The Publicist's Plight (Book I in The Harrison Inc. Series) | ✓

Chapter Thirty Nine: Obsessions

Dr. Bakura stares at me with a look that indicates she's thinking quite hard about what I have said. However, my thoughts are occupied on how cold I suddenly feel. Shit, so this is what it's like to open up about your past? If so, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do it without completely losing my shit.

Then again, was I better off hiding it and allowing that dark cloud of closure to linger over me?

"You know, your silence is kind of freaking me out," I point out, trying to lighten the tense air. "Is this something that therapists do?"

It's obvious she doesn't get my joke. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sebastian. I'm just trying to put the pieces together from what you have told me."

She takes her notepad and starts writing something down: "DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY=ADULT DETACHMENT."

Of course.

"So your family played a huge part in the depressing essence of your childhood?" she asks, in a way that sounds as if she knows she's right.

I nod and sigh, "Yup. Mother was an uptight housewife that had other uptight housewives over for tea and cookies all the time, and my dad was always traveling for work."

She stares at me, and her prying blue eyes are saying, "I know there's more, but I'm going to keep staring at you until you tell me the rest."

This Shrink must be Leslie's mom or something.

"What about you and your siblings?"

"Um...Patrick has always been an ass."

She raises an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry," I chuckle. "Patrick has always been...difficult. As for William and Elizabeth, they weren't always the friendliest towards me."

Again, she writes something in her notepad of doom.

"This story you told me," she starts when she sets her pen down. "There must be some significance to it if it is the first memory that comes to mind to start of this 'sequence' of events. Did it have to do with meeting your new friends at your new school?"

I nod, and of course she jots it down.

"Yeah, it has to do a lot with that."

"And why is that?"

I don't answer. Not because I don't necessarily want to, but it's just hard to. I haven't thought about Sonya and Andre like this since 'that day.' And the thought of their names brings back this hard, painful remembrance of things that I never wanted to encounter again.

Never.

The silence is enough of an indication to Dr. Bakura that I can't talk about it.

"You know what? I think that's enough today," she tells me. Her smile adds years to her face. "But I would like to resume this, because I believe we made significant progress today."

I rub my eyes, "Um, yeah. Sure."

"How about next Wednesday at the same time?"

"That sounds good, but I'm only here for another two weeks."

She looks disappointed. Is she actually interested in my life story?

"That's unfortunate. Well, how would you like to do a conference video call after the two weeks, then?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Great. So I will see you next week at the same time?"

"Yes. Same time."