Page 70 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)
“I love you,” she tells me, kissing my cheek. “I’ll be here first thing in the morning.”
“And I’ll probably come, too,” Liam adds. “Since I’m now getting paid to watch you.”
His expression after Mom’s back is turned…
I grip the door tighter to hide the way my knees weaken, and he winks. And then they’re gone, and I’m alone once more.
I don’t want to be attracted to him. I don’t want to kiss him again.
I definitely don’t want to see him naked.
Quit lying, Skylar.
Fine. If any of those things happen, it wouldn’t be the worst…
Ugh.
A kiss or two and a mind-blowing orgasm, and I’m a goner? No way. I may be stuck with him, but that doesn’t mean anything.
A prick of pain on my neck snaps me out of my thoughts. There’s a bit of blood under my fingernail.
Huh.
On a whim, I pull out my phone and text Dr. Penn.
Me: I scratched my neck until I bled… and didn’t realize it.
Dr. Penn: Do you remember how we take mental inventory of ourselves?
Me: Yes…
My phone lights up with her request to video chat, and I accept.
“Skylar,” she greets me. “It’s been a while.”
I grimace. “Yeah. Sorry.”
She waves her hand. She’s the type of cool mom-aged lady, curly gray hair and a kind face. Her dark-red reading glasses are perched on her nose, and she looks down the phone at me. “Not your fault. School is tough enough as it is without trying to make therapy appointments. Although you could’ve met with one of my colleagues in the city.”
“Yeah…”
“Okay.” she snaps back to business. “Let’s sit.”
I take a seat at the kitchen table, propping my phone on the napkin holder.
“We’ll begin by centering ourselves. Start with your toes and work your way up, relaxing each muscle.”
I close my eyes automatically and follow her lead, slipping into meditation mode.
“Note which parts of you are more resistant,” she says softly. “What muscles feel too tense or stiff. You can say it out loud as you come to them.”
“My thighs,” I answer. It’s habit to compartmentalize everything, so I just rattle off each thing as I come to it. “Abs. Stomach. Rib cage. Shoulders.” I pause, then add, “Neck and head.”
I open my eyes and find her eyebrows crinkled.
“Um, I fell down a hill and found a dead girl. The one who’s been missing.”
To her credit, she doesn’t react negatively. We’ve learned over the years that her worry just shuts me down. And right now, I’m grateful we know this.