Chapter
Twenty-Eight
TALIA
Thanks to Mercer’s familiarity with the Residence’s layout, I was less than a minute late for my appointment time. Dr. Jalisco’s office door was wide open, the woman waiting for me inside.
“I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Mercer promised, dropping a kiss on my cheek.
“I could walk back to the nesting room by myself just fine.” I was still catching my breath from the brisk pace we’d used to get here.
“You might get lost. Besides, I’ll miss you.”
He was right about getting lost, but it was easy to turn myself back around with all the signage. But missing me? That was obviously an excuse. He was worried therapy was going to break me.
Maybe I was a little bit worried too.
“Fine. See you in an hour.”
He gave me one more kiss on my other cheek before striding back off down the hall.
Breathing deeply, I turned to the open door. She stood by the entrance, wearing a blue turtleneck sweater and black jeans along with her soft smile.
“Come on in, Talia,” Dr. Jalisco greeted me warmly.
I swallowed and followed her into the office, dreading the sound of the door closing behind me. When it clicked shut, I clenched my hands into fists.
I really had to talk about it.
All of it.
What happened that night, and how Benjamin was still in my damn head, no matter how tall and thick I built my walls to keep him out.
But maybe if I didn’t say it out loud, it wouldn’t seem so real.
“Take a seat wherever you’d like.”
I scanned the room. There was an armchair in front of her desk, an uncomfortable looking padded chair sitting in one corner, and a small loveseat in front of a window.
I chose the loveseat, sitting primly on one of the cushions.
Dr. Jalisco turned the armchair to face me and settled down into it, a clipboard resting on her lap. “Feel free to kick your shoes off and get comfortable, if you’d like. During the session, this is your space.”
I kept my shoes on, crossing one leg over the other and anxiously tapping my foot. “My mom wanted someone to talk to me, to make sure I’m alright after everything. But I don’t think I really need to be here.”
The lie tasted like copper on my tongue. Was I chewing my lip?
She made a note on her clipboard.
I tried to read it, but her handwriting was unintelligible from this far away.
“Would you agree that you’re not pleased to be here, then?” Dr. Jalisco asked.
I hesitated, but eventually nodded. “I’m not.”
“Are you comfortable talking about that?”
I cleared my throat, holding my hands together in my lap. The loveseat was comfortable, tempting me to lean back and relax, but I kept my posture upright.
