The Lies We Tell (MXMXM)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Scottie's Therapist Session #1

*Scottie's p.o.v.*

It has been a race to find Luca. It is tough to find someone who does not want to be found right now. It is also hard when you got a family who is your only living family member who actually cares about me is missing. My uncle is the only person I consider family. I grew up in a homophobic family, and for a long time, I did not tell anyone I was gay. It is still looked downuponed, but now I am outspoken. I am more confident in fighting for my rights as a man. When my parents were still alive, they were very religious people. They were the type of people to protest about not having same-sex marriages. When my dad found out I was gay, he beat me to a pulp each time. I never told Roman, Gio, or Killian because I mean they were too busy with Tate. Tate doesn't even know, but my uncles know. He took me in one night when I got beaten up badly to the point of ending up being in the hospital.

All I remember was being asked by the police what happened. My uncle was there with them, and of course, my good for nothing parents did not show up because they fled as soon as possible. A social worker shows up as well while I am sitting there explaining to them what happened. I was only 15 years old at the time. I remember just being scared and not wanting my parents to get in trouble, but I was tired of being beaten. I told them everything, and the social worker put me in temporary custody with my uncle until the court date hearing where my uncle wanted complete custody. After that hearing, my uncle gained complete custody and is still considered my guardian under the law. My parents died about two years ago from overdosing on drugs. I was sad about it, but I still have nightmares about what they did to me. I have never told anyone other than my uncle. Thanks to my uncle, he set me up an appointment without telling me to see a therapist right before he disappeared. I would go once a month, and this is a very good friend of his. I am going today, but I am trying to figure out how to leave without Tate getting suspicious subtly.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt him tap me on my shoulders.

"Are you alright?" He asked me.

"I am okay. Hey, look, can we go on the search for a few hours from now. I have to be somewhere in the next thirty minutes."

"Of course. Just let me know when you are done." Tate told me as he got up and walked away. I took a deep breath before walking out of my office. This is the first time talking to anyone other than my uncle, and my uncle keeps reassuring me that this person is amiable. He says this is someone that I know, and that makes it even more nerve-wracking, knowing that this is someone that I know. I drove to the office, and I saw how huge the building was. I could not believe the size of it. I gulped as I walked in. I had to go to the top floor to get to it. The more I was going up, the more nervous I was getting. When I got up to the top floor, the first thing I saw was the desk. Someone was typing away at the computer. I gasped and turned around quickly when I saw who it was. No fucking way. He can't be serious. I heard the man chuckling from his seat.

"If you are worried about me telling my sons about what we discuss here, I am not going to tell them anything. It is client confidential, and it is not my business to tell unless the police get a warrant." I turned around and came face to face with Gio, Roman's, and Killian's father. I knew their father was a therapist, but I did not know that he would be mine. Roman and Presley told me about him being alive. I am not shocked by that. I am more shocked that I have to tell their father about my life. I have never once told them about anything that happened. I have not told them anything, so you can see why I am a little anxious. He pulled up a chair and motioned for me to sit on it. 

I sat in it skeptically, and he just looked at me.

"Mr. Dominic, I don-

"You don't have to be so formal with me. Just call me Dominic. I have seen you grow up, remember." He chuckled. I just nodded my head.

"Okay, so Presley has expressed to me that you have been having nightmares. He did not tell me anything if that is what you are thinking. I didn't want to know because it is my job to figure it out. So anyways, How frequent are they?" He asked.

"I would say they occur every week on Thursdays and Saturdays," I admitted.

"They only happen on Thursdays and Saturdays." He said curiously.

"They use to be every day, but for the past few months, they have only been happening on Thursdays and Saturdays," I told him.

"Okay, can you tell me a little bit about these nightmares because your uncle has told me that you have been sleepwalking and screaming in your sleep on those days?" I froze when he asked that question. I blushed and looked the other way.

"You don't have to tell me the details right now if you are not comfortable, but eventually, you are going to have to open up more. I am going to tell you this is not going to be easy. Based on what your uncle has told me, which is not a lot, he is worried about you. I am worried about you because usually, when nightmares happen and on specific days, they are often triggered about things that may have happened on those days. What makes Thursdays and Saturdays so special?" He told me.

I took a deep breath and looked at him.

"I mean, I am ready to talk about my nightmares, but not get into the details just yet. I have not even told them about this." I looked at him.

"That is fine. The first session is all about getting to know you and see where I could work with you on in terms of opening up." He stated. I just nodded my head and sighed deeply.

"I keep having the same nightmares over and over. It is not new nightmares, but these are nightmares from my past." I told him.

"Often, when you have nightmares from your past, that means you have not healed from the things that happen in your past. I am here to help you heal, move on, open up, and be happy. I am not here to judge you at all. I am here to guide you, so when you are ready, you can tell me everything, but for right now, this is a good start. When did you nightmares start?" He asked.

"They started when I came out to my parents," I told them.

"How did your parents react to that?" He asked.

"They were not thrilled about it, especially my dad," I stated.

"Let's start by talking about the relationship with your mom. How was it before, during, and after you came out to her?"

"Before, it was hard because I loved her because she is my mom. I was trying to live up to her dreams. I wanted to make her proud. I hated disappointing her because she was all. I really looked forward to seeing when I would come home. She was on drugs quite a lot, but when she was not, she was my mom again." I admitted.

"Describe to me what your mom was like when she was on drugs vs. not on drugs." He said, taking notes.

"My mom was not herself when she was on drugs. She was a lot snappy, and she would..." I took a deep breath to stop myself from getting emotional. He grabbed a tissue and handed it to me.

"Take your time; we can stop here for today if you want if you are not ready to share that yet."

"Yes, can we please stop? A lot is going on with my job, my uncle being missing, finding Luca and Gio, and finding new information. I have not had a breather yet." I said, starting to get overwhelmed. Dominic walked over to me and grabbed me by my shoulders.

"Take a deep breath." I did exactly what he told me.

"Relax, you are fine. I know this hard, so I recommend coming here twice a month instead of once a month. I am going to move your next appointment up from two weeks from now. For right now, we can stop here and pick it back up. Try to find things or do things that don't make you stress." He advised me. I just nodded my head, and I looked at him before I went on my way to help Tate find Luca.