Page 108 of Just My Luck
Dr. Bennet laughed and turned, opening the door to his modern home. Through a set of glass double doors, he led me to his office. It was decorated with sleek, no-nonsense furniture. The desk in the center was simple, black, and free of clutter. A pair of wingback chairs were tucked into the corner. I eyeballed the small sofa on the opposite end.
Dr. Bennet laughed and gestured toward the chairs. “How about we sit here?”
Without a word, I folded myself into the chair and clamped my hands together and looked around the office.
Maybe coming here was another mistake.
“Coffee? Tea? Whiskey?” he asked.
An eyebrow shot up at his offer of booze.What the hell kind of therapist is this?“I’m good.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He settled into the chair beside me and exhaled.
I waited, hoping he’d have some way to break the ice. When the silence stretched on, I cleared my throat. “Dr. Bennet, aren’t you going to ask me why I’m here?”
“You can call me Alex.” He shrugged. “I thought we might get to know each other a bit first, but if that’s what you want to talk about, we can dive right in.”
Frustrated and feeling foolish, I braced my hands on my knees and began to stand. “Look, I think this was a mistake.”
Alex stood with me, unfazed by my abrupt demeanor. He held out a hand. “It took balls to come here in the first place.” He nodded when I shook his hand. “It is nice to meet you, Abel.”
I frowned, looking him over.
Was this some sort of therapist Jedi mind trick?
My boots stomped across the rug in his office, and I turned, pacing back toward him. “Look. I don’t know what I’m doing here. All I know is there’s a lot of shit going on up here”—I gestured toward my head—“and I need to figure it out.”
A grin spread across his face. “We can do that.”
I exhaled, relieved that the weight of my statement wasn’t enough to scare him off just yet.
There was a lot to unpack, so I figured I could start with something tangible. “I’ve been having these nightmares... they’re like a replay of a memory, only they’re different. Worse.”
I recounted the accident, my sentencing, and a brief overview of life after prison, including my relationship with Sloane. Dr.Bennet nodded and listened without offering judgment or his opinion. I shared how recently the dreams had shifted to the accident involving Sloane and the twins.
When I looked at him expectantly, hoping he’d offer some suggestions for making the dreams stop, he only sat back. “What do you think the dream means?”
I blew out a stream of breath. “Getting behind the wheel that night is my greatest regret. It haunts me. The only thing worse is if something were to happen to Sloane and the kids.”
“Something by your own hand.” Dr. Bennet confirmed my darkest fear.
“Exactly. I wouldn’t survive that.” My jaw ached from grinding my teeth.
“We’ve only just met, but I get the sense that you’re a protector. Maybe you fear losing control because you’ve had firsthand experience with that, and now the stakes are even higher. Right now it seems as though you’re carrying your shame like a badge of honor instead of allowing yourself to feel forgiveness.”
I scoffed. “I don’t need forgiveness. The mother already claimed to forgive me, though I don’t understand how that would be possible.”
His eyebrows raised. “Have you asked her?”
“What?” I stared at my feet.
He gestured toward me. “Have you asked the mother why she forgave you?”
I mulled over his words. “Not exactly.”
“Perhaps if you understood how she could find forgiveness, you may begin to forgive yourself.” He shrugged. “Just a thought.”
Just a thought, my ass.