Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,56

the rest of us.

Inside, I caught the scent of her shampoo and a hint of Chinese takeout. There was a note on the fridge that said there was plenty if anyone was hungry. I dropped my shit on the sofa and headed back to the bedroom. Most of the lights were out, and it was quiet. Frankie and Archie were sound asleep when I glanced in.

It took me no time to shrug down to my boxers and brush my teeth before I eased in on her other side. She stirred when my leg brushed hers, nose crinkling.

“Cold.”

“Sorry,” I whispered. “Go back to sleep.” But instead of scooting away from me, she curled closer and tucked her head against my chest. My heart squeezed as I buried my nose in her hair.

Home.

Thinking About It Every Day

“I don’t know what to do with that,” I admitted. “I like most of the parts of my life right now. Do I want to disrupt that with adding someone else?”

“That’s a question only you can answer.” Erin set her pen down on the pad she often took notes on and folded her hands together. “When you first started coming here, we talked about your attack, how you were recovering, the upheaval with your mother, and your relationships with the men in your life.”

Men in my life. I almost smiled. Not once had Erin been judgmental on that front. And while I still thought of them as the boys, I guess men was more appropriate. “It feels like we’ve talked about a lot in the last few months.”

“That’s part of what these sessions are for,” Erin offered with a small smile. “Your emancipation hearing is next week?”

I nodded. “That’s why I canceled the session for that day. I don’t know how long it will take.”

She nodded. “I’m going to keep the hour set aside, even if you just want to call me and have the session on the phone.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. Normally at this point, I like to gauge whether a client wants to continue and to assess how far we’ve come. But I think I’d like you to answer that for me. Are these sessions helping you?”

“You don’t think they are?” My gut dropped as I frowned.

“I didn’t say that,” she scolded in the gentlest tone. “I’m asking you if you find these sessions helpful.”

“Even when I leave with more to think about than when I came in,” I said slowly. “Yeah, I find them helpful. The guys are great about never asking me about what we talk about. I know they’ll listen if I want to talk, but sometimes…sometimes I feel like I complain a lot. It’s hard, because I don’t want to be the one they always have to fix things for.”

Archie loved to fix things. Coop was always there with a smile and comfort. Jake charged through my defenses and dared me to step outside my comfort zones. But never alone. They were always there. And Ian…

I blew out a breath. He blanketed me in this feeling of security I didn’t fully understand and let me just let go. “I feel like I should be doing more for them. They do so much for me, and they…they agreed to this unconventional relationship.” A little laugh escaped. “You know, I think about that every day, about how lucky I am that I didn’t lose them. That they didn’t give up on me. Some days, it’s harder to balance than others, but the last few months would have been unbearable without them, and even in the middle of all this paternity drama…”

When had my life become such a soap opera?

Hands spread, I lifted my shoulders. “They make me laugh. They let me cry. They hold my hand when I need it and let me punch things when I need that. Sometimes, they’re just there, and my day is better because I know they’re there.”

“How would you feel about having them come in for a session with you?”

What?

I blinked at her. “Like all four of them?”

“You’re in a relationship with all four, so yes.” Nothing in her relaxed manner changed. “I like to meet with the significant others of my patients from time to time, because it helps me get a feel for where you all are and how that affects you. It also…it’s also sometimes easier to tackle some of these subjects you’re hesitant about in a controlled setting.”

“Erin? How did we go from talking about my paternity drama to whether I wanted to