Page 17 of Dreamscape Therapies

A rain sound machine sits quietly in the corner.

The lighting is warm and soft. Nothing harsh or clinical. It almost doesn't feel like a therapist's office. It feels like somewhere you're supposed to curl up with a blanket and forget the rest of the world exists.

I take a slow breath, and my shoulders loosen without me even realizing they were tense.

Jay watches me from the doorway, a small smile playing on his plush lips. “You like it?”

“Yeah.” I glance around again. “You did all this in a week?”

He shrugs. “Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“The Faeries did most of it.”

“That's cheating.”

He laughs.

I wander toward the bookshelves, smirking at the wide array of titles.

World history, psychology, dream mythology, old folklore, a ridiculous number of books about supernatural creatures, and then…

I stop when I encounter the smutty gay romance section.

I pull one book halfway from the shelf, recognizing it instantly.

“No way.”

Jay looks over. “What?”

I hold up the book. “This is one of my favorites.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

He smiles. “I've read that one three times.”

Well, isn’t that interesting. “Nice to know we have similar taste.”

“Yeah.” His cheeks turn that adorable pink color again.

I put the book back before I can say anything stupid, then I move toward the large window behind his desk.

The backyard is still a fucking disaster.

Half the grass has been dug up, and construction materials are stacked along the fence. There are wooden planks, buckets, tools, and several things other things I don't recognize.

Beyond the mess, though, the view is incredible.

The city stretches out beneath the Nevada sky. A family of dragons soars above the skyline, their enormous wings catching the afternoon light, their shadows sweeping over the rooftops. One of the smaller dragons lets out a distant roar.

“That's pretty fucking cool.” I smile despite myself.

“Yeah,” Jay says, coming up beside me.

For a moment, neither of us says anything, then he clears his throat and gestures toward the office.