The Fallout (The Therapist #3) - W.S. Greer Page 0,7
I sense a little bit of tension here, so I’d like to hear from you both so I can get both sides of the story. Demi, would you like to go first?”
Demi Lane’s eyes snap up to meet mine, and they already have tears in them, her emotion about the situation already threatening to spill over before she even says a word. Based on her body language and the glaring grief, if I had to guess the point of contention between the two of them, I’d go with infidelity.
“Sure, I’ll go first,” Demi starts. Her voice is huskier than I expected it’d be, and there’s broken glass covering her every word. She’s definitely a deadly combination of anger, sadness, and hostility.
As Demi shifts in her seat, Eli chooses this moment to sit back. He lets out an exhale before leaning back onto the soft cushion behind him, his face still as blank as ever. I even notice him angling himself away from Demi, as if trying to avoid the oncoming slew of words.
“I’m sure this issue is something you’ve dealt with in the past,” Demi starts. “I hate to say that we’re a typical couple now, because I used to think we were so different from everyone else. I see now that we’re nothing special. We’re just as weak as any other couple.”
Demi pauses just long enough to let out a scoff, and I use the break to pick up my pen and start taking notes. The first thing I write down is that Demi is definitely angry, and then I stop writing and allow Demi to arrange her thoughts before she speaks again.
“I’m sure you probably guessed already, but the reason we’re here is because we’re having intimacy problems that stem from Eli cheating on me with his secretary while they were away at a conference in New Jersey.”
Called it.
“I want, more than anything, to be able to move on,” Demi continues. She speaks to me with direct eye contact, and a matter-of-fact rhythm that’s impressive considering what she has been through. “We’ve been married for four years, and it’d be a bold-faced lie if I said I didn’t love Eli, even after everything. I don't want to throw away four years of marriage, but things are not the same ever since this happened. No matter how hard I try, no matter how much concentration I put into it, I can’t get over it. Every time he touches me, all I can think about is how his skin feels the same on me as it did on her. She knows what his hands feel like. She knows his scent, too. She knows the same things I know, and that hurts more than I can explain to him. He was supposed to only be for me, and now there's a stranger who knows everything I know. How the fuck am I supposed to get past that thought?”
While Demi speaks, I do my best to write down as much as I can, as fast as I can. I can hear the pain dripping from her words. She has been crushed by Eli’s infidelity, and I totally understand that. To some, cheating is unforgivable, but when you truly love someone, you’d be surprised at what you’re willing to forgive in order to preserve that love. True love is the strongest emotion in the world, and its power can be shocking.
“Thank you, Demi,” I say, just as a tear slides down her cheek. She wipes it away with an aggressive flick of her hand. “I understand this can be incredibly difficult, and I applaud your resiliency and fortitude. Eli, would you care to explain the situation in your own words, or add on to anything Demi has said?”
Eli Lane glares at me as if my request offends him. He doesn't want to be here, and it’s written all over his body as obvious as words scrawled in permanent marker.
“I don't know, Dr. Colson,” Eli begins. With only three words, he’s already approaching this the wrong way, because he sounds defensive. When you're the one who cheated, the last thing you should be is defensive, no matter how badly you want to move past the situation.
“Our life has become two sides of a coin,” Eli goes on, his tone still sharper than it should be. “Before… my mistake, everything was perfect. Demi and I were best friends. We laughed together all day long, even if it was over the phone. We were super affectionate,