Tuesday, August 28
?Tell me about why you?re angry with Cooper.?
Colt didn?t lift his eyes from the paperweight in his hands. Instead, he leaned further over in his chair, resting his forearms against his knees. A kaleidoscope of shades of blue-green called to him within the smooth glass exterior with several bubbles floating up. It was as if someone had captured some churning, foaming water from the Atlantic ocean within the glass. Dark shapes within appeared almost like fish rushing by as the rode the wave in but their shape was too indistinct to say for sure.
His thumbs ran up over the glass as the silence in the room ticked on. It seemed it wouldn?t be broken until he answered the question. ?Because of what he said to me about Jackie and Chey. It?s none of his business.?
?I don?t understand why I?m here. Have I done somethin? wrong?? Colt asked as his hazel eyes lifted from the globe in his hands to the woman behind the desk. She was older than he, probably early thirties, with her dirty blonde hair swept up in a librarian?s bun on top of her head. Glasses that she probably didn?t need sat poised smartly on the tip of a pert nose. But she still seemed to carry about her a warm air, a mother?s love. It seemed to come easily for her, probably thanks in part to the blonde little boy and girl whose picture was in a frame on her desk.
Dr. Carol Sloop?s eyes lifted from the open file on her desk to meet Colt?s gaze. ?Of course not. You know meeting regularly with me is required of those with your security clearance. Why would you think you have done something wrong??
?Because we weren?t scheduled to meet up for another couple of weeks. Annie-Love told you to meet with me, didn?t she? She said I was angry.?
The psychologist acknowledged the statement with a nod. ?She did mention that she?s been struggling with your anger through the bond you two share.?
His gaze fell back to the paperweight in his hands, releasing a huff at the statement. Near the bottom was gentle, curving lines with a hint of yellowish tint. It was like looking through the water to the sand beneath, curved by the movement of the tide. "I don't understand why she doesn't just talk to me herself. She is one of you, after all."
"I'm assuming by 'one of you' you mean a psychologist and you know perfectly well why she is not the appropriate person to have this conversation with you," Dr. Carol replied in an even tone which suggested that while she was not offended by his unwillingness to speak with her, petty excuses would not be tolerated. "The two of you are entirely too close for her to serve in this role for you even if your bond didn't cloud her judgement."
The view within the globe reminded him of something but he couldn't figure out what. It was like one of the energy wakes that people gave off. It stirred a distinct feeling in him, something to which he could relate. He sucked in his breath and let it out slowly before forcing his eyes up to her once again while rotating her paperweight between his palms. "What was the question again?"
"I hadn't had a chance to ask another," she replied, shooting him a brief cheeky grin before her eyes slid back down to his file. "The incident with Cooper happened two days before Tenacity was admitted to the hospital?"
"No," Colt replied quickly. "It was the day before."
Ten?s energy wake had recently morphed, sliding into something new too gradually to be narrowed down to a single day. Her wake had felt like skinny dipping on a steamy summer night. But now? It was different. It had changed. Energy wakes had never changed that way on him before.
?The day before? That doesn?t strike you as important??
He rolled his thumbs over the smooth glass, furrowing his brows thoughtfully. It did strike him as important. His anger -- no, rage -- with Cooper. The way that Ten?s energy wake had suddenly twisted into something new. There had to be a meaning behind both. ?Even if it was important, why would it matter??
The pen in Dr. Carol?s hand was set down and she pulled the glasses off of her nose to frown at Colt with no barrier in between. ?This man has come up in our conversations before. I have not forgotten. He is the one who gave you the courage to first ask this woman out, was he not? And now when you need his support the most you are lashing out at him? Over an incident in which you have admitted that you were in the wrong? If Tenacity hadn?t ended up in the hospital the next day would we be having this conversation? Or would you have admitted several days later that you were in the wrong as you did with Chey and Jackie??
Why did it feel like she was rubbing sandpaper over an open sore? He felt his palms grow sweaty around the cool glass. He gripped down tight over his temper but his voice was thin and sharp when he spoke. ?What? Are you trying to say that I took some small disagreement and blew it up ?cause... why? I?m angry at the fact that there is nothin? I can do about the fact that the woman I wanna spend the rest of my life with is gonna be lucky to make it to thirty? And because there?s nobody to blame and nobody to punch for Ten?s condition, I?m takin? it all out on Cooper? Sounds like a load of psycho bull shit.?
Silence settled over them. The woman held his gaze steadily but with a compassionate softness. Seconds ticked away on the clock. When he could stand it no longer, he let his eyes sink to the paperweight in his hands.
Body surfing off the coast of Georgia. That?s what the feeling that Ten?s energy wake left him with now and that was of what the paperweight reminded him. Adrenaline always pumped through his veins as he gave himself over the wave and let it take him in to shore with the surf crashing in his ears. Sometimes the ride was rough, violently shoving him into the sand beneath or sucking him into a vicious undercurrent that tossed him upside down. He?d come up bruised and bloodied but grinning. Always grinning. Because for those couple of minutes he?d let go of control, giving himself up to something more powerful than himself and basked in the peace that the oneness brought.
?I think we?re done. You know what you need to do,? the woman stated in a gentle tone.
That was why Ten?s energy wake had morphed over the last couple weeks. Despite so many months of her trying to show him the truth, he?d lived in a happy hut of denial. But after seeing her lying in a hospital bed, he could deny it no longer. The time they had was limited. More limited than most.
He?d give himself over to this power greater than himself more. He?d worry about his footing less. He?d make an effort to get her to worry about her footing less.
?Yeah,? he muttered under his breath as he rose to his feet, reaching out his hand to set the glass piece back down on the edge of her desk.
?Keep it.?
The swell of joy that those two words gave him took him by surprise. His hazel eyes lifted to her cool blue ones. ?Really??
?Yes. Now go. I have people with real problems,? she teased, snapping his folder shut.
His hand curled around the paperweight. While it would be slightly too large for most, it fit perfectly in his palm. A quick flip into the air and he caught it with a grin before turning for the door. ?Thanks.?
?Tell me about why you?re angry with Cooper.?
Colt didn?t lift his eyes from the paperweight in his hands. Instead, he leaned further over in his chair, resting his forearms against his knees. A kaleidoscope of shades of blue-green called to him within the smooth glass exterior with several bubbles floating up. It was as if someone had captured some churning, foaming water from the Atlantic ocean within the glass. Dark shapes within appeared almost like fish rushing by as the rode the wave in but their shape was too indistinct to say for sure.
His thumbs ran up over the glass as the silence in the room ticked on. It seemed it wouldn?t be broken until he answered the question. ?Because of what he said to me about Jackie and Chey. It?s none of his business.?
?I don?t understand why I?m here. Have I done somethin? wrong?? Colt asked as his hazel eyes lifted from the globe in his hands to the woman behind the desk. She was older than he, probably early thirties, with her dirty blonde hair swept up in a librarian?s bun on top of her head. Glasses that she probably didn?t need sat poised smartly on the tip of a pert nose. But she still seemed to carry about her a warm air, a mother?s love. It seemed to come easily for her, probably thanks in part to the blonde little boy and girl whose picture was in a frame on her desk.
Dr. Carol Sloop?s eyes lifted from the open file on her desk to meet Colt?s gaze. ?Of course not. You know meeting regularly with me is required of those with your security clearance. Why would you think you have done something wrong??
?Because we weren?t scheduled to meet up for another couple of weeks. Annie-Love told you to meet with me, didn?t she? She said I was angry.?
The psychologist acknowledged the statement with a nod. ?She did mention that she?s been struggling with your anger through the bond you two share.?
His gaze fell back to the paperweight in his hands, releasing a huff at the statement. Near the bottom was gentle, curving lines with a hint of yellowish tint. It was like looking through the water to the sand beneath, curved by the movement of the tide. "I don't understand why she doesn't just talk to me herself. She is one of you, after all."
"I'm assuming by 'one of you' you mean a psychologist and you know perfectly well why she is not the appropriate person to have this conversation with you," Dr. Carol replied in an even tone which suggested that while she was not offended by his unwillingness to speak with her, petty excuses would not be tolerated. "The two of you are entirely too close for her to serve in this role for you even if your bond didn't cloud her judgement."
The view within the globe reminded him of something but he couldn't figure out what. It was like one of the energy wakes that people gave off. It stirred a distinct feeling in him, something to which he could relate. He sucked in his breath and let it out slowly before forcing his eyes up to her once again while rotating her paperweight between his palms. "What was the question again?"
"I hadn't had a chance to ask another," she replied, shooting him a brief cheeky grin before her eyes slid back down to his file. "The incident with Cooper happened two days before Tenacity was admitted to the hospital?"
"No," Colt replied quickly. "It was the day before."
Ten?s energy wake had recently morphed, sliding into something new too gradually to be narrowed down to a single day. Her wake had felt like skinny dipping on a steamy summer night. But now? It was different. It had changed. Energy wakes had never changed that way on him before.
?The day before? That doesn?t strike you as important??
He rolled his thumbs over the smooth glass, furrowing his brows thoughtfully. It did strike him as important. His anger -- no, rage -- with Cooper. The way that Ten?s energy wake had suddenly twisted into something new. There had to be a meaning behind both. ?Even if it was important, why would it matter??
The pen in Dr. Carol?s hand was set down and she pulled the glasses off of her nose to frown at Colt with no barrier in between. ?This man has come up in our conversations before. I have not forgotten. He is the one who gave you the courage to first ask this woman out, was he not? And now when you need his support the most you are lashing out at him? Over an incident in which you have admitted that you were in the wrong? If Tenacity hadn?t ended up in the hospital the next day would we be having this conversation? Or would you have admitted several days later that you were in the wrong as you did with Chey and Jackie??
Why did it feel like she was rubbing sandpaper over an open sore? He felt his palms grow sweaty around the cool glass. He gripped down tight over his temper but his voice was thin and sharp when he spoke. ?What? Are you trying to say that I took some small disagreement and blew it up ?cause... why? I?m angry at the fact that there is nothin? I can do about the fact that the woman I wanna spend the rest of my life with is gonna be lucky to make it to thirty? And because there?s nobody to blame and nobody to punch for Ten?s condition, I?m takin? it all out on Cooper? Sounds like a load of psycho bull shit.?
Silence settled over them. The woman held his gaze steadily but with a compassionate softness. Seconds ticked away on the clock. When he could stand it no longer, he let his eyes sink to the paperweight in his hands.
Body surfing off the coast of Georgia. That?s what the feeling that Ten?s energy wake left him with now and that was of what the paperweight reminded him. Adrenaline always pumped through his veins as he gave himself over the wave and let it take him in to shore with the surf crashing in his ears. Sometimes the ride was rough, violently shoving him into the sand beneath or sucking him into a vicious undercurrent that tossed him upside down. He?d come up bruised and bloodied but grinning. Always grinning. Because for those couple of minutes he?d let go of control, giving himself up to something more powerful than himself and basked in the peace that the oneness brought.
?I think we?re done. You know what you need to do,? the woman stated in a gentle tone.
That was why Ten?s energy wake had morphed over the last couple weeks. Despite so many months of her trying to show him the truth, he?d lived in a happy hut of denial. But after seeing her lying in a hospital bed, he could deny it no longer. The time they had was limited. More limited than most.
He?d give himself over to this power greater than himself more. He?d worry about his footing less. He?d make an effort to get her to worry about her footing less.
?Yeah,? he muttered under his breath as he rose to his feet, reaching out his hand to set the glass piece back down on the edge of her desk.
?Keep it.?
The swell of joy that those two words gave him took him by surprise. His hazel eyes lifted to her cool blue ones. ?Really??
?Yes. Now go. I have people with real problems,? she teased, snapping his folder shut.
His hand curled around the paperweight. While it would be slightly too large for most, it fit perfectly in his palm. A quick flip into the air and he caught it with a grin before turning for the door. ?Thanks.?