Open Arms Read Online Free

to exercise every day, and everything’s under control.” He looked at Rob. “Everything OK here? Am I interrupting a meeting? I can go and start dinner, if you want to talk.”
    “Actually, Rob was just telling me that he got Tammy to eat some lunch today.”
    Jake leaned back, his blue t-shirt pulled tight against the muscles of his broad chest. “Yeah? How’d you manage that?”
    “I’m still not totally sure.” Rob pulled at his tie. “Listen, Julie… I’m wondering if maybe I shouldn’t try again tomorrow. Go back, make some food, stay put until she eats.”
    “Really? You’d do that?”
    “Sure. If you don’t mind, I mean.”
    “Why would I mind?” Julie said.
    This was the part that Rob had been trying to figure out how to bring up all afternoon. “Well, you’re her best friend. And I know that you’ve been going there every day, and she hasn’t been very – uh – very cooperative with you. I was just worried that maybe you’d be a little bit – um – maybe upset?”
    Julie’s brow was wrinkled in confusion. “Upset? That you’d drop by and see Tammy?”
    “No,” Jake said quietly, seeing exactly what Rob was trying to get at. “Upset that he can get Tammy to eat when you can’t. Maybe she’ll open up to him in a way that she won’t for you. He’s afraid that may hurt you.”
    Julie was silent.
    “It’s just that, sometimes when people have been badly hurt, they can’t talk to the people they’re closest to at first,” Rob said. “Tammy knows you love her, Julie, and she needs that unconditional love and support from you, but she also needs something else.”
    “What? What does she need?”
    “She needs someone who can shake her up a bit,” Rob said.
    “What do you mean?” Julie looked alarmed. “This isn’t about tough love here, Rob. She’s not strong enough to take that kind of thing.”
    “I know. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about someone who she isn’t totally sure about, someone who can maybe force her out of the box that she’s closed herself inside.”
    Julie’s face was very pale. Jake noticed and put his arm around her. “Julie?”
    “I’m fine, I’m OK.”
    “I’m sorry, Julie. I really didn’t mean to upset you…”
    “You didn’t, Rob. I think you’re right.” She looked at her hands. “Tammy is like my sister, I’ve known her since we were ten years old. We’ve been through hell together, but something about this is different for her. This time, I can’t seem to get her to tell me anything. I don’t know why. But maybe you can shake her out of this – this zombie state that she’s trapped in.”
    “Julie, I’m not going to hurt her, or bully her, or scare her.”
    “I know,” she said. “You’re not even capable of acting that way.”
    Jake touched the back of Julie’s neck. “So, what do you think, baby?”
    “OK,” Julie said. “You spend some time with her, see if maybe she’ll open up to you a bit. I’ll trust you.”
    “OK.”
    “Just – please be gentle with her.”
    “I will. I promise.”
    **
The next day, Tammy was on the sofa, staring at the floor. She was thinking about maybe getting up and making some tea, but the kitchen seemed very far away.
    There was a knock at the door and she jumped. She hadn’t heard any footsteps approaching; did that mean that someone had shovelled the area around the cabin?
    “Who is it?” she called from the sofa.
    “It’s Rob.”
    Rob? Tammy blinked in the direction of the voice. “Umm. OK. I’ll be there in a minute.”
    She got to her feet, feeling a bit unsteady, and went to the door. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she appeared to be wearing a fright wig: her black hair was sticking up everywhere and looked terrible. When did I last shower? Three days ago? She saw a hair tie on the floor and bent down to retrieve it. She pulled her hair up and back and checked the mirror again. OK, that was a bit better. Nothing to be done about