Page 14 of Rehabilitated
“What if I can’t do it?” Ever asks.
“You can.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“How?”
“Because you’re stubborn.”
Her mouth drops open. “I am not.”
“You argued with me for twenty minutes this morning because you wanted to load the dishwasher.”
“That doesn’t make me stubborn.”
“You tried to hide the plates from me.”
“I was already holding them.”
“You ran away.”
“I walked quickly.”
I grin as she crosses her arms over her chest.
Her bruises are fading, but I still hate seeing them. Every mark is another reminder of what those monsters did to her.
I force my attention away from them and back to the shifting lesson.
“You’ll shift,” I promise her. “Your bear is in there. She just needs time and patience.”
“What if she doesn’t like me?”
My heart twists. “Why wouldn’t she like you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she’s angry that I never knew she was there.”
“She won’t be angry.”
“You don’t know that either.”
“She’s part of you, Ever. She loves you.”
Ever glances down at the grass. “I wish I could hear her.”
“You will.”
She still looks unsure.
I step closer and gently tilt her chin up. “We’re not in a rush. You don’t have to shift today or tomorrow or next month. We have time.”
Her eyes soften. “You’re very patient with me.”
“I’d wait forever for you.”
A shy smile spreads across her face, and I can’t resist any longer. I lower my head and kiss her softly.
