Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog II Week 4: L. S. Broomfield

Better late than never, this week in the final installment of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog II, I'm very happy to be hosting L. S. Broomfield, who is sharing one of her favorite excerpts from her current work in progress ...

I’ve chosen this specific excerpt and this specific work in progress because it evokes a strong emotion in myself and hopefully to those who read it. It’s a topic that’s rarely broached in our daily lives but it is very real subject that plagued many people. The title Behind the Mask speaks for itself because no matter who we are, we all have things hidden.

“Are you listening to what I’m telling you Ella?” The soft voice of Dr. Peyton questioned.

Immediately her eyes shifted from the bookcase to him and then downcast to the file in his hands, a soft blush heated against her cheeks, “I-I-um, well, sorry. I didn’t quite hear what you said.”

“Must we do this each visit, Ella? You sit there and look around my office and pretend you’re listening when we both know you are not. Don’t you think we could try, just this once, you listening and even sharing what is bothering you?” He hoped.

Her lips scrunched together as she pursed them left to right. She shrugged, looking away and towards the window.

“What do you want me to say?” Suddenly, her chest felt tight, throat felt dry. “Do you want me to sit here and whine about all that was wrong in my life? I don’t want to be one of those people that seek pity and attention...I just want to be normal.” Her jaw clenched, eyes blinked rapidly though no tears pooled. She had mastered these emotions years ago and learned quickly that no one wanted to see a young girl cry. Tears made adults uncomfortable, especially the ones that wanted to fix everything or pretend everything was okay when everything was wrong.

In the corner of her eye, his leg crossed over the other and she froze for a second. Slowly, her breath blew from between her barely parted lips as the ice in her body began to thaw.

“I want you to tell me what’s in your heart. Be honest with me but do you know what I want more than anything to happen during these sessions? Do you?” Ella shrugged slowly, her eyes drifting back to him, “I want you to feel safe. I want you to be honest with you.”

“I don’t think I know how to be honest with myself anymore. I don’t know if I can be honest with you, either. I don’t even know why I’m here. I should go.”

She rose from the couch, the brown, stiff leather beneath her groaning in protest at the movement. Ella fully intended to leave, her fingers ghosting over the cool leather as she walked behind the couch and towards the door.

“Stop Ella.” Dr. Peyton dropped the file to the coffee table and leaned forward, “That’s good you’ve told me that. Please...stay. Just for a little while longer. No one is forcing you to be here. You are doing this on your own and that in itself is commendable.” He noticed she made no movement towards the door. They were making progress today. Slow baby steps he reminded himself. “Why do you believe you cannot be honest with yourself?”

Ella nibbled her lip, sucking the soft flesh between her teeth. Her voice grew quiet, soft. “I’ve lied for so long about so much that a lie feels better than the reality.” The feeling of tears burned hot in her nose. “No one, doc, wants to hear my honesty. Not even my mom.” She made her way back to the couch, sitting to the edge.

“Hiding something that hurts us can be far more detrimental than releasing a truth that will hurt. It isn’t healthy to squelch your pain.”

She remembered the look of disappointment in her mother’s eyes the day she found out her dirty secret. The stone cold words of her mother that forever taunted her. She promised herself that very day she would never tell her brother Jason; she just couldn’t bear to see disgust or tolerated pity in his eyes.

Find L.S Broomfield here:

Blog: http://www.lsbroomfield.blogspot.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L.S.Broomfield

Twitter: @LBroomfield1977

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Available in Kindle format on Amazon.com or direct from XOXO Publishing in electronic format ... Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness VOLUME 2 from Allison Cassatta ...