Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
He meant a therapist.
Could she tell a stranger everything that had happened?
“Is it safe to go to a therapist? Is there anything about what happened that I shouldn’t tell them?”
Dr. Wallace’s body had been found after the receptionist at his clinic called the police for a welfare check. The police had then looked into his clinic and discovered the secret room and the video footage.
They’d tracked Lily down eventually, and had asked her several questions about what had happened, about what she could remember.
That had taken so much out of her. Going over everything, telling them how she’d been drugged so she couldn’t really remember it. But that she had flashbacks. She’d left out her mother’s part in it all. She’d had her bail revoked, but she’d been acting so strangely that she’d ended up admitted to a psychiatric unit once more.
Ronan had offered to erase her presence from the clinic records, and she’d thought about it. She hadn’t wanted other people to see her like that. She hadn’t wanted to go through it with the police, but she also hadn’t wanted Doctor Wallace to get away with anything even though he was dead. They hadn’t located any of his other victims. Which worried her. Were they dead? She had no idea.
The other girl wasn’t in a good way. Lily hadn’t even been able to talk to her because every time she woke up, she tried to harm herself.
Michaela had her admitted to a hospital. The police had found her there, eventually. Michaela had come up with a cover story for how she discovered her. She’d claimed that the girl had been wandering the streets alone, and that a friend had picked her up and brought her to Michaela’s clinic.
She hadn’t been able to give the police anything though, so Lily had been the only credible witness.
Apparently, one of the nurses as well as the receptionist had known about the doctor’s secret side hustle. Both of them had been arrested.
After the police interviewed her, she hadn’t been able to sleep because of the nightmares. And the lack of sleep was making everything worse.
And it wasn’t like she could take a sedative.
Paddy was still investigating the payments that had been going out of Doctor Wallace’s accounts. The police would also likely investigate those as well.
“You’d need to leave out a few things,” he told her. “But nothing that would affect your care, just about Dr. Wallace’s murder. I think a therapist would help, and Michaela has a friend who is one. I just want you to feel better, baby. I don’t want you to have to suffer through all of these nightmares and panic attacks.”
“All right. I’ll see a therapist,” she told him. “If you could set it up.”
He kissed the top of her head. “That’s my brave girl.”
She’d been told the first therapy session would be the worst, and that was definitely the case.
Afterward, she walked into the waiting room where Harvey was sitting, feeling like she was going to pass out or scream. She couldn’t decide which.
Lily had started crying about five minutes into the session and hadn’t really stopped, so her eyes felt heavy and swollen.
But she also felt a little bit lighter inside, so this was probably a good idea. It was just going to take everything out of her.
Harvey gave her a concerned look as he stood and drew her close, holding her tight.
Safety. Home.
Right now, it was hard for her to be away from him.
“It was a tough session,” Sophia, the therapist, told Harvey. “She’s going to need some care tonight. Maybe a bath, watch some TV, have a light meal, and go to bed, okay? I’ll see you in a few days. You did really well, Lily.”
Harvey helped her out to the car with his arm around her waist. She had to lean most of her weight on him. She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open.
But she didn’t want to go to sleep because she knew the nightmares were just under the surface, waiting to grab hold of her. Talking about everything that had happened with her mother and Doctor Wallace only seemed to stir everything up.
She glanced around as the car came to a stop. Were they home? She wasn’t even aware of the drive. She was in too much of a daze.
Harvey ended up carrying her into the cabin and straight to the living room, where he wrapped her up in a blanket and sat on the sofa with her in his arms.
“That was so hard,” she told him.
“I can see that on your face, mo bhreáthracht. You look exhausted.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry you have to go through all of this.”
“None of it is your fault,” she told him.
She knew directly where the blame lay.