5
The Hermit
"How have you been since our last meeting, Bella?" Zafrina asks, the pen in her hand tapping against the edge of her binder.
Bella, familiar with the pattern, watches and counts the taps until Zafrina repeats the question.
"I've been okay, I think," she tells her. "I have a new neighbor."
"Oh, that's good. I noticed that the 'For Rent' sign was gone." Her psychiatrist smiles. "Do you know anything about the new tenants?"
"Yeah, I guess." Bella straightens a bowl of potpourri on the coffee table. "It's a single man. At least, I think he's single. He looks to be around my age, maybe a little older. His name is Edward."
"That's a lot of information."
"When he was moving in, he accidentally blocked my peephole. I had a mild panic attack and called my sister to see if she could come help, but she couldn't."
"How did that make you feel?" Zafrina inquires.
"I can't keep letting my issues affect my sister. Alice has a job, and she has a life. She and Jasper already do a lot for me. I knew if I wanted the problem to be resolved then I'd have to take matters into my own hands."
"And how did that go?"
"I opened the door. Not wide or anything. There was a mattress on my front porch. I called out until someone heard me, and that's when Edward introduced himself."
Bella can't help the smile forming on her face.
Of course, her psychiatrist notices this.
"I have a feeling there's more to this story. If you're comfortable with the topic, please go on."
"Um. I made Alice some of her favorite muffins, and on a whim, I left some on Edward's stoop. Welcoming him to the neighborhood or whatever," Bella explains. "And then he started knocking on my door and leaving flowers and stuff. He even went as far as holding a package of mine for ransom."
Zafrina's eyes widen.
Bella nods.
"He slid a note under my door, asking me out to dinner. I freaked out, and he slid another note, begging me not to call the cops on him for stealing my mail. He said he left the package on my stoop, so I reached out to get it, and he grabbed me."
"How did you react?"
"I don't have a problem with people touching me. I mean, I don't like it, but I can tolerate it. It still freaked me out because I wasn't anticipating it. He apologized and rambled a lot and told me he wanted to thank me for the muffins. He wanted to talk, but by then, I'd reached my limit. I told him I couldn't and that I wasn't worth it. I closed my door after that, but I think I heard him say he wasn't giving up."
Zafrina smiles wide, and the ever-present anxiety knot in Bella's stomach tightens.
"That's wonderful, Bella. You obviously had to leave your house, even if it was just a little, and you were able to have a brief conversation with someone without calling my emergency number." She closes her binder. "But we have to work on the fact that you don't see yourself as worth it."
They talk a little about Bella's parents and their inability to understand her.
Zafrina assures her that she has family in her sister and advises that she should at least try to be Edward's friend. She deserves to have someone besides Alice and Jasper in her life.
Bella promises that she'll work on it, and they end the session on a good note. Zafrina gives her a bit of homework to work on, but Bella's going to try not to stress about it.
She walks Zafrina to the door but stands five feet away from the threshold as the doctor leaves. When the door shuts, she rushes over and engages the locks.
She won't see her doctor again for another month unless there's an emergency, so she has plenty of time to figure out how to meet the goal they've set.
Bella always feels exhausted after a session, and instead of busying herself in the kitchen, she settles in front of the television. The movie she finds holds her attention until someone knocks on the door.
Her stomach clenches and her throat constricts as she looks through the peephole, but it's dark, so she can't see much.
A piece of paper slides underneath the door.
I promise this isn't a trick. I'm not going to jump out and grab you again. I made you something to thank you for the muffins. No strings attached unless you feel compelled to return the favor. They keep better if you store them in a Ziploc bag. Enjoy. -Edward
Bella opens her door a crack and turns the porch light on.
When Bella is sure she's alone, she slips a hand out the gap and picks up the plate sitting on her porch.
Cookies.
Delicious-looking cookies.
She takes them to the kitchen and picks one up.
It's still warm, and white chocolate pours out when she breaks it apart.
They taste just as delicious as they look.
Bella decides to eat three for dinner and puts the rest in a baggie.
She's cleaning the chocolate-covered plate when she notices words scrawled across it in familiar handwriting. If she'd scrubbed a little harder, it would have disappeared.
If you'd like to say thank you, feel free to text me. 555-9021. No pressure.
The last time a boy gave Bella his number, she was in high school; it ended up being the number to a local strip club. Bella was crushed, and as much as she would love to blame Mike Newton's bullying for her slippery slope to where she is today, she can't.
She can recall the day, the month, and the year her world flipped upside down, and she stopped being herself. If she thought about it, she could tell you the hour, maybe even the minute it happened, but she tries really hard to keep herself from going down that road.
Bella takes a deep, calming breath and reaches for her phone.
She can totally do this.
Right?
