My Country Love Story

40- One step forward changes everything

The next couple of days I skipped school. Don’t worry I had fellow classmates collect my homework for me so I didn’t fall behind.

I spent those two days mostly sleeping and being too miserable to get up. Blake would come over and spend most of the night with me, once he got out of school. He would drop off my homework and I would sit up, shut off my TV and get right to work.

-

Lately though the time he spends with me have been getting shorter and shorter. I had stopped attending classes, wanting to just stay in the safety of my room. But since it was so close to the end of the school year I just kept working on my assignments at home.

Blake: (To my Momma): “I’m just really worried about her. She hasn’t gotten out of bed, and she hardly even talks to me anymore.”

Momma: “I know honey this is hard on all of us.”

Blake: “Then why aren’t you doing anything about it, to help her!”

I heard him momentarily lose his composure. I didn’t know I was causing them this much pain. Ever since my kidnapping I just wanted to keep myself locked inside, where I feel safe. To make it even worse I would watch horse movies on Netflix all day, or up until Blake came in with my homework, instead of going outside to Mars and Cosmo.

I was staring off into space, remembering how I spent my life savings on those two. I found a job so I could continue to pay for them.

-

I passed all of my freshman year classes and still hadn’t come out of my room.

Today is different. When I expected Blake to come in and try to get me to come out, a stranger walked through my door instead.

My first reaction was to scream and crawl off my bed and sit in the corner.

Momma: “Leah darling there’s no need to worry. This is Dr. Riley. She is a renowned therapist and she is here to talk to you about these past few months.”

I slowly climbed back into my bed.

Dr. Riley: “Good morning Leah, how are you doing?”

I scowled and my former self wouldn’t have ever spoken to someone so impolitely. “I don’t need to be talked to with a condescending tone.”

This threw both of my parents off guard and they left the room.

Dr. Riley: “Ok I understand, Leah how are you feeling.”

Me: “You wanna know the truth? I am scared out of my mind.”

Dr. Riley: “Do you know why that could be?”

Me: “I’m afraid of being taken again.”

She nods and scribbles something down into the notebook in front of her.

Dr. Riley: “How long has it been since you’ve been outside Leah?”

Me: “I don’t know. Probably about a week, I sat out on the ledge outside my window the other night.”

Dr. Riley: “Good, that’s good. May I ask why out on the ledge?”

Me: “I just love looking at the stars. It reminds me of my first date with Blake.”

No one had asked me about him, and I haven’t seen or talked to him a long time. Blake, the son of my neighbors, he had instantly taken a liking to me.

Me: “Blake the boy that flipped my world upside down, my first and the one that I was hoping to be my last. But I ruined that because I was too afraid to go outside. He asked me many times, and then I guess he just gave up. I haven’t seen him in quite a while. And you know what for all I know he could’ve moved on. Because who wants to date a freak, like the one I’ve turned into.”

Tears started running down my face. I couldn’t handle this anymore. Dr. Riley handed me a box of tissues that I guess she brought into my room with her.

Dr. Riley: “Leah, this is good, let your feelings out.”

I continued to weep until she decided it was safe to speak again.

Dr. Riley: “I can tell that you want to get better. Not just for Blake but for your parents as well, am I right?”

Me: “Yeah.”

Dr. Riley: “Do you want to come outside with me?”

Me: “That sounds really nice. But please don’t leave my side.”

Dr. Riley: “I would never do that to you.”

She held out her pinky finger and I smiled crossing mine with hers.

It was weird Dr. Riley took only about a week of therapy and she was able to gain my trust and coax me into going outside.

I could tell just by my Momma’s expression that I, even being downstairs, is a miracle for her to see. Dr. Riley and I walked outside hand in hand. The day is beautiful and sunny. As soon as she and I stepped out the front door Mars and Cosmo came trotting over to the fence, by the front walkway.

I heard the familiar roaring of an old lifted blue pickup truck coming down the road. Just like the first day we met Blake skidded to a stop. He whipped his truck into my driveway and came running over to me. Before I knew it I was back in his strong embrace.

Blake: “I am so happy that you are working to turn your life around.”

Me: “I didn’t mean to cause all the people I love so much pain.”

Blake: “That’s all in the past. Work in the present and hope for a better future.”

Me: “I thought by now you would’ve moved on from me.”

Blake: “Leah Lively!”

He held me at arm’s length.

Blake: “I would never abandon the girl that I am in love with, just because a scary event stopped her from going outside.”

I jumped back into his arms before saying; “I just hadn’t seen you in a while.”

Blake: “But I’m here now.”

I nodded against his chest and let a tear roll down my cheek only for him to gently wipe away.

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