Through Glass (The Glass Series Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Please just talk to me

I need someone

I wake up with a start and jump from my bed. I was having a bad dream, I think. The sun is coming in through the windows and I’m not sure how long I was asleep. Shay is standing in the room.

“Here’s your medication, Lauren. It will make you feel better,” she says gently. She’s such a good friend.

“Hey Shay,” I say, between swallowing my pills. “There’s a man following me.”

“What do you mean, Lauren? Who are you talking about?”

“I don’t know who he is but he has a tattoo on his arm. I don’t always see it, but sometimes his sleeves are rolled up and it’s just poking out. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen his face. I mean, I may have—I didn’t pay much attention until I realized he was stalking me—I don’t know what he wants. I’ve looked into his eyes, though. He’s going to hurt me.”

“Lauren, there’s really no reason for you to be afraid.” She walks over and sits beside me on the bed. “I’m sure he just wants to help you.”

“That’s what he said. Why would you say that?” I stand again and pace back and forth around the room. It’s smaller and whiter than I remember, but it’s familiar and it feels safe.

Shay leaves the room. I sit by myself for a couple minutes, my eyes adjusting to the brightness of the sun.

Shay is back in the room. “Lauren, I’d like you to meet Doctor Frederick Christiansen. He’s a friend of mine.”

Frederick follows her into my room. My room. The room with my bed—the bed that I have shared with Oliver. I need to tell Oliver there’s another man in my room—he is not going to like this.

“What is he doing here?” I ask, backing up against the wall. This isn’t right.
Why didn’t she tell me she knew him, too?

“Lauren, you can call me Frederick. I’m here to help you. I am going to be taking over your psychiatric care when you move to the new facility,” he explains.

“What do you mean? Why are you moving me? I don’t understand. I’m being evicted from my apartment, is that what you’re talking about?”

I am in a white room with Shay and Frederick. Then suddenly, I am standing in my living room with both of them. NyQuil is at my feet. Then I’m back in the white room. I don’t understand what is going on.

“Lauren, we are removing you from this facility. Your fascination with Dr. Oliver Fallon has us all very concerned and we feel it necessary to remove you from his care so we can give you the help that you need,” he says.

Fascination? What? Oliver isn’t a doctor. Clearly these two have him confused with someone he is not.

“Oliver and I are in love,” I argue. I sit on the bed because my legs are weak and I can barely stand. “He’s not a doctor. He owns the café I work at. He’s married, but he doesn’t love her. He loves me. Shay, tell him.”

“We need to separate you and Oliver, Lauren,” Frederick says.

“We don’t need to be separated. We need everyone to just leave us alone.”

“You have no choice in the matter, Lauren. We will be moving you out of this facility tomorrow, and into the Malartin Psychiatric Center, where you will become my patient,” Frederick says, sternly.

“I am not going anywhere.” I look at Shay.
Why isn’t she standing up for me?

“We are moving you tomorrow, Lauren. Unfortunately that is our only option.”

“I am not going anywhere!” I scream. I’m sitting against the wall on my bed and begin thrashing my arms and legs violently.
Why is everyone trying to ruin my life?

“I think that’s enough for now, Doctor,” Shay says to Frederick, placing her hand on his arm. He nods, and leaves the room.

“I want Oliver,” I demand. Shay doesn’t move. “Shay, what are you doing? Why are you doing this? I want Oliver!”

“Lauren, it is best if you don’t see him right now. We need to get your mind off of him,” Shay insists, sounding urgent.

“Shay, I think I’m pregnant. It’s his child. I think I’m having his baby. I need to talk to him!”

“You’re not pregnant, Lauren. You have been living here for almost two years. We know you aren’t pregnant. You are feeling sick because of the medication you’re on. It’s making you nauseous, but it’s to control your hallucinations. You are very sick, do you understand?” she asks. “We are going to work with you until you’re better.”

I nod.

“I am going to walk towards you now and I’m going to put a needle in your arm. There’s medicine in it that’s going to make you rest. You need rest so you can feel better when you wake up,” she explains, slowly walking my way.

I nod again, and then I am gone.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I want you to be happy,

I don’t want you with her

“How is she?” Oliver asks, when Shay walks into his office.

“She’s not well. The hallucinations haven’t subsided. She still drifts in and out of reality, and talks about her cat, fantasies about you, and the mysterious man with the cross tattoo. I knew having Frederick observe her before actually introducing them would be a bad idea, Doctor,” Shay replied.

“Thanks for talking to her, Shay.” Oliver looks down at his paperwork. “At least she’s being moved tomorrow. There’s no way she can heal and work through her issues when she’s living in this fantasy world and pretending she’s in a relationship with me.”

“I agree,” Shay nods.

She leaves the room and Oliver walks out of his office to find Frederick.

Frederick is sitting in the lounge, scribbling notes onto a pad of paper.

“Hey, Frederick. Thanks again for accepting Lauren’s transfer. I know you guys are pretty swamped right now, but she is definitely a special case. I’ve worked with her for a long time and I just can’t get through to her because she believes our relationship is something it isn’t,” Oliver explains.

“I know, Oliver. I got that from my conversation with her. I’ll help the best I can. We’re going to start by trying her on a new trial drug for her hallucinations, and we’ll go from there. Not a problem—anything to help out an old friend.”

Oliver pats Frederick on the back and heads home for the day.

Tara greets Oliver at the door with a kiss.

“I missed you today, babe. How was work?” she asks. He embraces his wife, the stay at home mother of their two young children.

“It was okay. I need a beer.”

“Uh oh, what’s wrong?” she asks.

“It’s Lauren again. I’m having her transferred tomorrow but I wish there was more I could do for her. I feel bad that I’m not getting through to her. I told her about you. She feels hurt and betrayed. I feel really bad for her, Tar.”

“I know you do, honey. You’ve done everything you could for her, though. There are really good people at the Malartin Center. You know it’s the best thing for her,” she assures him.

“You’re the best.” He smiles and places a kiss on her forehead.

Tara brings him a beer, but he puts it on the table and grabs her hand, pulling her onto his lap. She straddles him in the chair. He kisses her passionately and holds her close, while she lays her head against his chest and listens to his heart beat.

“I made supper,” Tara offers.

Oliver shakes his head. “I’m not hungry.”

“It’s a vegetable and chicken stir fry. You like stir fry. You need to eat something, Oli,” she begs.

Oliver shakes his head, nudges Tara off of his lap and heads upstairs to get changed. He slides his pants off and lets them fall to the floor. While unbuttoning his shirt, he turns to see Tara standing in the doorway of their bedroom.

He pauses. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thanks, baby. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to eat supper, though. You know you need to have something,” she urges him.

“Maybe there’s something else I want.”

“Oh?”

Without hesitating, she steps into the room. There’s no sense in convincing him to eat supper tonight. It’s become clear that she’s the only thing he’s interested in having on the menu.

Oliver pulls her over to him and begins to unbutton her shirt.

“Babe, the kids will be home soon.” Tara pulls away but Oliver has a firm grip on her wrist. He pulls and she falls back into his arms. Holding her tight, he reaches forward and closes the bedroom door.

This is odd. Oliver isn’t himself. He’s usually so exhausted by the end of the day that he comes home, eats supper, and heads to bed after a half hour of television. This Oliver has a different look in his eyes: the same look he had when he and Tara had first started dating.

He’s kissing her. He’s got both of his hands on the back of her neck and he’s pulling her head towards him. Their tongues are entwined and their bodies are pressed together. Tara lets out a soft moan and Oliver stops, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asks, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

“I’m fine.”

This time, she initiates the kiss, pushing him back so that he has no choice but to sit down on the bed. They’re at eye level now, staring at each other. He slides his hands up the back of her thighs and stops just short of where she wants him to go. Tara grabs his hands and slides them further up her skirt and forces his hands onto her round ass. She hooks his thumbs onto the top of her skirt and he pulls it down to her ankles.

Oliver lets out a breathy moan. He hasn’t seen this side of her in so long. He knows now that she’s ready for him. She has that animalistic look in her eyes. Now he knows that he is what she’s having for dinner tonight.

Without pulling his eyes away from hers, Oliver finishes unbuttoning her shirt and slips it down her arms. It falls to the floor and will probably wrinkle but he doubts she’ll even care. She climbs on top of him and he falls back so that he’s lying on the bed. She’s holding his arms down to his sides and their mouths are still pressed together. Letting go of his arms for just a second, Tara slides downwards and pulls Oliver’s boxers off his legs using only her teeth.

“Mmm, supper.” She giggles, and then crawls up onto his lap.

She gently kisses the insides of Oliver’s ankles, and makes her way up to his knee, leaving a trail of soft kisses. She stops and returns to his lips, staring into his deep, brown sensual eyes.

Oliver tangles his hands into her long hair and kisses her so deeply that she can feel it in her innermost parts. He pulls away, leaving her breathless. With one swift movement he throws her on her back. Now he is above her. He is in control, just the way he likes it. She lets out a moan, begging him to take her. With one strong finger, he hooks the middle of her panties and pulls them down without even giving her a chance to protest. Not that she would anyway—she is ready for him and doesn’t want to waste any more time. She grabs the collar of his shirt and pulls him to her. She kisses him hard, her tongue invading his mouth. He returns the kiss longingly, so full of need. He runs his hand from her chin to her breast, then down to her stomach and to her legs, gently but firmly pulling them apart. Groaning loudly, he flexes his hips towards her.

Oliver gazes into Tara’s eyes and with a hoarse voice, whispers, “Tara, I need you.”

“I need you too,” she moans.

He slides his hands up her thighs. With parted lips, she sharply inhales and winds her fingers through Oliver’s unruly mane. She pulls his head back, exposing his neck and begins to suck and kiss him in such a way she didn’t even know she could.

She can feel his length against her and she cannot wait until she can feel him in the deepest of ways. With her hand still in his hair, she kisses him passionately as he matches her kiss and his tongue explores the inner parts of her mouth. She arches her back, making her large supple breasts more accessible to him. He takes one gently into his mouth and she lets out a cry of pure ecstasy.

Oliver continues his assault on Tara’s breast and her need is becoming more and more apparent. She is already so close to letting go. Her breathing is becoming rapid and sparse. Oliver knows he could send her over the edge right now. He abruptly stops, leaving her gasping for air.

“Let’s see just how ready you are, my dear.” He again begins to run his hand up the inside of Tara’s thigh. Tara moans at his every touch. She needs to feel him there. She needs him to touch her in a way only he can.

In one movement, Oliver buries himself inside her. Tara cries out, but not with pain—with passion. She doesn’t understand where this sudden fiery desire is coming from but she doesn’t care. She needs this more with each thrust.

Oliver is gripping onto Tara’s wrist so hard that with each movement, she’s almost scared he’s going to break it. She’s scared he’s going to break her—but this is the last thing on her mind.

Tara’s toes curl and she throws her head as far back into the pillow as it can go. She lets out a cry as she finds release. Oliver’s breathing gets quicker, and his body grows rigid. He’s moving faster and faster, digging his nails into her lower back. Finally, he climaxes, exploding into her violently before becoming limp in her arms.

Oliver places a sweet kiss on the side of Tara’s mouth. They were tangled in a mess of arms and legs with beads of sweat covering their naked bodies. He lets out a sigh. He has now found his release. Tara turns to face him. She can already sense the distance settling in between them once again. She isn’t ready to lose him yet. She just had the most earth shattering sex with the man she loves more than anything in the world. She gently brushes the drops of sweat off of his face, and whispers “I love you.”

On his face, she can see that he is in pain. Thoughts of work once again fill his head and he remains silent. Tara props herself up on one arm and kisses Oliver with every ounce of love she possesses. His lips find hers but he cannot kiss her back with the same intensity. He knows that his career is going to destroy this beautiful woman, lying naked in his arms.