Saving Easton by Kaci Rose
Chapter 27
Easton
I turn and pace the hallway in front of my therapist’s office door yet again. Allie gave up following me several turns ago, and now just sits at one end watching me. I can't blame her, because she has no idea what’s going on, or what my emotions are, because I don't even know.
All I know is today is the day. I'm going to tell Dr. Tate everything.
The night after my fight with Paisley, I couldn't sleep. I laid in bed just praying, that if she were to give me another chance, I'd do right by her. That means opening up about what happened to me to Dr. Tate and to her, so that's what I’m doing today. Later next week, I’ll be talking to her brother, too.
"Okay, Allie. You ready?" I ask her, and she stands up, walking over to the door.
I open it, going inside and taking my seat. My heart is racing, and Allie climbs into my lap, licking my face, as if saying I'm here for you, and we got this.
"Good, girl," I pet her, as she calms down.
"Hello, Easton." Dr. Tate says.
I nod.
"How are things, since the last time we talked?" He asks, like he always does.
"That's not what I want to talk about today," I say, before I lose my nerve.
"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"
"My time as a POW.”
Shock crosses his face that he masks quickly with a smile.
He sits back in his chair with his clipboard.
"Okay, I'm listening."
"Can we ask Noah to join us? He deserves to hear this too, and I'd rather only say this twice today."
"Twice?"
"I’ll be telling Paisley later today as well.”
He nods and calls in Noah.
I start at the beginning, and then tell them everything. From the beginning of the deployment, to the moment I was rescued, until I ended up here at Oakside. My appointment is normally an hour long, but he had Lexi cancel his next two appointments and lets me keep talking until I'm done.
The moment I'm finished, it feels like a weight has been lifted off me. My chest wasn't as constricted, and I could breathe easier, better. Taking a deep breath, I look over at Noah, not sure what I'm going to see on his face, but I don't expect the pride on his face.
"How do you feel?" He asks.
"Better," I say, not sure how to describe exactly how I feel.
"Well, I think this is a good point to stop at. I heard your lady is waiting on you. Why don't the three of us meet at the same time day after tomorrow?" Dr. Tate says.
I nod and head back to my room, stopping to let Allie out. She seems to know Paisley is waiting for us because I can't remember seeing her ever pee so fast. She doesn't even sniff around, she just goes right to her favorite spot, squats, and then runs right back to me.
When I walk into my room, Paisley is sitting on the couch looking worried, and Molly keeps trying to get her attention. The moment she sees me, she jumps up and rushes over to me.
"Is everything okay? Lexi said you were still in your therapy appointment, but your appointment was three hours ago."
The moment she's in arm’s reach, I pull her into me.
"Everything is fine. I just opened up to Dr. Tate and Noah about my POW time, and I'd like to tell you now, if you'd listen.”
"Oh, Easton. Of course, I'll listen.”
Closing the door behind me, I follow her to the couch. Molly climbs up on one side of Paisley, and Allie climbs up between me and Paisley. Then, I turn to face her on the couch and begin.
"The day it happened, I felt in my gut something was wrong, but I didn’t know what or where, or if it was anything. Even though I've run everything over in my head multiple times, I can’t figure out where the leak came from, but there was a leak. Someone slipped our location that’s the only way they would be in the exact spot where we were crossing. We’d been watching that deserted road, and it hadn't been used in weeks."
Allie stretches out, and I start petting her feeling more at ease, as I rest my other hand along the back of the couch.
"We were ambushed. They killed two guys, and the others got out with some injuries, but they only took me. I'm not sure why me. Best I can tell, they thought I had some information, which I didn't. Why they thought I'd have it, is another reason, and I think there was a mole among us. Every day I prayed the mole was one of the guys that died that day, and that he got what he deserved. To this day, the Marines have never admitted to their being a mole; not that they would." I take a deep breath.
Paisley reaches over and takes my hand in hers.
"They used chloroform and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in a cement room, and the only thing in it was me tied to a chair. There were no windows, nothing, but a drain in the floor. The only time there was light was when someone came in the room and turned on the overhead bulb. Until then, I didn't know what dark truly was. They kept me tied to the chair without food for about two days best I could tell. Every time they walked in, they would give me water.
At first, they were nice, and then realizing there was a language barrier, they brought in a translator. They first tried to bargain with me and brought in a bed, chaining me to it with enough chain I could move around and get off the bed to use the pot they gave me for a toilet, but not enough to get to the door, where they would stand."
Paisley squeezes my hand, and I look up at her to find a tender look on her face. Not one of pity or heartbreak. I already promised myself to leave out the gory details, and I will, but I want her to know what happened; to know this dark part of me.
"Only tell me what you want, East." She says gently.
"I want to tell you everything.”
"Then, I want to hear it. Your battle is my battle, and we fight together."
I know those words will stick with me for a long time. They’re exactly what I need to hear, and I vow the moment I’m out of here, they’ll be my next tattoo.
"For a couple weeks, they left me alone with nothing more than water and two trays of food a day. Peanut butter sandwich for breakfast and some kind of soup at night. But the next time they came in, I was too weak to fight, and they knew it. It had been their plan all along." I say, pausing.
Wanting to hold her for the next part, I motion Allie to the floor, and then pull Paisley into my lap. I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on her head.
"That's when they started to get mad. Each day they would come in and ask questions about things I didn't know. When I didn't give them any answers, they retaliated. It was different each day. Knives, burns, starvation. It was like they got off on my pain. So eventually, I shut down and didn't react, even to the pain. That pissed them off, and then they would leave me alone for days in a row. When I was finally rescued, they said I had been there just over a year."
Paisley shifts then, and wraps her arms around my neck, and her soft lips trail kisses along my jaw.
"I'm so glad you survived and are here with me today." She whispers against my ear, and despite the heavy conversation, my cock starts to stir.
"When I got to the hospital, I was just used to shutting everything out that I didn't know how to stop. I didn't want to feel everything that would come with turning my emotions back on. I didn't want to deal with the pain, and I didn’t want to remember. So, I sat at the window and enjoyed the sun on my face, because it reminded me, I wasn't there anymore. Then, Noah showed up at my door and barged his way in." I chuckle and kiss the top of her head.
"When he suggested I transfer here, I figured why not. At least, the food would be better, right? Then, you walked in, and I finally had a reason to get better; a reason to put this behind me. You seem to know just what I need, how far to push me, and when. Where everyone else was walking on eggshells, you weren't afraid to get mad at me. I hate you’re mad at me, sunshine, but that was the encouragement I needed for today."
She sighs, and then pulls me down for a kiss. Her lips dance across mine in a claiming kiss that I want more of. I lay her back on the couch, thankful the dogs aren't in the way. I brace myself over her and look in her luminous, brown eyes.
"Thank you for being the one I want to get better for," I tell her.
"Thank you for opening up to me."
"Always for you."
I use my body to pin her to the couch, and she wraps her legs around my hips, pulling me in closer. I want to bury myself deep inside her, and I can feel her pulsing beneath me, as I angle my hips and grind against her, causing her to gasp. Having her wrapped around me, I realize I’m in love with this girl and want to spend the rest of my life with her. Only right now isn't the time to tell her. Until I’ve proven myself and told her brother about us, I need to wait. I want her to know without a shadow of a doubt that I mean it, when I say it.
So, I swallow those words, grind against her again, and trail kisses down her neck.
"Easton." She gasps.
"Yeah, sunshine?" I ask, while kissing back up the other side of her neck and grind into her again. I’m addicted to the silky feel of her skin under my lips.
"That feels so good. Don’t stop."
"What does? This?" I grind my erect cock into her again.
Her hips buck under me, and she lets out a low mewling sound, telling me I hit the right spot. I pick up the rhythm, as I kiss her and make love to her mouth the way I wish I could to the rest of her.
Just a few of my thrusts, and she’s falling over the edge, but I swallow her screams of pleasure. Then, she's a limp rag doll in my arms, and knowing I was the one who did this to her, has me harder than I can ever remember being.
She trails a hand down my chest with a smile on her face.
"Your turn." She reaches for my cock.
I take her hand in mine.
"Nope, I got what I need. Knowing I can make you feel like this, is all I need today. Snuggle on the couch with me?"
Lying down on the couch, I pull her in front of me, wrapping myself around her waist and tugging her close. Molly and Allie lay on the floor in front of us at our feet.
Paisley takes control of the remote, and I settle in for a perfect afternoon. One of many more, if I play my cards right.