Free The Way We Were by Kathryn Shay

find Patrick O’Neil, the oldest of the O’Neil clan, and his wife, Brie, both of whom Ana had met several times. Patrick was handsome in a navy suitand light blue shirt that accented his eyes. Brie wore a stunning emerald dress.
    Brie smiled at them. “Ana, hello. Lovely to see you again.”
    Patrick kissed Ana’s cheek. “Hi, Ana. You look beautiful.” Tonight, he seemed to exude contentment. Ana knew he and his wife had had a troubled marriage. They’d split several times. They’d never divorced, though, like Ana and Jared. Finally, they’dreunited permanently after a terrible kidnapping, when a former boyfriend of Brie’s went off the deep end.
    After which, Brie sought counseling.
    You could get therapy. We could go together.
    All of a sudden, Ana’s situation stood out in stark relief. Brie had had the courage to seek help in order to make her life work for her and her husband. And Ana had not.
    She felt like the worstkind of coward.
    Later, Ana was at one of the wine-and-cheese stations alone when someone came up behind her. “Hi, again.”
    Ana turned. “Oh, Brie. Getting food or drink?”
    “Both. Could we talk for a minute?” She stepped away and stood near a column that afforded some privacy. Ana joined her.
    “I wanted to mention that I’ve been on a job in Brooklyn. Near the college where you work.”

    “Maybe we can have lunch sometime.”
    “Ana, I’ll meet you anywhere, anytime. I’m sorry, but it slipped out of CJ that she asked for my counselor’s number for you.”
    “That’s all right. It doesn’t matter if you know.”
    “What about getting together?”
    “I’d like to.” She thought of Jared. “I’ll call you.”
    Reaching out, Brie squeezed her arm. “I hope so. Maybe talking to someone whoisn’t close to you can help you see some options.”
    “Thank you, Brie.”
    And she meant that. She was grateful for the woman’s candor. If Brie could talk about the time she was kidnapped, Anna should be able see a counselor about what happened to her after the guys’ deaths.
     
    Letter #7
     
    Dear Annie,
    Please, please go to therapy with me. I know you haven’t talked to yoursisters about what’s going on. But our estrangement gets stronger by the day. I’m feeling so alienated from you that I ache with it. And now, you won’t even let me touch you. I promise I can be patient in this, but you have to let me in. And I don’t think you can do that alone. For the first time in fifteen years, I’m frightened of losing you completely.

 
    Chapter 8
     
    Opal went to school on Monday of the next week and Ana headed into work. Jared stayed home, ready now to tackle a draft of chapter three of his book: “The Relevance of The Scarlet Letter Today.” Leaning back, he stared at the cursor blinking on an empty page. But, instead of concentrating on the material he’d already gathered in his notebook, Jared’s mind reeledback to the past few days.
    Kissing Ana the night of her date had kept him from falling asleep. He’d watched a movie with Opal, but was wide awake when Ana came in around midnight. He ordered himself not to get up, even as he threw back the covers, put on pajama bottoms and opened the spare bedroom’s door…
    He called out so he wouldn’t scare her, “Ana?”
    “Yes, it’s me.” She’d spoken softly,but he could hear the sweet lilt of her voice. Soon, she reached the top of the steps. “What are you doing up?”
    “Couldn’t sleep.” He leaned back against the doorjamb and perused her in the damned sexy red outfit.
    “I see.” She bumped a hip against the hall table. “Why?”
    He’d run his fingers through his hair. “Take a wild guess.”
    “You shouldn’t have kissed me.”
    “Ha! No insomniais ever going to convince me of that, sweetheart.”
    A small smile, one she couldn’t seem to help. “You’re something else, Dr. Creswell.”
    Pushing away from the door, he took steps toward her. She couldn’t back up, but she lifted her