Pushed & Pulled

Chapter 7: Secrets I keep

***WARNING SEX SCENE AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED***

"The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places"

-Roald Dahl-

"Well I must say Ambrosia, I thought you had forgotten about our appointments." Diane peers at me from behind her glasses. "I assure you I haven't forgotten." I smile over at her. I had to practically sneak out of Cameron's house after he left for work, I'm not ready to tell him about my therapy sessions. "Well, you're here now so let's gets started." I snap out of my thoughts. She picks her pen up and clicks it open. "Okay." I take a deep breath. "Do you want to start with the bruise on your cheek?" I close my eyes, I attempted, but obviously failed to hide it with concealer. "Not yet." I breath out. "Okay, may I ask if your safe?" Concern flashes across her face. "Yes." I say with sincerity. 

She nods her head. "Let's get going then. Okay Ambrosia, I'm going to start by asking you a few questions, remember if you start to feel overwhelmed, let me know and we will take a short break." I look up at her nodding my understanding. "I'm ready." "How old were you when you meet Damon?" She starts. I feel slightly annoyed that she always asks the same five to six question every session.  "Sixteen." I answer without thinking. "When did you and Damon get married." She hums. "March second." She picks her pen up and writes in her notebook. "And what was he going to school for." He was working towards his law degree." As I say that Cameron's face pops in my head for a brief moment, and somehow it helps me stay calm. "Now." She continues. "How long ago did Damon pass away?" "Ten months ago last week." "How did he die?" I take a deep breath. "He was working on a oil rig in Texas when it exploded killing him and nineteen others." I hear her set her glasses down on the table next to her.  "Ambrosia." she leans back. "What?" I give her a confused look. "You just spoke about Damon and didn't have a break down." I sit back and think about her words. "How do you feel talking about him now?" She smiles. "Well, a part of me still feels devastated, I still miss him, but now I don't feel as broken somehow?" Cameron's face briefly pops back into my mind. "So, what do you feel changed in your life that has helped you overcome this hurdle that some don't?" It's now or never. I think.

"Three weeks ago I was attacked and assaulted at my work by that Dr. we talked about a couple sessions ago. Her eyebrows lift. "And you thought now would be a good time to tell me not three weeks ago? I'm assuming that's where the bruise came from. She nods her head towards my cheek. I nod. "Well, that's not all." I look down and my hands. "The man I had also mentioned, the one who asked me out on a date. Well, I did go out with him, it was the first time in a really long time that I actually had fun." A smile breaks out on my face. "Okay, but if you're okay with it I would like you to take me back to the attack. How did you handle that?" 

I sigh as anger boils to the surface thinking about Dr. Brice. "It all happened really fast; he came into the file room where I was working, I heard the door lock and when I turned around, he was leaning against the table waiting for me." I feel my throat start to constrict painful, the way it did when I saw him, and my heart starts to beat rapidly. "Ambrosia." I hear Diane call my name bringing me back. "Take a deep breath, stay with me." I try to take a deep breath but it's restricted in my swollen throat. "Then he attacked and...." I sob out and begin hyperventilating but manage to complete my sentence. "Physically and sexually assaulted me."