Page 120 of You Saw the Best In Me

“Karina, baby girl, can you do a favor for me? Please,” he begs, and I nod.

“Anything, Angel,” I kiss his hand and let him lead the way.

We step into the room, and there’s a woman in a white lab coat sitting in a chair opposite the bed.

There’s a tray of food on my table and what I assume is a water pitcher.

I know what Mav wants me to do.

“Karina, I’m Doctor Halls, and I’m here to talk with you for a little while if that’s okay. I thought we could have lunch together?” she asks, and I slowly nod.

She’s a psych doctor. I’m being evaluated. I’ve been through this before, and I can’t believe this is what Maverick wants me to do. I’m not returning to a place where I was when I was seventeen.

I refuse.

“Are you trying to commit me? You know I’ve been through this before,” I say, turning to Maverick, who is standing behind me with his body creating shield behind mine.

“Absolutely not, Karina. I want you to talk to someone. I want you to be able to come home with me and find a way to live with what you’ve been through. I would never send you somewhere that I couldn’t be with you. You know that,” he looks into my eyes, and the sea of green that is his shows his genuine concern.

He’s terrified. Just like I was when he left after Grams died.

We’ve never claimed to have it easy, every step of the way seems to test us as people and in our relationship, but I know without a doubt that I want Maverick to be my anchor in my recovery.

Slowly, I recognize what his motives are for this, and I know that I need to talk to this doctor and heal my wounds, internal and external.

“I love you,” I kiss him on the cheek, and he promises to be right outside.

I cautiously sit on the bed, uncovering the food tray. I expect shitty hospital food, but instead, two pieces of meat-topped pizza are on my tray. I raise an eyebrow at the doctor, and she smiles.

“That boyfriend of yours is very persistent. I don’t see anything,” she holds her hands up in surrender, and a small smile creeps across my face.

I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I will get better for him — for us.

“I want to make one thing abundantly clear. That woman who was here today is not my mother, and she has no say over what happens to me. I will marry Maverick Carter right now if that means he can make decisions for me if I’m found unfit. Do you understand that?” I say, emphasizing my disgust for the woman who is called my ‘mother.’

“There’s paperwork we can draw up for him to be your power of attorney. Is that what you want?” she asks, and I nod.

“Absolutely. Thank you,” she writes on her notepad, and I attempt to eat the pizza.

She asks me questions about Maverick and smiles when I describe our relationship.

“So, would you say that you two depend on each other for things like comfort and safety?” She waits for my answer, and I take a few moments to think about it.

“Yes, but not in a way that should be concerning. Everything is natural for us, almost like I was meant to find him at this point in my life. To prepare me for the battle for my survival,” I say, Mav’s power with words rubbing off on me.

We switch gears to Asher and the past between us. I explain everything in detail, down to my involuntary hold brought on by my mother.

I’ve eaten both pieces of pizza, and the doctor slips out to get the entire large box that Maverick bought for me.

Doctor Halls indulged in a slice with me as I slid the box her way. I like her so far; she listens while I talk and asks questions that don’t make me feel like a victim.

“Can you describe some of what happened with Asher? Whatever you feel comfortable sharing,” she says, and I nod.

I reviewed how he waited for me in my car and the same story I told Maverick. I break down a few times, and she offers tissues.

We sit silently for a few minutes while I find the right words to describe how I’ve felt since escaping the car.

“Do you feel bad for shooting him?” she asks, and I immediately shake my head no.