Whispered Promises

Finally, he asked, “How are you doing—really?”

Brie shivered as the horrors she experienced instantly came flooding back. She took a moment to answer him. “I’m struggling, Asher.”

“It’s only natural after the trauma you’ve suffered, but I sense…”

She looked at him, suddenly feeling as if she couldn’t breathe.

“…there’s something more.”

Tears pricked her eyes when she confessed, “I think I’m going crazy.”

Marquis furrowed his brow. “How so?”

Brie’s throat closed up, leaving her to struggle to force out the words. “I can’t make it stop.” The melody suddenly started up again, louder than before. She put her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the lyrics.

“I just want the song to stop!” she screamed.

“Look at me,” Marquis commanded.

When she failed to obey him, he took her hands and lowered them to her sides. “Look at me, pearl.”

Brie opened her eyes, unable to hide her agony.

Marquis didn’t flinch when Brie met his powerful gaze.

She started trembling uncontrollably, the intensity of his gaze almost too painful to bear.

With time, however, she noticed the lyrics becoming more distant. Marquis did not release her from his gaze until the hateful song had completely faded away.

Brie blinked several times and then cried in relief, “It’s gone!”

Marquis nodded, urging her to continue walking with him. They headed down the beach as if nothing had happened. Soon, the tranquility she’d felt before returned.

“How did you do that, Asher?”

“I did nothing. I simply helped you focus until you were able to drown it out yourself.”

She shook her head. “But I’ve been trying to do that ever since I came back. I even told my therapist about it and he wasn’t able to help.”

“You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Marquis insisted.

She felt the prickling sensation she associated with important moments in her life and repeated his words to herself.

You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.

“I knew it the moment we met,” Marquis Gray continued.

Brie frowned. “I don’t feel strong, Asher—far from it.”

“You were in a battle for your life, pearl. It’s only natural that a warrior needs time to heal from her battle wounds.” He touched her forehead. “Including those wounds that cannot be seen.”

Her chin trembled when she admitted, “I’m surrounded by the people I love the most, and yet…I feel lost. I don’t think I will ever be normal again.”

Marquis Gray stopped and grazed her cheek with the back of his hand. “You are not the person you were before. You must come to terms with that. However, you can move forward as a new creation, stronger than you were. Just as bodybuilders damage their muscle fibers to build stronger muscles, you can take the tragic things you’ve experienced to build a stronger version of yourself.”

Brie felt that prickling sensation again. “I believe you, Asher.”

He smiled, patting her lightly on the back as he turned her around and headed back to the house. “It will take time, pearl. Be patient with yourself.”