Celebrity Therapist

I Vow For No More Drama

I wake up completely refreshed. I blink a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the bright light flooding in from the window. The ocean sound is still coming in strong from the window and I sit for a moment, just listening. If I could wake up to that every morning, I think drowsily, I would never be stressed about anything in life again. 

After what feels like several minutes, I reach over and take my phone off the charger. I have two texts and a missed call. I'm not sure how I slept right through that; I never do. I blame it on the serenity of the place. 

One text is from Justin from eleven thirty last night and the other text is from Selena. The missed call is from her too. There isn't a voicemail so I decide to just call her back. It was already nine in the morning so she should be up. 

A vague noise from somewhere else in the house catches my attention as the phone is ringing. I debate for a moment if I should get up or call the police, but then I realize what the noise is. 

 I hang up the phone. 

The noise stops. 

I dial her number again, just to double check that I'm thinking right. 

Sure enough, the noise starts up again and this time I can tell that it is a ringtone. 

I get out of bed and grab my hoodie from the closet. I'm always cold in the mornings, just a random fact for you. 

There are two stories to the house. The bedrooms are all upstairs. They all line the balcony-style hallway that allows you to see most of the downstairs. And there, sleeping on the couch, is Selena. I don't know how she got in, but I'm glad she's here. I walk down the stairs and stand by her feet. 

It takes one flick of her toe for her to wake up. 

"How did you get in?" I ask as she sits up. 

"I tried to call and text you but then I found a spare key hidden in one of the flower pots. I saw you were fast asleep so I just laid down."

"When did you get here?" That was my second question. She could have taken either of the other two beds. 

"Maybe three hours ago," she says. "This place is a lot farther away than I thought so I figured I try and get a little more sleep. I wanted to surprise you anyways." 

There it is, the awkward pause. I want to start apologizing now and let her know that I never meant for any of it to happen but I know that would only make everything else awkward for the rest of the time. It was too early anyway. 

"I'm glad you decided to come," I say. There is nothing wrong with that and it is the truth. 

"Truthfully?" Selena says, looking at me. I nod, letting her know I want to know what she's thinking. "I didn't want to come. I'm still mad that after everything I've told you and all you've helped me through, you would keep something like that from me and of all guys, with Justin. But," she said, placing her hands in her lap and sighing. "I figured I owed you to at least explain yourself. And I needed a bit of a vacation too." 

"Thank you," I say sincerely. "First though, do you want something to eat? I'm starving. Dinner last night was a pitcher of Pina Colada and a sandwich on the drive here."

Selena cracks a smile at that and we both go to the kitchen. The downstairs is a mostly open floor plan. I start looking through the cabinets to see what there is. The people that own the cabin say that they keep it stocked with essentials and that I can help myself to anything I can find. 

"Okay," I say a minute later. "I have cereal, eggs, and or oatmeal." 

"What kind of oatmeal?" Selena asks. 

"Just the original. There's no fruit or anything to add to it," I add quickly before she can ask. I knew it was coming. 

Still, Selena makes a "no thank you" face and we both settle on cereal. 

"I think I remember passing a store a couple miles away. I'll go there some time today and get some more food." I announce my plan for later and then start eating. We both eat in complete silence for ten minutes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay," Selena says. "I'm ready to hear your side of the story." 

We're sitting outside on the beach. It's eleven now and for the past hour we've done nothing but sit in silence, enjoying the sun. I look over at Selena and remove my sunglasses. I have to squint in the sun. It has to be close to a hundred degrees out already, I think to myself as I find the right words to say. 

"The first time I met with Justin was before our conversation about me referring him to someone else. At first, when I agreed to see him as a client, I really did just want to help him. I knew all the things he was going through partially from what I found on research and mostly from what you told me. I figured if I could help him then maybe it would help you too." I pause for a moment, unsure if there is a right way to explain this next part. It was no secret to her about my feelings for Justin. She knew more than what was in the tabloids. "I honestly don't know when it really started. It seemed almost a natural thing. You have to believe me when I tell you that I fought it. I thought about you and what would happen if it leaked. I even told Justin all of this but then after that night when we both got really drunk and he came back over after taking you home... I don't know." 

I don't add that he ended up staying that night and I woke up hungover with him in my bed shirtless. Some details are just best left unsaid. I really don't know how to explain it to her. Selena isn't looking at me. She hasn't taken her sunglasses off either. For all I know, she could be asleep and I'm just talking to myself. 

"I am really sorry that I kept it from you. I knew it would hurt you if you found out and I did it anyways. You can't begin to imagine how sorry I am. I just didn't want to lose our friendship. As crazy as it seems, you were one of my first real friends after I moved here."

After a minute of silence and absolutely no change from Selena's posture, I turn to sit back in my chair. I concentrate hard on digging my toes in the hot sand. My skin already seems darker. 

"If I told you you had to chose between him or me, who would you chose?" Selena finally speaks up but the question is easy to answer. 

"You," I say without hesitation. I don't look at her though. I keep staring at my toes. "And I'm not just saying that either. I really mean it. I have thought about it more than once. I like being with... him... but we have a lot more history and there will always be other guys. I don't even know if what I have with..." I don't want to say Justin's name. I feel like we have an unsaid rule to not actually speak his name. "Him is real. Most likely, it's just a thing. Probably because of my insane need to fix people's lives and all that. I'm sure once his life is back in order and he's worked through whatever problems, I won't find him attractive anymore. Remember Zayn?"

Selena's laugh joins my own and she finally turns to look at me. I don't say anything. I can see she is trying to find her next words too. 

"I don't want you to chose between us," she says, instantly confusing me. "Look, I really don't like the entire situation, but you're right. We have been friends for longer than we've been client and therapist. I think that lasted all of three sessions or so. But as much as I don't like it, I don't want you to end a relationship because of me, even if it might be just a fling as you say. If you want to be with him, then go ahead. I just don't want to hear any details about it nor do I want to be double dating or anything." 

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Thankfully, I hide my surprise well and just smile. That last sentence sinks in a moment later and I look at her knowingly. "Double dating you say? Do you have some new news you want to share with me?" 

"Maybe," Selena says with a smile. She turns back in her chair and resumes her earlier position. "But right now, I just want to enjoy the sun and the lack of anything else to do." 

I don't say anything else. In just a ten minute conversation, everything is settled. I know it isn't going to be that simple but for now, I can imagine it is. Right now, my biggest worry is getting a sun burn. And that's perfectly fine with me.