Abstinence

Chapter 5

Hayden never went to sleep last night, he stayed in his study until he decided he wanted to go running. He broke his curfew again and went running at five in the morning, only to return at exactly 7:30. I don't know who runs for two and a half hours but I know he's going through a shit-ton so I decide not to question him on his run.

My comment to him last night was vile and just wrong. I shouldn't have said that to him, and I've been feeling guilty about it all night but I never went to apologize.

"Alice!" Dr. Reece's voice is heard before I can see him. "Alice you won't believe it." He was standing outside of my office door now.

"What is it?" I question giving him permission to enter my office. I look up from my computer to find the biggest smile plastered on his face. "What's got you so happy?"

"You remember Christina don't you?"

"Of course." Christina is his mute patient with the portion of her face that's burnt.

"She spoke! Well not all the way, but she did."

"What?" I am shocked, but like a happy shock. I'm happy for Dr. Reece and Christina for their progress and her aunt and uncle. "Actual words? When?"

"Today in our session. I came to you the minute after she left."

"Wow, Dr. Reece, congratulations, that's amazing."

"Thank you," he smiles finding a seat on the red lounger tossing a stress ball in the air. "We're going out for drinks later to celebrate, you should join us."

"I would love to, but I don't think my boyfriend would be too fond of that." After last night, I won't drink because I don't want to get turned down by him again. He couldn't have sex with me because I was drunk, so I'm going to try again tonight while I'm sober.

"Hayden right?" I nod. "The girl at the reception desk, I keep forgetting her name—"

"Jessica."

"Yes Jessica, she had the news playing when I went in there. I saw the news of him getting out on bail, so congratulations to you."

"You're judging him so hard right now aren't you?" I chuckle when his stress ball drops on his face before falling onto the floor.

"I am in no condition to judge him. We all have skeletons in our closets, they're just not broadcasted to the world because we are overly-handsome billionaires."

"He's innocent though Dr. Reece, he didn't do what he's being accused of."

"I believe you, my uncle on my mother's side is a registered sex offender because he was caught having sex with his wife in his car in the parking lot of a park. He can't even drop his kids off at school because he's not allowed five hundred feet within a school zone." He laughs as he finishes his story.

"That's not funny Christopher, that's horrible."

"It is, it ruined his life. If Hayden didn't rape this girl like she says he did, he can still get labeled as a registered sex offender and that will follow him everywhere he goes. So I hope for his sake everything gets acquitted."

"I hope so too."

"Just for my record, your boyfriend, Hayden, is the same guy you went on the date with? The one that fucked you like an animal the morning after?"

"You make him sound like a monster when you put it that way."

"He's not a monster, he's human. Humans make a mistakes and thousands of them."