The Distance Between Us (Book Two ✓)

one

BEAU

Tapping my feet against the hardwood floors, I wait for the doctor to collect himself in front of me and take in my surroundings. The office is sleek and modern, with white walls and dark wooden floors. The large desk against the wall is also white and minimal in accessories, almost empty except for the large MacBook desktop. The windowsill is lined with plants that I'm sure the secretary out front waters every day. The air conditioning is always turned just a little too cold, making goosebumps appear under my tattoos.

I'd seen a couple of so called "experts" before coming to this office and the cold, impersonal atmosphere is actually what drew me in. I didn't need someone to pretend we were friends, I just needed someone to help me stop being so fucked up.

"So you went to the funeral?" Dr. Dex, my shrink, says, taking a seat in the black leather armchair across from the sofa I'm sitting on. His name is actually Dr. Williams, but his first name is Dexter and Dr. Dex annoyed him at first. So naturally, it stuck.

Dr. Dex is an older guy, probably about the same age as Rocco or my father. He's clean shaven and keeps his hair trimmed perfectly, his light hair matched by his light blue eyes. I was sure the middle aged mom waiting for her appointment almost had a fit the first day I walked through the waiting room doors. I don't really fit in with this crowd, I guess. Smirking, I consider the possible rant she went on when she got home to her husband - how dare the office see someone like me?

I nod, drumming my fingers on my knee. Anticipation builds as I wait to tell him about my plan to see Emma again but I try to be patient. It's one of the things I'm working on. One of many.

Dex shifts in his seat, adjusting his notebook on his lap, even though I've never seen him write anything down. "How was it?"

"It was a funeral," I mutter slowly, smug expression on my face. "How do you think it was?"

Dex nods at me, not taking my bait, and patiently waits for me to continue.

I sigh, knowing I've run out of distraction tactics after a couple years of working with him. "It was sad, obviously." I remind myself not to focus on just myself - the funeral wasn't about me, anyways. "Emma's grandmother was a great lady."

The day I met her, Peggy scolded me about my tattoos in the way grandmothers are supposed to, making me explain each one. She didn't know me well enough to act like I wasn't good enough for her granddaughter, even if it was true, and for a minute, I could pretend that I really was good enough.

It was the day I learned how Emma lost her parents, how she ended up in the situation to accept my deal. The deal. The one that changed everything.

While seeing the sadness in her eyes talking about her past almost killed me, I was still selfishly grateful for everything that brought us together.

"How was Emma?" The psychologist seems to read my thoughts and I'm brought back to the present.

I squint my eyes at Dex suspiciously. While it might seem like a great segway into our upcoming date, I know that's not what he means. Determined to show improvement, I hold back my excited energy. "She was holding it together but I could tell she was sad. Her grandma was the only person she had left," Guilt at how I let things end creeps through me and I drop my gaze.