“How did you come to learn this? Were you there?”
“No, my manager told me. The customer came in later that week to complain.”
“And what did your manager do?”
“He talked to me about it. Said he couldn’t have his customers being accosted by my friends. That was the first time, though. When we were dating. It only got worse. Until finally, I got fired. Harrison was happy. That’s what he wanted.” She sniffled. “He wanted me all to himself even though the only thing I was good for was sex. And he controlled that too.”
“Did he force himself on you, Ava?”
She shrugged. “Can it even be considered force? I was his wife. It was my job to do that for him.”
“Ava, look at me.”
Her chin trembled, but she managed to look at Dr. Briggs.
“No one has that right.” Her eyes narrowed, her gaze laser focused on Ava’s. “No one.”
Ava nodded; once again, she didn’t know how she was supposed to respond.
“If you hear nothing else I say today, Ava, I want you to hear that.”
“But I let him.”
“Did you?”
“Well, yeah, because if I didn’t…” Ava hated thinking about what he’d done to her the first time she refused him.
“Look at me, Ava. What would happen if you didn’t?”
“He would hit me, and then he would force me anyway. It was easier just to lie there.”
“That’s what’s known as self-preservation, Ava. It doesn’t mean you consented.”
Ava nodded.
“I’m going to repeat myself: no one has that right, Ava. If it isn’t consensual on both sides, it’s rape.”
Ava took in a deep, cleansing breath. She didn’t know why hearing that relieved some of the tension, but it did. She’d always hated herself for giving in to Harrison, hated how he would blame her afterward. He would tell her she sucked in bed or that she was frigid and cold. He would slap her when he demanded oral sex because she would gag when he shoved his cock in her mouth. She hated the taste of him.
“Thank you, Dr. Briggs,” Ava whispered, wiping her nose again.
“For what?”
“For saying that. I think I needed to hear it.”
“And I want you to remember it.”
Ava nodded, forcing a smile.
“Well, our hour is up, but I sincerely hope you’ll be back to see me. I think we had a good session today, Ava.”
Ava wasn’t sure she’d say it was good, but she did feel marginally better.
“I think so, too,” she said as she got to her feet and grabbed a couple more tissues to go.
Chapter Eight
Trey had been sitting in his truck, listening to the radio, when the door to Piper’s office opened. Since her practice was in one of the few houses near downtown that had been converted into businesses, there wasn’t much to look at, so when that door opened and Ava appeared, he sat up straight.
