Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Julian rolled his eyes. “I don’t know who’s worse with all of the work—you or Axel,” he grunted.
She only smiled and waved him away as she sat back down at the table. Julian led me out of the kitchen but stopped me in the hallway. “Here, take your jacket off. Dad is probably going to light a fire in the fireplace, and you’re going to get warm fast.”
I unzipped my jacket and shrugged it off, handing it to him. He hung it up on one of the hooks in the hallway before he gently pulled me to him and rested his hand on my belly. “You’re doing so fucking good, baby girl. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
“They’re easy to be around.” I smiled. “Your dad reminds me of you.”
Julian grinned. “So, I figured. You squeaked like a mouse when you saw him,” he teased.
I slapped his chest, a blush staining my cheeks. “You suck,” I grumbled.
He flashed me a sexy grin. “Nah, babe, I don’t, but you sure as fuck do,” he joked, adding a wink.
I laughed and pushed him away from me. He chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Love you, baby girl,” he told me, a grin on his lips.
I rolled my eyes. “I guess I love you, too,” I muttered, but there was a smile on my face.
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
Axel
* * *
I stepped into the familiar visitation room in the center. I was nervous to finally see my little sister, and yet, I was extremely excited, too. I hated not being able to see her—not being able to know how she was feeling from her—instead having to rely on Dr. Gresham.
My eyes instantly landed on my little sister. She was wearing a plain black hoodie, and her normally dyed hair was now fading back to its normal brown color. She had gained a bit of weight; I could see it in her face, and it made her look so much healthier.
She looked up as I neared the table, and she instantly burst into tears.
“Hey, I’m here, sis,” I soothed, reaching out to hug her. She sobbed against my chest. “It’s okay.”
“I’m so sorry for everything,” she cried. “I’m so, so sorry, Axel.”
“Shh,” I soothed, running my hand over her hair. “It’s alright. I promise I’m not mad. You were hurting, sis. You lashed out, and that’s normal.”
She sat back in her seat and swiped at her cheeks. Dr. Gresham shook my hand before I took my seat across from her. “Your girlfriend probably hates me.” She kept her gaze focused on the table.
“No,” I told her honestly. She snapped her shocked, brown eyes up to mine. I gave her a small smile. “Meghan just wants you to get better, Alli. She’s never been angry at you for anything you did. She understands how you feel.”
“Nobody can understand this.” Her bottom lip trembled.
“I know it’s dark right now.” She rolled her lips into her mouth to keep from sobbing out loud. “It feels like you’ll never get the hell out of that dark hole, but you will, Alli,” I assured her. “Just keep writing your poetry and keep talking to Dr. Gresham about how you’re feeling. He’s here to help you, sis. Let him do that. You’re doing so, so good, and I’m so proud of you.”
She gave me a watery smile. “How did she do it?” she asked me. I frowned at her. “How did Meghan overcome everything? They have some of her paintings hanging up around the center, and I can tell she once was hurting, too.”
I grabbed my sister’s hands in my own and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Alli, Meghan still hurts,” I told her. “All of the depression doesn’t go away for her. She’s only learned to cope with it and be strong. You don’t ever just get better, Alli. It’s not like the flu or a stomach bug. It’ll always be there. You’ll have good days and bad days, and that’s okay. But Meghan,” I sighed, “it’s complicated with Meghan. She learned to scream and cry in the face of her demons instead of letting them drag her down. She does it every single day.”
“She seemed so strong when she was here,” Alli whispered. She cast her eyes to the table.
I squeezed her hands again. “Because she is strong, Alli. She learned to stop letting her mental health define her, and she started defining it. She wanted the help, Alli. You have to want the help, too. When you start wanting it as badly as she did, then you’ll begin to build your strength. But don’t focus on her. Everyone heals and grows differently, Alli, and you need to figure out your path of healing for yourself. Focusing on how she and everyone else does it will not help you; it’ll only hinder you.”