his physical therapist and headed off to work with a skip in her step. Everything would work itself out. She just had to believe. The feel of his blood back in her veins would allow them to weather any storm.
“Angeline?”
Dr. Lillian Palmer, her hair cropped on the verge of shorn, seemed to take note of the buzz swirling around her. Angeline smiled at her boss and steadied her stance among the samples.
“Yes, Doctor,” she said. “Something you need?”
Lillian Palmer cocked her head from one side to the other as she focused her stare on Angeline’s beaming face. Of course she seemed confused. Lillian had never seen her this happy, so the sight must seem strange.
“Are you feeling alright?” Lillian asked, her voice full of concern.
Angeline laughed as she nodded.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “The best thing has happened. I’m so…”
The room suddenly started to spin, and Lillian’s image grew blurry under her eyes. Angeline tried to brush it off and finish her thought, but her eyes grew heavy and she felt her legs growing weaker.
“I’m so…”
She pictured Kane, almost felt his arms around her as Lillian tried to stop her fall.
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Angeline awoke on an exam table. It was a room into which she had ushered many patients while she stood off to the side. Lifting her lids, she almost thought that she saw a former version of herself, waiting. Just as quickly, it evaporated into the air, and Angeline knew nothing but the plush leather pressing into her back as Lillian scanned a printout and handed it off to another nurse. She closed the door tightly and pulled a stool to Angeline’s side.
“You’re up,” Lillian said. “Glad to see it.”
Running a hand across her flushed face, Angeline smiled.
“Guess I’m just tired,” Angeline said. “Long night.”
But well worth it. She had him back. He would be here at five. After so many years without, she wanted to have, to hold him again. He believed her, and Noel had failed. Even the rape faded away when she realized that she had won.
“I thought it best to draw blood,” Lillian said.
Angeline turned her head and saw the gauze taped to her arm. A part of her wanted to assure Lillian that she was just fine. Yet she was curious as Lillian flipped through the pages in her hands.
“Can your tests measure happiness?” Angeline asked, her voice full of joy.
Lillian seemed taken aback, confused. She only knew the sad girl that had shuffled towards her office as she marked off days on a calendar. And when the marks stopped, Lillian surprised her with a hug and tried to assure her that everything would somehow still be okay.
“So you’ve found someone else?” Lillian asked.
Angeline sat up and laughed.
“No,” she said. “Kane is alive. We… we were together. Just last night.”
Running her hands through her hair, Angeline remembered the ways in which he had kissed her after taking her again. She forgot doubt when he rested his lips to her eyes.
***
“I’ll keep you safe,” Kane promised. “Just trust me.”
***
And she did then. She did now. It was nothing to tell Lillian the truth. Angeline expected her smile, and her teeth chattered when Lillian returned her gaze to the printout.
“Just last night?” Lillian asked.
Angeline nodded and brought her body to the edge of the exam table. Her eyes found Lillian’s, and she gave her a confident nod.
“I have him back,” she said. “Guess that’s why I’m a little shaky. Kane—”
“But there was someone before him,” Lillian said.
Angeline flashed back to Noel. He had taken her, but it was nothing compared to Kane. Noel only crept close on the back of a cruel lie. Kane was the truth, and she was not about to apologize.
“His friend,” Angeline started. “He… hurt me.”
Lillian
“Angeline?”
Dr. Lillian Palmer, her hair cropped on the verge of shorn, seemed to take note of the buzz swirling around her. Angeline smiled at her boss and steadied her stance among the samples.
“Yes, Doctor,” she said. “Something you need?”
Lillian Palmer cocked her head from one side to the other as she focused her stare on Angeline’s beaming face. Of course she seemed confused. Lillian had never seen her this happy, so the sight must seem strange.
“Are you feeling alright?” Lillian asked, her voice full of concern.
Angeline laughed as she nodded.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “The best thing has happened. I’m so…”
The room suddenly started to spin, and Lillian’s image grew blurry under her eyes. Angeline tried to brush it off and finish her thought, but her eyes grew heavy and she felt her legs growing weaker.
“I’m so…”
She pictured Kane, almost felt his arms around her as Lillian tried to stop her fall.
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Angeline awoke on an exam table. It was a room into which she had ushered many patients while she stood off to the side. Lifting her lids, she almost thought that she saw a former version of herself, waiting. Just as quickly, it evaporated into the air, and Angeline knew nothing but the plush leather pressing into her back as Lillian scanned a printout and handed it off to another nurse. She closed the door tightly and pulled a stool to Angeline’s side.
“You’re up,” Lillian said. “Glad to see it.”
Running a hand across her flushed face, Angeline smiled.
“Guess I’m just tired,” Angeline said. “Long night.”
But well worth it. She had him back. He would be here at five. After so many years without, she wanted to have, to hold him again. He believed her, and Noel had failed. Even the rape faded away when she realized that she had won.
“I thought it best to draw blood,” Lillian said.
Angeline turned her head and saw the gauze taped to her arm. A part of her wanted to assure Lillian that she was just fine. Yet she was curious as Lillian flipped through the pages in her hands.
“Can your tests measure happiness?” Angeline asked, her voice full of joy.
Lillian seemed taken aback, confused. She only knew the sad girl that had shuffled towards her office as she marked off days on a calendar. And when the marks stopped, Lillian surprised her with a hug and tried to assure her that everything would somehow still be okay.
“So you’ve found someone else?” Lillian asked.
Angeline sat up and laughed.
“No,” she said. “Kane is alive. We… we were together. Just last night.”
Running her hands through her hair, Angeline remembered the ways in which he had kissed her after taking her again. She forgot doubt when he rested his lips to her eyes.
***
“I’ll keep you safe,” Kane promised. “Just trust me.”
***
And she did then. She did now. It was nothing to tell Lillian the truth. Angeline expected her smile, and her teeth chattered when Lillian returned her gaze to the printout.
“Just last night?” Lillian asked.
Angeline nodded and brought her body to the edge of the exam table. Her eyes found Lillian’s, and she gave her a confident nod.
“I have him back,” she said. “Guess that’s why I’m a little shaky. Kane—”
“But there was someone before him,” Lillian said.
Angeline flashed back to Noel. He had taken her, but it was nothing compared to Kane. Noel only crept close on the back of a cruel lie. Kane was the truth, and she was not about to apologize.
“His friend,” Angeline started. “He… hurt me.”
Lillian
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