Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Brooke waved away her concern. “Consider it a perk of the job if you take it.” She winked. “You’ll need to activate it with a phone number because I transferred mine and wiped this baby.”
She turned the phone over in her hand. It might have been Brooke’s old phone, but it was still a recent model. Plus, it had a sleek purple case that seemed indestructible. Exactly what she needed given the abuse she’d subjected her last phone to. “Thank you,” she said as her throat thickened. The words came out a near whisper.
“You’re very welcome. Can I hug you?”
Everyone was always so careful to obtain her consent before getting too close or touching her in a way she might not want. The simple gesture meant more to her than she could express.
“Of course.” She opened her arms and accepted a hug from Brooke.
“Our stories are different…” Brooke said as she hugged Kelsie tight, “… but I’ve been in a dark place before, and I know trauma. Too well. I understand how hard it is to fight for your happiness. You’re doing an amazing job. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered again. This time, a tear trickled from the corner of her eye.
Clearing her throat, Brooke stepped back. She swiped at her eyes and then gave a watery smile. “I’m gonna head out before we get too weepy. Let me know if you want someone to come with you when you go to get that phone activated. Otherwise, feel free to borrow my car and head there whenever you want. I’ll be working in my office for the next few hours. Spare keys are on the console table in the foyer.”
“I think I’ll just go now if that works,” she stated before she had time to think of all the reasons she couldn’t. She’d been talking herself out of things for the past two months. It was time to take a long leap out of her comfort zone and give Brooke something to really be proud of. Brooke’s faith in her provided the boost she needed to take another step in a positive direction. She could handle a few minutes in a cellular store, even if the employee helping was a man.
“Perfect. Don’t forget to check your email for that contract as soon as you set up the phone.” Brooke waved and headed down the hall toward her office.
“Will do.” Kelsie slipped her feet into her flip-flops and then went to grab the keys before leaving the shelter.
Ten minutes later, she sat in Brooke’s SUV outside the cellular store, staring at the building. “Ten minutes tops, in and out. That’s nothing. And it’s broad daylight. Nothing’s going to happen. You got this.”
As a child, she hated speaking at the front of the class. Her sixth-grade English teacher made the class keep a daily journal and share one entry aloud weekly. No matter how many times she suffered through the heinous task of presenting her journal, the anxiety never improved. Every Friday, she’d walk into school with a racing heart, sweaty palms, knots in her stomach, and a voice telling her she’d fail.
She had those same feelings as she tried to convince herself to step out of the car.
God, how she hated those sensations.
She put her quaking hand on the door handle. “On the count of three,” she whispered. “One… two… three…”
She pulled the lever and opened the door, spinning her legs to the left. Her feet hit the pavement as she inhaled a deep, cleansing breath. Humidity and heat assaulted her in sharp contrast to the chilly air-conditioned interior of Brooke’s luxury SUV.
“So far so good.”
A thin woman in workout gear walking a tiny terrier passed without so much as a glance in her direction. However, the brown and black dog took notice and yapped a few high-pitched barks. Kelsie smiled at the cute little guy and stood facing the storefront.
Okay, she was officially out of the car. The next step was to walk to the store’s entrance. Fifteen strides, max. One foot in front of the other.
Move.
As though controlled by a remote, she moved her legs, right, left, right, left, until she reached the curb. She lifted her right foot, placed it on the curb, and stepped up to the sidewalk. It felt like an out-of-body experience, as though someone else sat at the helm, steering her while her brain wasn’t fully on board.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The blood rushed in her ears alongside a low buzzing.
Right foot, left foot.
Before she could reach for the door, it opened, and a young, overly cheerful employee dressed in a red polo with the store’s logo and plain black pants greeted her. “Hello!” The young woman said. “Welcome to Quantum Wireless. How can we help you today?”
A woman.
Thank God.
Kelsie’s shoulders relaxed. Hurdle one completed.