Her Regret, His Resolve; Bouncing Back, Book 2

25

Skylar blew out her cheeks. Three weeks had passed in a flash as they attended counseling twice a week. Russell had come clean about everything in his past. Every revelation he introduced in their sessions felt like a knife slicing through her heart. It hurt even more to know she’d added to his pain, contributing to the memories that still haunted him.

However, it bothered her to talk about her own past. She didn't want anyone to know what she'd gone through. She didn't want to say anything, even to her closest friend, Kennedy. Warned again not to screw up her one chance, she'd been forced to attend the meetings. The therapist seemed cautious, almost tiptoeing around Russell after hearing all the horrific things he had endured. Skylar noticed the subtle shifts in the doctor's demeanor, indicating he now categorized Russell into the statistical research that suggested abused kids turn into abusive adults.

She shook, not wanting to get into it with the doctor, but Russell was ordered to report it if she didn't uphold her end of the deal. Taking a deep breath when the questions turned to her history, she said, "My mother was hardly around. She was always working, and my father wasn't in the picture at the time. Her best friend, Tina, helped raise me until she moved away. My mother thought I would be okay to stay alone while she worked as a waitress at a local bar, so I was often left alone at night.”

Skylar paused, the silence in the room pressing down on her. She glanced at Russell, who was watching her with a mix of concern and encouragement. "I... I didn't mind it at first. I liked the freedom. But then, things started happening. There were nights when strange noises outside the house would scare me. I would hide under my bed, clutching a pillow, hoping it would go away."

The therapist nodded, jotting down notes, but his eyes were kind and understanding. "That must have been very difficult for you, Skylar. It's important to acknowledge these experiences and understand how they've shaped you."

Skylar looked down at her hands, feeling the weight of her past pressing heavily on her. She hadn't wanted to share this, but seeing Russell open up had given her a bit of courage. She knew this was part of the healing process, even if it was painful. They still had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long while, Skylar felt a glimmer of hope.

“So you were neglected as a girl? What about your father? You claim that he wasn’t in the picture, but he’s with you now?” The doctor was getting on her nerves. Were they all like this? So condescending and assuming?

“He had no idea I even existed. My mother kept telling me that he was a mistake, that he was just a one-night stand, and that I was nothing but a burden. When I was eleven, she dropped me off with a bag of clothes and left me on my father's doorstep."

Russell smirked, remembering the way she'd snapped at his brother the day she arrived, fearlessly standing up to him. His mind stopped as he recalled the way she'd arrived that day, making him frown.

She'd been limping, as if someone had hurt her and she was still feeling the pain. His brother hadn't touched her, but she’d shied away from him until he promised safety. It was only when Declan told her that he was taking her to her father that she allowed him to take her hand. Now that he knew what to look for in himself, he was starting to see the signs in her.

"Ms. Marks, I understand that there were a few times when you used violence against Mr. Reyes?" the doctor continued.

Her head snapped up, staring at the doctor. "I... Yes, I did."

"In some cases, there would have been a male figure at some point that caused you to feel pain. With that in mind, did your mother ever bring strange men home, or were you ever around a male that you didn't care for? It would account for the lashing out," Doctor Stein asked as he jotted something down.

She shook her head. "Please, don't make me talk about it."

"Doctor, can I get a few moments alone with her?" Russell's voice was calm, soothing.

"Not possible, Mr. Reyes," the man replied, shaking his head. "I can't leave patients alone without supervision for insurance reasons."

Russell nodded. "I get that, I do. All I'm asking for is five minutes to talk to her."

"Fine," Stein said, relenting to the request, "Five minutes."

"Agreed," Russell said. His smile fell away from his face as soon as the door closed behind the man. Getting to his feet, he knelt down in front of Skylar and sighed. "Sky, listen, you know we have to do this. Please, talk to the doctor. For us?"

She shook her head, her lip trembling. "I can't, Russell. It's too painful. Please, I'm begging you not to make me say it. Don’t make me relive that hell when I just want to forget it. It hurts too much. Please, please don't make me say it."

Russell closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of her supple arms around his shoulders, loving the way she clung to him. He wanted to curse, to tell her they were that much closer to saving their relationship, but he couldn't do it. Something had been done to her, and it scarred her enough that she couldn’t bring herself to speak about it.

Sinking his fingers into her hair, he held her close. "Sky, please tell me. I swear I won't judge you. You heard what he said when I talked about my past, right? Whatever happened to you is not your fault, Skylar."

"So it's not my fault my mother's boyfriend thought I looked cute enough to touch?" She snapped at him. Then, as she realized what had happened, her hands slammed over her mouth and her eyes went wide. She hadn’t meant to let that out.

Pulling her back into his arms, Russell fumed, but he held his anger in check. She'd slipped up, giving him just enough information that he could deduce what happened in the past for himself.

He pulled back, gripping her face in his strong hands. He stared into her eyes, daring her to lie to him. "Yes or no, Skylar: were you molested?"

"I-"

"Yes. Or. No?" He pressed darkly, tired of dancing around the issue.

“Yes!” She screamed, the deadly rage she hid so well surfacing. Her hands formed into fists, beating against his chest as he tried to keep a grip on her.

Having had enough of it, Russell let her go. Donning his jacket, he fumed over what he'd learned. He turned back to the couch and picked her up bridal style. Though she fought for a moment, she quickly caved to his gentle warmth.

As he moved toward the door with Skylar cradled in his arms, the doctor walked back into the room with David. Stein had likely called him. David looked like he was going to haul his best friend's brother out for a good beating until he took notice of how Skylar was crying in Russell's arms. She was clinging to him for dear life, and he could hear her nails cutting through the fabric of the man’s shirt.

Opting to stay impartial, David asked, "What happened?"

Unable to speak for a few minutes, Russell continued to hold Skylar tightly. He bit his lip, torn between protecting her right to privacy and telling her father the whole truth. Skylar desperately pleaded for him not to say anything. Yet, he ignored her for the first time. Meeting David’s eyes with determination, he said, "She was assaulted by one of her mother's boyfriends. I don't know how far it went or for how long, but she let it slip when I pressed her for answers.”

David paled before his own anger bubbled to the surface. His inner Social Worker was waking with a vengeance, teaming up with his fatherly instincts, and that made him even more dangerous. Tenderly grasping her chin in his hand, he kissed her forehead as he said, "It’s okay, Cupcake. We're going home to the Towers now, Russ."

"What about the doctor?" Russell asked, concerned that the man would not understand.

"I got it, Russ. You raised your voice to make her break her silence, you weren't hurting her. There’s a stark difference in an everyday argument and abusiveness." David scoffed as he placed a call when his daughter and her man were out of range. "Callum, I need Trace to look up all the information he can find on my daughter's mother."

"Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," David winced. "She was assaulted while in her mother’s care, and I think it’s the reason for her unusual behaviour. God, I feel like I failed her."

"We all failed her, D. Well, everyone except Russell. He kept telling us that something deeper was wrong, but we never checked into it," Callum whispered through the phone.

Shaking his head, David said, "And I was too blinded by my distrust to notice until recently."

"You sound like you're shifting your stance on Russell being with Skylar," Callum commented.

David took a breath, blowing out his cheeks as he groaned. Glancing over at the man holding his daughter, he watched as Russell soothed her calmly. Watching as he gently comforted her until her sobs quieted to whimpers. "I think I am.”

“Amber will be happy to hear it. Trace is working on that now for you. Are you headed home?” Callum asked.

David clenched his jaw, meeting Russell’s hardened gaze as Skylar begged him not to leave her. “I want his head. I want his blood on my hands, Cal.”

“You have it, David. You’ve been with me from day one, so I got you now. Send him to hell,” the Don replied, his voice dripping with darkness.