The Therapist - WS Greer Page 0,57

hand with his every word. “I don't have a family-owned business to attach myself to. My father doesn't have a clinic for me to work at. I have to make it on my own. Nobody handed my skills to me. I became a music producer on my own.”

“Oh, God. Here we go again,” I spit out with a huff.

“Oh, fuck you,” Brandon snaps. “Yes, I’m proud of the fact that I’m a music producer, and I’m proud of the fact that a band I produce and manage has booked a gig in D.C. this weekend. You can act like it’s no big deal all you want, but this band is about to go sing songs that I produced the music to, playing a gig that I booked for them. That’s a big deal to me, and it should be to you, too. You're just jealous that I’m about to become rich and famous, and you're going to be stuck working at Milton Animal Clinic under the shadow of your parents your entire fucking life, because I swear I’ll leave you behind if you don't shape up. That's right. If you don't figure yourself out really quickly, you're going to lose out on me.”

“God, you're a fucking asshole,” I blurt, as I snap my head toward Brandon. “Nobody gives a fuck about that band. American Armpits is the dumbest band name I've ever heard, and they'll never amount to anything more than they are now. Attach yourself to those losers at your own peril, Brandon.”

“Goddamn it, when did you become such a bitch?” Brandon barks.

“All right, all right, I think we need to reel it in,” Dr. Colson speaks up with his hand in the air like a boxing referee. “You guys know I’m all about communication, and I can appreciate both of you opening up, but we need to try to keep it civil. We have to express our emotions without reverting to name-calling or putting words into each other’s mouths. It’s okay to be emotional, but you have to keep it from becoming hostile. If you two can't do that, then this road we’re traveling on will become much more difficult to navigate. When you can't express yourselves without resorting to insults, and intentionally trying to bring each other down and hurt each other’s feelings, that's a sign of a much deeper issue. When all you have left for each other is contempt and outrage, you have to ask yourselves an essential question. Do you even like each other anymore?”

In the time that Dr. Colson was letting us argue while he jotted notes, he came up with his best and toughest question yet, and I don't know the answer. I don't know if it’s that I don't like Brandon anymore, or if it’s that I don't know myself well enough to like who I am.

Acknowledgments

I did it! I finally did it! You guys don't even know. My wife and I have had this idea going for so long, and I’m thrilled to see it all come together in the form of this series.

The Therapist is a long time coming. My wife and I have been very fortunate over the years. We’ve been married for sixteen years now, and we feel like we’ve mastered how to be a married couple. It takes tons of work and compromising, and we’ve seen a lot of relationships come and go in our time together. We’ve had an inside joke going for years that we should conduct couple’s therapy, where I take the men, and she takes the women. We joked about it for years, and now it’s all being embodied by Dr. Malcolm Colson. There’s so much to talk about and so many roads to take when dealing with relationships and sex, and I’ve never been more comfortable writing about this type of stuff because it’s real. I feel like this is my life’s work, and I hope it impacts relationships the way we always wanted to.

When it comes to writing and involvement in the book world, I’ve been quiet for a while, so my list of people to thank will be short this time around. The first and most important person to acknowledge is my wife. Thank you, baby, for being there for me and supporting me all this time. Our lives have been shaken up by the new addition to our family, but we’ve stuck together and fought through it in preparation for 2020, and I know it’s going to pay off. Thank you for riding with me, and I can’t wait for the world to see us put out our best work. It’s been a long road coming back, but we’re ready to take the world by storm. I love you, baby.

Mom and Dad, thank you for your undying support. You’ve been motivating and supportive this entire time, and I appreciate you having my back over the years.

Janae, Quese, and Jordan, thank you all for your support as well. I know being in the military and being an author takes a lot of my time, but I’m thankful that you understand what my job is and what I’m trying to accomplish. This is the year we've been waiting for!

Thank you to my cover designer, Robin, for doing what you do best. As long as you're working, I’m hiring you. Also, thank you to every blogger who has helped promote this book and series, and all those who will do so in the future.

Lastly, I’d like to thank my fans. It has been such a bumpy road for me, and your loyalty has been obvious and much needed. I’m back, and I’ve got something crazy for you. Right after I write these acknowledgments, I will begin writing Shameless (The Therapist #2). There will be no break. I hope this series empowers you and motivates you in your life. I do this because I love it, but also because I love you. Open your mind and get ready for some fun, because what I’m about to give you will be the best of me. When the bandwagon starts—and it will start—you'll know you were the ones who stuck with me when I was at my lowest in this game, and I won't forget you. Let’s get it.

Disrupt the status quo!