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Ch.19-Reevaluation

"This is stupid."

I rolled my eyes, tugging on Alec's arm. "No it's not. Come on."

He sighed, relenting just enough so I could yank him out of the car. "It's eight in the frickin' morning. Why aren't I sleeping?"

"Quit whining," I tsked, dragging him into the Harding & Harding office. "It's been awhile. And you've changed a lot. I think Dr. Harding will be proud of you."

"Right, because her lack of pride in me is exactly what keeps me up at night."

"Are you always this sarcastic in the morning?"

"Bite me."

I flashed him an impish smile. "Careful, or I just might."

That earned me a smirk.

The same secretary directed us to Elsie's office, and we started off in that direction. Three days it had been since the mess after Heather's party. Neither of us were very well-versed in the going-ons of a couple, but we'd achieved some form of mild success. We still bickered, but there was a different undertone to it. He was still a pain in the ass and I was still a stubborn fool, but everything followed a different connotation. It would take some getting used to, that was for sure, but I figured with time it could happen. We weren't big on the whole emotional part of the relationship, either, but we were still trying to get the hang of it. Eventually, maybe, that would come along.

Alec wasn't a huge touchy-feely guy, either, especially when we were anywhere but the closed confines of his room. I didn't question him on it; I already knew what answer I would receive. I just let it be. After all, after everything he'd been through, he deserved his personal space. We definitely weren't what you would call a couple-that probably wasn't even the correct term to use-but it was something. And something was better than nothing, usually.

"Come in!" Elsie called from inside her office after I knocked on the door. I entered with Alec trudging begrudgingly behind me, grumbling to himself. He did that a lot. It was kind of cute, but I would never tell him that.

"Alec! Lilia! What a surprise!" Elsie cried from behind her desk, smiling warmly at us. "What brings you two by?"

"Impromptu session," I declared. "Alec's a changed man."

Said changed man snorted, falling onto his usual couch. "She's exaggerating."

"Am not," I huffed. I stared pointedly at Elsie. "I think he's finally ready to completely a full session with respect and manners and everything."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself."

"I'm just the right amount ahead of myself, thank you very much."

Elsie laughed. "Pardon me for asking, but is there something going on between you two?"

"No," Alec replied the same time I said, "We're dating."

Elsie clapped her hands. "Really? That's great!"

"It's weird, actually," I murmured. "But that's not the point. The point is Alec."

Elsie rolled around the desk in her chair, facing us. "How do you feel about all this, Alec?"

He grunted, staring disinterestedly up at the ceiling. "I feel the same as I did before."

"Is that right?"

"Yep."

"You seem different."

"You're just looking too much into Lily's psycho-analytic babble."

I sneered at him as Elsie cracked a small, knowing smile, like she'd uncovered some secret unknown to Alec or me. "You've never mentioned any interest in girls before at our sessions," she stated.