“No, it’s okay. I don’t think you’re wrong. It’s just hard to hear.”
“Still, consent is important in therapy. When people come to me with issues and sit in my office, that’s at least more of an agreement than I’ve gotten from you. I really don’t mean to go into therapist mode.”
“My problems are just irresistible, huh?” I ask.
“A little, but I’ll leave you alone now.” She turns away from me and the conversation ends.
My mind still circles on what she said, though. Despite me wanting to move on, I can still remember how awful it felt to be in the water. I can remember the helplessness I had as a result of me never going near it. I hate to even think about going back, but avoiding the water like I have my entire life put me in danger.
I’m not sure what would’ve happened if Nate hadn’t pulled me out.
Nate isn’t always going to be around me. Hell, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even want to be. So, I need to know how to save myself should I ever be in that kind of position again. I’ve spent my life avoiding the things that terrify me.
But am I any better for it?
“Scarlett,” I say quietly. “Should I be facing my fears?”
Her eyebrows raise. “Do you want to?”
“I don’t know. But avoiding them clearly hasn’t gotten me anywhere. And I mean that with ... a lot of things in my life.”
“Like what?”
“Like my ex,” I say. “I didn’t confront him. I let things go when I should’ve thought about it. And now I feel like I wasted a decade of my life. I don’t want that.”
“Then you could try facing something. Try getting past it.”
I consider it. “Maybe I should try to learn to swim.”
“Oh, wow. You’re going for that one.” She laughs. “Is that the easiest one?”
“All of them are bad. But I’m on a boat with a ton of pools. It’s like fate wants me to deal with this one. And Nate knows how to swim. He’d love to teach me.”
“Do you feel safe enough around Nate to face a fear with him?”
“Yes,” I say immediately. “He’s the only one I could do this with.”
“Interesting.”
Glancing over at Scarlett, there’s a smile on her face. It’sthesmile, the one Trixie had.
“Please, no. Not you too.”
“Do you know how you two look?”
I wince. “I do, but it’s not like that.”
“Maybe it isn’t. But is that because you don’t want it, or because you’re scared?”
I shake my head. “Scarlett, we’ve always been friends. That’s what we’ll always be.”
“You don’t only have friendly feelings,” she says. “I was there when you realized it.”
“I’m over that.”
She rolls her eyes. “You arenot. Look at me right now and say you feel nothing.”
I don’t even try. I know I’m lying.
