Captured Again by L.L. Akers Page A

Olivia,” she said as she kept walking. “I’d lose my damn job if I have to go back in. But I’m getting really tired of him asking me the same question over and over again. What good does that do?”
    Olivia quickly caught up and put her arm around Gabby, squeezing her in a half hug. “It’s supposed to make you focus, Gab. Clear your mind of the clutter, and focus... That’s all. It’s a starting point. You can’t make any progress until you get past the starting point.”
    “I don’t need to make progress. I already have. I’m okay. I’ve moved on. I’m living, sleeping, eating, working... What more progress could I make? This is bullshit.”
    Olivia stopped walking. Gabby made it a few more steps toward the parking garage when she realized Olivia wasn’t beside her anymore. She turned around to find Olivia standing stubbornly in place, arms crossed and face serious.
    “What?” Gabby asked. “You look like you have something to tell me.”
    Olivia opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again, blowing out another loud breath through her nose. She shook her head.
    “Gabby, I’m tired of this, too. Seriously? You think I like rearranging my work schedule to meet my stubborn twin at the doctor’s office every week, just to make sure she shows up, instead of having her stubborn ass thrown back into the psych ward? Really? I’ve got a lot better things to do than this. If you refuse to even try, then I’m done.”
    Gabby crossed her arms and stared back, matching the defiant look on Olivia’s face. This was the way it always was... tough love. Gabby knew Olivia meant well, but how the hell was she supposed to try when she didn’t know what she was trying for? What did they want from her? But she couldn’t lose Olivia... not now.
    “Okay. I’ll try. I really will, okay?” Gabby offered.
    “Okay.”
    Olivia started walking again and met up with Gabby, who turned and matched her hurried stride toward the parking lot, sighing in relief. She knew deep down she needed Olivia for this—even if she didn’t exactly know why.

CHAPTER 15
    Gabby peeked into the rearview mirror, smoothing down her hair around her face and checking her makeup just before she pulled up to Mom’s house. She wanted to look put together, look normal . The more normal she looked, the fewer questions anyone would ask.
    While she’d let on to Olivia that she didn’t really want to come tonight, that wasn’t exactly true. Since Mom had joined them in their support group years before and listened—really listened—to what each had been through and shared her own history, Mom had changed. Or maybe they’d all changed. But Mom had mellowed out. She’d learned to pay attention to her girls, even watching them like a hawk now, always on alert to keep her baby chicks safe and away from further harm. While it sometimes got on Gabby’s nerves that Mom had to have her nose in everybody’s business, it was a welcome change. Once they all knew each other’s secrets, and they each saw there was no blame bestowed on each other, they were closer... an equal team in building each other up and keeping a watchful eye, sisters in survival—or Survivor Sisters, as they liked to remind each other when one of them was down.
    Mom had married her boyfriend, Nick, five years ago. She’d finally gotten her happily ever after. He was a drinker to start with; that was true. But only beer. He’d quit after he asked Mom to marry him. He didn’t have an abusive bone in his body. He was a big, cuddly teddy bear that they all adored. He had the cutest smile and laughed easily; it was contagious. He could make anyone laugh.
    Nick worked hard so Mom could quit her factory job and found the perfect place to live out her retirement years, in the middle of a huge patch of woods. He loved to build and quickly cleared a place for the house. When that was finished, he constructed fences, barns, and chicken coops, filling them up to give Mom something