Kennedy's Redemption (The Protectors 3)

“What if I can’t handle it?” She worried.

“Then I would say try talking to someone from home and see which panic you’re feeling. Don’t force yourself to do something you’re not ready for; it will only hurt you in the end.”

Nodding her head, she debated talking to him about what scared her most… Seeing Emily.

Emily held a lot of blame towards herself for what happened, and Kenny had no idea how to react to that. She didn’t necessarily want to relive it with her, but they both needed to move on.

“I can see you’re full of questions, Kennedy. Please, ask away,” he suggested gently.

“I’m afraid to see Emily.” Her lungs froze saying her fear out loud.

“That’s normal. What scares you most? That she’ll seek your forgiveness, or that she’ll want to talk about what happened?” Damn the man and his mind-reading.

“Both?”

The more they talked about how normal all of her reactions and questions were the better she felt about going home. Every reassurance he gave her helped soothe small pieces of her that were terrified of what was to come. Knowing Emily was probably having some of the same questions helped alleviate her fear of seeing her again.

“Do you have somewhere to stay once you get home?” he asked her.

“Just my parents. I was still going to college when I left,” she said sadly.

“Might I suggest having an alternate place to stay? Just in case you get overwhelmed by things,” he explained.

“Oh, I didn’t think about that. My parents can be extremely lovey-dovey on the best of days. Guess I should expect triple on my worst, huh?”

“It would probably be best to expect it,” he told her before asking, “Will they respect your boundaries?”

Looking him in the eye, she saw the worry there. The worry that was probably ten times worse for her parents. Would they respect her boundaries of no touching? Could she stop them? The questions swirled in her head like a tidal wave.

“In any case, don’t be afraid to be firm and stand your ground. Don’t let anyone force you to do what you’re not ready for, Kennedy. Okay?” he asked but it sounded like he was telling her. Which she probably needed. She loved her parents and seeing any hurt in their eyes would force her to comply with what they wanted instead of doing what she needed.

Nodding her head in agreement, she had one last question she needed answered before deciding on whether or not she could go back home. “Do you think I was selfish for leaving?” She couldn’t stand to look at him while he answered, afraid that she was and he might not be honest in words but the eyes never lied.

“Look at me, Miss Maxwell,” he demanded. When she looked up, he continued. “I think you were incredibly brave for knowing you needed to leave. That you needed time and space away from those you love. I also think you were incredibly foolish to come to an entirely different country without telling anyone where you were for months. But never did I think you were selfish at any point. You are a strong, brave young woman. You, Kennedy, are a survivor.” Simple, sweet, heartbreaking. She couldn’t help getting choked up knowing what he thought about her and how right he was about her choices.

Standing up with a decision firmly planted in her mind, she was finally ready.

·?•? ?•?·

When he’d woken up that morning just before the sunrise, Linc felt like they were finally coming to a head. They’d been sleeping beside Kenny every night since she’d told them what had happened to her, and the previous night was the first time since they’d arrived that she hadn’t had nightmares. It gave him hope that just maybe she was ready to face life again.

When he and Creed had told her they were going for a run to get some exercise while she was gone, she didn’t have the panicked look lingering in the back of her gaze like she normally did when they announced they were doing something out of her sight. She’d simply offered them breakfast before they left. They’d eaten like a normal trio, like they did it every day. They’d come to know her pretty well in the last few days too. She had a few quirks that let them know how she was feeling without words, and they could probably anticipate her needs before she even knew.

If she was scared she bounced on her feet, almost like a boxer. It also let them know she wasn’t going down without a fight. She got twitchy when she was nervous and couldn’t maintain eye contact either. But when she was content or happy, her entire body relaxed and she freely touched them letting them both know she was fighting to find the new her still. Those happy moments were the times they looked forward to most.

At the moment, they had just finished their workout and were patiently waiting for her to get home in the hopes that she might finally be ready to head back to the States. She didn’t talk about going home very much, or family for that matter. He figured she was probably just scared of how things were back home. Little did she know, they’d made sure Nate and Ty prepared her folks about her fears and how she was trying to find the new her.

She was still leery of talking to anyone back home. Even with Nate, she would only say a couple of words to let him know she was working it out in her mind. Other than that she avoided talking to or about them like the plague.

“You think she’s gonna be ready?” he asked Creed.

“I think she’s stronger and more resilient than she gives herself credit for. I say we bring up the idea of going back tonight. See how she feels and where her head is at on the idea.”

“And if she’s not?”

“Then we try to get her to open up about why she isn’t.”

“You’re a logical bastard; you know that, right?” Linc half-joked.