. I don’t want to pressurise you into anything but I must make sure you understand the reasons why you can never contact Cole again.” She reminds me firmly.
“I understand.” I reply despondently, struggling to engage with her now that my thoughts are elsewhere.
Now they’re with him.
“Ok then. We will continue with this tomorrow if you’re feeling strong enough.”
She offers her hand out for me to shake but I just stare at it blankly, taken aback by the formality of her gesture.
“I haven’t felt strong in a long time.” I murmur quietly, averting my gaze to the floor at her feet.
“Serena, you’re a very brave young woman. You must remember this and remind yourself that you did what you had to do to survive. There was no other option.”
“Wasn’t there?” I challenge her boldly. “I betrayed the man I love. The man I still love. Do you know what that feels like?”
“Try and get some rest, Serena. We will discuss this further tomorrow.”
She stands up and leads me towards the door, offering me a tight smile before I leave.
“I told you that he once said I shed light on the darkness inside of him. He said I took the fragmented pieces of his soul and put it back together again.” I remind her, sighing deeply as I fight back more tears. “I know he feels differently now. The last time I saw Cole he told me that he hated me. He said he despised me for what I did to him and that he regretted every single moment he spent with me.”
“Was this before or after he swore to you he would never let you go? Was this before or after he started chasing you and you had to go into hiding?” She questions me, clearly trying to prove a point.
“Before.” I reply faintly.
“That’s my point, Serena. Cole doesn’t hate you. He has never hated you and that’s why I need you to stop hating yourself.”
I wait a few moments before I reply, trying to process the words she just spoke to me.
“I betrayed the man I love and for that… I can’t forgive myself.”
“Then maybe you do need to stop hiding from him. He’s out there and he’s looking for you, Serena. What if you can’t run from him forever?”
“I know you’re right.” I murmur, agreeing with her wholeheartedly. “And that’s what I’m afraid of.”
To be continued…
If you are reading this right now then I want you to know how thankful I am. I truly wish I could be there with you right now, face to face and discuss this story. I want to know your thoughts, opinions, feedback and even your suggestions for this story. The subject matter of this book is extremely controversial and it really did take a great leap of faith for me to find the strength to write it. I know that everyone will have their own opinion on a topic like this and I am already expecting a division amongst my readers. I cannot wait to hear back from you so please feel free to email me if you would like to do so. My email address is laurencrossleyauthor@gmail.com and I promise to reply to each and every one of your emails. Please check out my author page on Goodreads if you would like to find out about my progress, my writing and the release date of part two. Cole and Serena’s story is far from over and I cannot wait for you to experience the next chapter of their journey. I could thank you all a thousand times over and it would never be enough. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on my stories, my writing and my imagination.
Love always, Lauren.