Path of Destruction by Caisey Quinn & Elizabeth Lee

Author:Caisey Quinn & Elizabeth Lee [Quinn, Caisey & Lee, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Lee & Quinn
Published: 2014-12-24T05:00:00+00:00

“What brings you here today, Miss Nickelson?” Mrs. Farber—or Diane, as she’d introduced herself—asked. She moved her fingers across the tablet she was holding in front her. “Ahh, I see here that you were injured in the storm. How are you feeling?”

“Physically,” Cami started, trying not to squirm in the armchair she was sitting in across from the therapist she’d sought out, “I’m okay.”

“And mentally?”

There was a slippery slope if ever she’d been on one. Cami was unsure of where to start. She took a deep breath, watching Diane’s eyes assess her.

“You can tell me anything you would like to. It doesn’t have to be just about the tornado or your experience. We can just chat about how you are feeling today.” Her words were calming. “That might be a good place to start.”

“I’m feeling anxious,” she blurted out. “Always anxious.”

“About?”

“Everything. About what happened. About what’s going to happen. All of it.”

Diane nodded, waiting for Cami to continue. When she didn’t, she prompted her. “Is there one thing in particular that seems to drive the anxiousness?”

“The weather. Anytime it storms. I can’t stop myself from obsessing about it.”

“That’s a very logical reaction to what you went through.” It felt good to hear someone say that she was justified in her phobia.

“What you’ve developed is astraphobia. Or more specifically, Lilapsophobia—a fear of tornadoes.” Diane’s words became a soft murmur in Cami’s ear as she envisioned herself displaying all of the reactions and emotions she was describing. She’d experienced them all. At home. At school. A few weeks ago in the middle of the mall when she locked herself in the bathroom next to the food court for thirty minutes. “Constantly checking for weather alerts. Hiding under the bed or in a closet. Acting erratic, inconsolable, etc...”

Yes.

Yes.

And yes.

“How do you feel when you learn that a thunderstorm is going to happen?”

“Helpless,” Cami said with heavy sigh. “Completely helpless. Even when, logically, I know I’m safe.”

“Have you found anything that helps you keep your mind off of the weather? A hobby? Exercise? Or something else that draws your focus?”

Maybe. She shrugged.

“There are a few breathing exercises that you can try when you become upset or feel a panic attack coming on,” Diane explained. “Meditation also helps.”

Cami nodded, knowing that what she was offering was professional advice, but the only thing she could think of—the only person she could think of—was Brantley Cooper. She’d found a way to distract herself all right. A denim-and-plaid-wrapped distraction with the softest damn lips she’d ever kissed.

“What interests do you have other than the weather, Cameron?”

“Umm...” ‘Making out with farm boys didn’t seem like a solid answer. A stark realization hit Cami about as hard as the root cellar door had. “I don’t really have any. None. I used to do a lot of things—social committee, pageants, hanging out with friends—but after the storm, everything seemed so...trivial. You know?”

“How so?”

“It was all shallow. They were all shallow,” she said, referring to her former friends. “I guess I’m waiting for some grand sign from the universe about what my life is supposed to mean.

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