???
A new appointment has been scheduled.
Date:Today
Time:7PM EST – 10PM EST
Services Requested:Individual Therapy Session
Type:In-person
Address:New York City, Manhattan Joy Hotel
Customer’s name:Cain Prescott
Special Notes/Accommodations:Pack an overnight bag.
???
I draw in a breath as I re-read the details of the appointment.
“What is it?” Tasha asks, trying to peek over the counter at my phone.
“Cain... he just booked a three-hour therapy session with me for tonight.”
She smirks as she moves to the front door and flips the sign fromOpentoClosed.
“Guess you better get going then.”
And he used his real name this time…
Chapter 33 – Rhiannon
I’m nervous.?
I smooth down my black leather skirt and adjust the velvet, gold long-sleeved top I chose to pair it with. Thick, fleece lined nylons, and my trusty black Doc Martens complete the look. It’s not an outfit that I’d usually wear to a formal, in-person therapy session, but this isn’t therapy, and nothing about this situation is normal.
The outfit feels like a safe middle ground. The fleece nylons and boots hint at a casual, low-expectation vibe, like I’m just heading out for a girls’ night in the city, while the gold velvet top adds a touch of style.
If you can’t tell, I’m overthinking everything.
My hair is blown out, shiny and clean, the only real giveaway that I’ve spent more time obsessing over this than I normallywould. And it’s not just my outfit I’ve been obsessing over. It’severything.
Since leaving the thrift store and my cousin, all I’ve done is replay every single moment of the last eight months since I met Cain.
Each step forward, every attempt to keep him at a distance has been met with something that pulls him back into my orbit like gravity.
For so long, I’ve hidden from joy, convinced that I didn’t deserve it because of what happened with my parents. But being around Cain has shown me that I don’t have to feel guilty for letting someone take care of me sometimes. For letting someone look out for me.
Gabriel’s words echo in my head. It’s time. Time to do something for myself. Time to take the risk of trusting someone. To open myself to love. To put myself out there. To be vulnerable. To allow someone else to carry the weight for once and to believe they won’t drop it—or me.
If Gabriel’s willing to try again after his wife left him barely a year into their marriage, then surely, I can too.
The train screeches to a stop at Manhattan’s station. I grab my purse and tablet from the seat beside me and step off.
Snow is falling again, the icy wind cutting through my tights as I hurry toward the hotel where Cain lives. I’m already ten minutes late to his appointment due to the extra time I took drying and curling my hair, and by the time I reach his penthouse, it’ll be closer to twenty.
I pick up the pace, careful not to slip on the slick sidewalks as I dodge other pedestrians and toss outHappy Holidays!Because this year I feel like it might be a happy holiday after all.
