“I’m happy for you, Clare.”

“Thank you. It’s just that, well, I had the dream last night. I think it’s because I’ve been putting off telling Aidan, the man I’m seeing, about everything that happened.”

“Do you think he wouldn’t understand?”

“I think he’d understand better than most people. He’s been through some heavy stuff himself.”

“So then why the hesitation?”

“I don’t know. I was all set to tell him last night, but it wasn’t the right time. And then I had the dream, which has me afraid again. For the first time in months, I’m afraid.”

“Clare, the man who attacked you is in prison. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“Intellectually, I get that. But the dream, it was so real, like it was happening all over again.”

“Maybe the dream is telling you it’s time to level with Aidan so you can stop thinking about it once and for all.”

“I start to tell him, and nothing comes out. I freeze.”

“When the time is right, you’ll know, but do it sooner rather than later. Your subconscious is telling you something in the form of the dream. You need to listen to it. Will you be coming back to Rhode Island soon?”

“Probably in the next month or so.” She didn’t like to think about what that would mean for her and Aidan.

“Come see me, okay?”

“I will.”

“Give yourself permission to be happy, Clare. You’ve certainly earned it.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Aidan looked for something to smash. Surely if he could break something it would relieve some of the impotent rage he’d felt since Clare’s nightmare. He let her believe he’d gone back to sleep, but he was awake next to her for hours. He knew she’d dreamed about the rape, and the fact that he couldn’t talk to her about it had him searching for something to throw against a wall.

He was running out of patience. She needed to trust him with the truth soon. Otherwise, he couldn’t see how they could have the future he wanted so desperately with her.

Clare spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for her date. She took a long bath in the Jacuzzi, spent extra time on her makeup, and giggled to herself when she imagined Aidan discovering the scandalous black underwear she’d bought earlier in the day. She rolled on sheer thigh-high black hose before she slipped into the skimpy black dress he’d requested.

When she checked the complete ensemble in the full-length mirror, she was pleased with what she saw. “Not bad for an old girl,” she said, spinning on one of her three-inch heels.