Quake: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Jazz Sessions Book 1) by Maya Alden

Author:Maya Alden [Alden, Maya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Gaia

"Well?" Chef Maurice asked when we were having family lunch.

I raised my glass of water and announced to the Jazz Sessions crew, "You're now seeing a card-carrying student of Delgado Community College. My business classes start in January."

Everyone clapped.

It had been a long month since I had my mini-nervous breakdown in the cold room. I'd spent the month finding my Zen.

I was feeling emotionally healthier than I had in years. I planned to start community college in New Orleans and complete the necessary courses to transfer to a university for my undergraduate degree in business administration. Transferring to a school in California remained a goal.

"Why California?" Chef had asked, and I had explained that it felt like a place for a new beginning. However, I wasn't ready to leave everything familiar behind just yet, not until I was further in my healing journey—my therapist had helped me realize that.

"You have time," Dr. Paula Hernandez told me. "There is no need to rush into anything."

For the first time since that horrible day when I'd accused Rome of raping me, I felt a sense of light at the end of the tunnel, of hope that it would be alright, that I'd make it, that I'd not just survive but maybe thrive.

"I'm very proud of you, ma chérie," Chef whispered. "You're a good girl, Gaia. And a strong one."

I didn't know about that. I had not seen myself as strong or good. It was hard to see yourself when you'd living under the haze of constant long-term depression. According to my therapist my depression was the result of the trauma I experienced as a child and when I was seventeen at the hands of my mother.

I'd been so overwhelmed by the horrible thing I'd done to Rome that I'd failed to notice or appreciate that it had been terrifying for me to lose my baby, my lover, and eventually the safety of my home all at once. For a time during my teenage years, I'd had Rome to distract me from the hell my life at home was—and when he was gone, I'd left home with nothing but a few dollars and a plan to work for a living.

My suicide attempt in Lafayette had left me further scarred. I'd gone to mandatory therapy after that, but only to satisfy the authorities. But after my recent mini-breakdown, I'd decided that I needed to get my mental health under control.

Baby steps, as my therapist said when I told her it was sometimes still difficult to get up in the morning and be able to find a reason to live. I hoped that as the days passed, I'd struggle less and appreciate the things worth living for.

Despite all that I was going through, I didn't know how to deal with Rome. I didn't want to deal with him. He told me he'd like to talk to me when I was ready, and I told him, "Quand les poules auront des dents." When chickens have teeth!

He didn't initiate a conversation with me after that.

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