Page 105 of Inseparable
Dr. Bennett ended the session there. She felt we’d covered enough ground for one day. Devin agrees to come back tomorrow to continue the session. I walk him out to his car, and we’re both initially quiet, locked in our own thoughts. He toys with the keys in his hands as we walk side by side to the parking lot. “Are you okay after that?”
I pause briefly before responding. “Yeah, I think I’m more than okay.” I offer him a tentative smile. “That wasn’t as scary as I was expecting it to be.” Then again, I still haven’t divulged everything.
He stops, pulling me into his arms unexpectedly. I like it. I like it a lot. “I’m proud of you, you know.”
I rear back, shooting him an incredulous look. “I don’t see how. I haven’t done anything even remotely worthy of your praise or your pride.”
His answering smile almost blinds me. “Sure you have. You’re moving forward. I know from personal experience that it’s not easy to carve your heart and soul open and face your ugliest truths and your worst fears, but you’re doing it, and I’m proud of you for that.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, still not entirely sure I’m deserving of the compliment.
He holds me firmly at the waist as his eyes probe mine. Fear and uncertainty stare back at me. “Do you think you’re up to hearing one more confession?”
I frown a little. “There’s more?”
He nods. “I didn’t want to tell you this in there. I’ve never admitted this to another living soul and I wasn’t about to do it in front of her, but I need to get this off my chest before I lose my nerve.”
I shuck out of his embrace and take his hand. “Come on. We can talk on our bench.”
“Our bench?” he teases with a smile as we stroll across the lawn.
“Yeah. I’ve claimed it for us. It’s our new place.”
His face takes on a faraway expression. “I rebuilt the treehouse,” he blurts, startling me.
I slam to a halt. “Get out. You did not?!”
He grins, tugging me forward. “I did. When I’d go home, all the memories were so hard to deal with, but when I walked in the woods, I kept being drawn to that spot. Those were good times, Ange. Back then before everything turned to shit.”
I squeeze his hand. “They were the best times, and those memories have carried me through my darkest days. At times, they were the only things tethering me to this life.” He opens his mouth to speak, but I shut him down. I don’t want to think about those times now. Not when today feels like a new beginning. “Tell me about this new treehouse.”
He eyes me quietly for a minute, and then he smiles. And it’s like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, casting glorious warmth and light over everything it touches. That’s how I feel in this moment, bathed under the glow from Devin’s smile. “The two trees were still there, and withered planks of wood from our treehouse littered the debris on the ground. That’s when the idea came to me, and I spent a couple of months, coming down on weekends when I had spare time, building it. Danny helped a bit. We built it completely from scratch, and it’s an awesome job, if I do say so myself.” He puffs his chest out, and I laugh.
An awestruck expression flickers across his beautiful face. “You’ve no idea how amazing it is to hear you laugh.” We stop in front of the bench, looking at one another. He rests his hands on my lower back, pulling me in close to his body. “I was fearful I’d never hear that sound again,” he whispers.
“I didn’t think I could,” I whisper back, blown away by how far I’ve come in recent months. For years, I believed I was a lost cause, but Devin’s presence in my life again has reawakened my interest in living. Given me renewed hope. With his support, I think I can find the strength to finally move on. Tears stab my eyes as a surge of emotion hits me square in the chest. “I haven’t thanked you for everything you’ve done for me. I couldn’t do this without you.”
“You don’t need to. Getting you back is all the thanks I need.”
Butterflies swarm my chest, and my mouth feels dry, but I open up, speaking my mind. “What is it you want from me, Dev?”
He presses his lips to my forehead. “You. I just want you back in my life.”
“I can’t give you any big commitments. I’ve still a lot to work through, and I can’t even think about that until my head is firmly screwed back on.”
“That’s totally fine by me. I’m here in whatever capacity you need me. Just don’t cut me out. I can’t lose you a third time. I couldn’t survive it again.”
I push his head back, palming his cheek. “I promise I won’t leave. I can’t promise that I won’t get melancholy or low or retreat into a shell or become untalkative because that’s how I’ve coped these last few years, but I’m here to stay. And I’m truly happy you’re back in my life, Devin. I really missed you, and I’m so grateful you didn’t give up on me even if I’d given up on myself.” My voice quakes, and tears stream down my face.
He brushes his lips against mine, soft and fleeting, but my skin turns tingly from the brief touch, reminding me our connection is still very much alive. “I would go to the ends of the earth for you, Ange. There is no one more important to me than you.”
With his arm wrapped around me, he pulls me down onto the bench. We lean into one another, like magnets who can’t resist the natural pull. “There’s one more thing I need to explain. This isn’t going to help my cause, but you need to know everything.”
I nuzzle his shoulder. “There is nothing you can say that will turn me away. I promise.”
His chest swells, and his voice is terse when he speaks. “You remember the night Becky got attacked?”
I nod, and a sour taste pervades my mouth. “The night your father attacked her.”
