Intimate Stranger (Editing)

Chapter 14: June 18, 2010

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Part Fourteen

June 18, 2010

 I stared hard down at my lap, watching as I twiddled my thumbs nervously. I was tired - Physically and emotionally - so I stopped my story. Dr. Pierce spoke my name and I looked up. "You alright, Katelyn?" She questioned.

I reached for a tissue. The last part of my story where Steve raped me, got me extra emotional. I couldn't keep the tears from coming.

"I think..." I started, taking a deep breath. "I think... I want to stop now."

She gave me a sympathetic nod, even though she couldn't possibly relate. Maybe Sarah Pierce had a lot of empathy. "Well, that's alright," she told me. "There's just a few things I want to clarify."

I sighed. "Like what?"

"You didn't know that while Steve was taking advantage of you, Trace was actually alive, correct?" I nodded. She processed this for a moment, "And the part you recounted to me with your parents – your mom told you about her concern?"

"Yeah," I said. "She told me everything that happened while Steve was keeping us captive."

"Alright. The hour is up now. I'm pleased with how much we've covered in this short amount of time," she smiled, "you're making good progress quickly, Katelyn."

I coughed and self-consciously responded, "Um, thanks."

"Is there anything else you'd like to bring up before we finish for the day?" She asked me.

I shook my head and slid off the couch, "No."

"Alright," she said, following me as I made my way to the door. "Your next appointment is Tuesday at 4:00," she reminded me, as she opened her office door for me.

"Thank you, Dr. Pierce," I walked out of the office and stood in the waiting room.

She grinned, her hand resting on the door frame, "It's not a problem. Have a good weekend Katelyn."

I said thanks again and headed for the door. It was a warm night. Summer was approaching fast. As I stood on the sidewalk, I stared above me at the stars in the sky. A cool breeze rustled the trees and tousled my hair. I sighed, slowly leaning up against the hard surface of the building. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. 1 New Text Message. From: Trace

It read, "How's therapy going?"

I replied, "Just finished" and then pressed 3, which was speed dial for my house. Trace was #2. Voicemail was #1. I lifted the purple cell phone to my ear, and listened as it rang. Quickly, someone answered.

"Hello," It was my mom.

I responded, "Hey."

"Hi sweetie," she said, a cheery tone to her voice. It was extremely likely that she was waiting by the phone impatiently for me to call.

"We uh... just finished," I told her.

She asked, "You need me to come get you now?"

I nodded, forgetting she couldn't see me, as I often did. "Yeah."

"Okay, hun. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Sit tight."

I pressed "end" and saw that Trace had texted me back. It said, "Oh. I miss you. How'd it go?"