To Love a Knight

Blame

Kara POV -

The sound of the rain slamming against the windows was all I could focus on as I walked out into the living room. An older woman, maybe in her fifties, with grey and black hair sat in one of Ren's comfortable leather chairs. A cup of coffee sat in front of her on the black metal and glass coffee table. Her pantsuit fit her perfectly and moved with her as she scrolled through her phone and waited.

I turned back to retreat to the bedroom but Ren was right behind me with a forceful look on his face. When his eyebrow raised I knew that there was no way of avoiding speaking to the shrink. I didn't want to talk to a stranger about how I was feeling. I barely wanted to talk to Ren about it all. The last thing I wanted to do was end up locked up in a padded cell because I actually let people know what I was thinking. Sometimes the thoughts in my mind scared even me.

Ren's hand pressed to my back as he guided me to the couch and I sat down begrudgingly. Pressing my back into the cushion I pulled Ren's blanket off the back of the couch and covered my legs before pulling a throw pillow into my lap. When I looked up the woman was staring at me with a kind smile but I didn't bother to return it.

"Hello, Mrs. Ren." The woman set her phone down and uncrossed her legs before recrossing them the opposite way. "I'm Doctor Vrache, I'm here to help you with whatever you need."

"I don't need any help." I turned from her and looked out the window that was covered in a sheet of water as the rain covered the thick pane of glass.

"Didn't you ask for help last night, Angel?" Ren stood behind me on the other side of the couch.

"Yes."

"Well, here you go. Doctor Vrache is an expert in her field and highly sought after. She's here to help you." Ren's fingers rubbed the back of my head and I couldn't help leaning into his touch. "I'll be in my office. If either of you ladies need anything please let me know."

Ren's hand left my hair and I sighed in disappointment. I watched him walk away and down the hallway to his office. There was nothing I wanted more than to run after him and curl back up on his couch where I could see him at all times. I shifted in my seat and pulled the pillow tighter to my chest as I stared down the now empty hallway.

"You're anxious." Doctor Vrache leaned in her chair so that her elbow was resting on the right arm of the chair. "Why are you anxious?"

"I'm not."

The doctor sighed and frowned as she raised her brows at me questioningly. "Are you not?"

"No."

"Kara, the only way I can help you is if you let me. Right now you're not letting me help you."

"I don't need your help."

"You sound just like your husband." Vrache smiled and shook her head, obviously amused at something.

"What did you say?" I turned to face her and glared into her silver eyes that I was having a hard time being angry at.

"Your husband said he didn't need or want help. But I persisted and he eventually saw the benefits of talking to me and letting me help him. He made a lot of progress in our sessions. But do you know when he really started trying? When he really started getting better?"

"No. I never knew that he talked to you."

"He didn't like for people to know that he had a physiatrist." Vrache smiled at me from across the table. "Vicrul started to do better when he met you."

"What?" I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as I sat on Ren's couch across from this doctor who was saying that she had known Vicrul and treated him.