The Boy Who Has No Hope (Soulless #6) - Victoria Quinn Page 0,18
can’t tell you is the duration of that process, because every person is different. But we will reach the finish line—at your pace.”
Derek stared at him.
“Are you ready to tell me about the event in question? Or should we talk about something easier? Like your work, family, something you’re more comfortable discussing?” He held the pen to the paper, ready to make notes.
Derek cleared his throat as he considered it. “I’m an aeronautical engineer and physicist. I work in collaboration with NASA and the government to further our advancement and technology in space exploration.”
“That’s fascinating.” Instead of writing notes, he just listened.
I kept my hands in my lap and stared at the side of Derek’s face.
“Anything else you can tell me about?” Dr. Collins asked.
“I’m also a professor of engineering at NYU to graduate students.”
“Then you’ve got a full schedule,” Dr. Collins said. “The fact that you took time out of your life to be here, doing this, when you could be doing something much more interesting is a testament to your attitude.”
The longer they talked, the more Derek loosened up. “Emerson wanted me to do this…that’s why I’m here.”
“Yes, she cares a lot about you,” Dr. Collins said. “It’s essential for all of us to have people who we trust, especially at this intensity, and the fact that you have someone you can be so transparent with is a testament to your character, because it isn’t easy earning that kind of loyalty from someone. She told me she’s your assistant, but I can feel a closeness between you two that’s profound, and I can tell this isn’t part of her job. She’s here because she wants to be here, because you’re someone worth her time. You must be a remarkable person to earn that from her.”
Derek dropped his gaze for a moment, the silence lingering, and after an eternity of quiet, he found a response. “It says more about her character than mine. She’s just a selfless person.”
“I respectfully disagree, Derek. You have someone sitting beside you who thinks the world of you, and she doesn’t think that way about anyone else. Based on everything she’s told me, at least.”
I felt my heart race because I wondered if my feelings weren’t as invisible as I thought. I rejected a physical relationship because I knew I would want more, and if I allowed myself to feel anything at all…I would feel everything.
Derek looked away for a long time. “I feel the same way…about her.”
I dropped my gaze because that meant a lot to me. He’d never said anything affectionate to me before. I worked hard to make his life easier when I could slack off and get away with much less, but I truly cared about his happiness. It seemed like he cared about mine too, because he agreed to do this when he didn’t want to.
Dr. Collins stared at him for a long time, like his admission was some kind of breakthrough. “Have you told anyone about this session?”
Derek’s gaze returned to his. “No.”
“So, Emerson is the only person who knows?”
“Yes.”
“Is it safe to say that she’s the closest person to you?”
It was a loaded question, and Derek clearly didn’t know how to answer it. “If that’s how you want to quantify it, then yes.”
“Is she someone who knows you better than anyone else?”
“I don’t understand why the entire topic of our discussion is Emerson,” Derek countered.
“I’m just trying to get to know you,” Dr. Collins said. “And based on this interaction, I feel like her presence in your life is your most fundamental component. If you don’t talk to anyone else but her, then she’s your biggest supporter in life. Do you disagree with that statement?”
After a long pause, he shook his head. “No.”
My eyes softened.
“I have friends I spend time with, but we don’t have deep conversations. I’m close with my family, but I don’t really have deep conversations with them either. When Emerson started to work for me, I treated her the way I treat everyone else—with indifference. But once she became an invaluable person in my life, that started to change. I don’t trust people often, if ever, and she’s forced me to do that. Well, she didn’t force me… She proved to me that I could.”
“Why don’t you trust people?”
Derek rubbed his fingers across his shadowed jawline. “Because I’ve got a target on my back.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“I’m rich, brilliant, different…and people try to take advantage of me. Emerson doesn’t.”