Fight for Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

and down.  
    Dr. Greenberg placed her hand atop my knee. “Stop. Now listen to me, very carefully. This is the third fight you’ve gotten into this month. So far you’ve been lucky, and no one has pressed charges. Officer Belmont is right; you should hope that Brandt’s parents don’t pursue this.   You’re at risk of being locked up every time if we don’t figure this out. Neither I nor Stacey will be able to help you get out.” She scribbled on her notepad and muttered under her breath, “Going to have to talk to Stacey about that, too.”
    “Look, Dr. Greenberg, I know all of this. You tell me the same thing every week. I don’t mean for it to happen, and no one seems to know how to help me. Do you have something new you can tell me, or are we done for the day?”
    “Luke, I won’t tell you again to be respectful of me and others in my office. I am trying to help you, but considering you can’t remember anything, there isn’t much help I can offer. That lunch I attended today,” she paused for me to acknowledge her statement, I gave a quick nod before she continued, “That was with some of my colleagues. I called them to see if they could help me help you. That being said, you won’t get an attitude with me, or accuse me of not trying to help you. Do we understand each other Mr. Sullivan?” Dr. Greenberg put just enough power behind her words, I had no doubt she meant business.  
    It wasn’t the first time I’d broken Dr. Greenberg’s rule of respect. I tried very hard to keep the frustration and anger out of my voice, but sometimes my control slipped. In the beginning she gave me calming techniques that worked only every other time, if I was lucky. Now, she skipped the calming techniques and went straight for the lecture and hidden threat, the threat of dismissing me as a patient.   My stomach clenched at the thought. I wrung my hands and wiped them against my thighs.  
    “There might be something that would help.” I whispered, embarrassed and ashamed for what I’d done. Dr. Greenberg’s wheels squeaked as she moved closer to the couch. Warm fingers rested on my hands.  
    “Go ahead.”
    I shook my head and counted backwards from ten then twenty. Dr. Greenberg never said a word; I concentrated on her steady breathing. That seemed to help, and I wanted to be as calm as possible. The incident with Stacey in the lobby was the first time I’d been able to bring myself back from the brink-much less remember anything.  
    “I almost hit Stacey today.” Dr. Greenberg’s hand tightened around mine, but I continued as if I felt nothing. “She went cold on me, wouldn’t talk to me, when I approached her she started to ignore me. Then rather than act like she always does, she went all professional like I was just another client.”
    “You are just another client.”
    “I wish I wasn’t,” I murmured and shrugged my shoulders.
    Dr. G cleared her throat, but didn’t acknowledge my admission. “And that upset you?
    “Well yeah, I mean it hurt, but I wasn’t mad.”
    “So why did you almost hit my assistant, Luke?”
    “I don’t know why. I just know that she called me Mr. Pierce and my vision filled with black and red spots. My fists tightened and I pulled my arm back. When I focused on her, she looked like a ghost and her eyes looked like they’d pop out of her head any minute.”  
    “What happened next? How did you calm down?”
    “I tried that stupid trick you told me about. You know, focusing on something else and counting. Anyway, I forced myself to look at the practice name on the wall behind her, and between each letter I counted back from five.   At last my vision cleared and I found I could look at Stacey without wanting to hurt her.” I took a deep breath and let out a strangled sound. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I need to apologize to Stacey. I’m such a bastard. Just like my fucking stepfather. I hate Dave. Hate him.” My hands twitched and my head throbbed.