AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I don't want to overstep, but Alvie called me this morning." His face grows concerned and I hate it.
"I'm fine."
"No, I don't think you are, but you can and will be."
"I don't really want to talk about it," I snap.
"I know,” he says with the same patient tone I give to my own patients in clinic. “But when you do, I'd be happy to connect you with someone who can help."
I drop my head, feeling the full force of my shame from last night.
"I'm going to give you my number," he offers, drawing my attention back to his face. "I can't be your professional because of our personal relationship, but I'm here when you're ready."
"Thank you," I say quietly.
Durante leaves me to my own devices, and I take a moment to gather myself.
When I rejoin the group, everyone is still in lighthearted moods and it brings a smile back to my face.
Durante doesn't bring up our chat at all and I appreciate the confidentiality.
When the trio leaves for the night, the positive energy is still thrumming through my veins and I feel better, lighter.
"You're still smiling," Bex says.
"Yeah, they're fun," I reply.
"They're really good people," Alvie agrees as he does the dishes.
"I talked with Durante," I admit, getting a little quieter.
"Oh?" they ask together.
"He offered to connect me with someone."
Bex hesitates before speaking. "That's good. Right?"
"Yeah, maybe. I don't know if I'm ready, but it's nice that he offered."
"He's really good at his job. He and his colleagues speak all over the country about mental health and working with clients who live nontraditional lifestyles," Alvie chimes in.
"Is that who I am now? Someone living a nontraditional lifestyle?"
"If you want, the possibility is there for you to embrace," Bex says, coming over to sit by me on the couch. "I know Alvie and I are married, but that doesn't mean I, we, don't care about you."
A moment passes between us, and a smile breaks out on her face. "I can very easily see myself falling for you. And . . . when you're ready, we can talk about what that means."
My eyes widen at her forwardness, but my heart melts a little.
"The past 24 hours have been a lot, though. So we can talk about that another time." She gives me a kiss on the cheek before rising to help Alvie. "Just sit and enjoy the wine. We'll join you when we're done."
"Thanks," I say.
I watch the pair as they clean up the kitchen, and I can't help how my mind wanders to all the possibilities that could happen, what my future could look like. Part of me is terrified about pursuing something so dramatically different from what I thought I wanted for my life, while another part is excited about the prospect.
The heart wants what the heart wants, and if Bex gets her way, I think my heart might too.
Chapter 16
