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I let her be, content to simply sit beside her.
Everything is going better than expected.
She signed the contract, although I had to blackmail her just a tiny bit. An unpleasant moment all around. But despite our rocky start, I sense she’s curious about me too. She even observed enough about me to guess I rarely need to say ‘please’.
I don’t.
But I also meant it when I told her I’d ask first.
This feeling is different. It’s precious. Delicate. Important.
My approach has to be different to protect it.
Yaya waves her phone at me.
Before we meet your sister, can we stop somewhere first?
Does she have any idea how much I want to please her?
I say what I will always say from now on when she asks for something.
“Yes.”
CHAPTER5
the challenge
DARE
The Whispering Meadows Rehabilitation Center is a lightly cloaked five-star resort.
Albeit, one that offers top-tier psychological treatment.
Forbids its guests from using their cell phones without permission.
And forces everyone to dress in the same drab white robes or thick jumpers.
So… not exactly a five-star resort in function.
But the view rivals the most luxurious hotels, boasting a splendid display of the ocean that ripples in glassy, blue delight.
“I’m glad you’re here.” The nurse in the smart grey uniform walks briskly. Her thick white pumps clack on the floor, a steady percussion. “Miss Richards was not particularly cooperative with her session today.”
“Lucy only believes she needs help when she’s facing the immediate consequences of her actions. Give her a day to sleep on it, and she’ll forget all the trouble she caused.”
I wish my sister wasn’t so predictable. It’s tiring see-sawing between her feigned repentance and her next-day memory erasure. Her ability to invent excuses for why she doesn’t need help is legendary. It’s a family curse, and one I’d probably wrestle with more if I had an addiction to anything other than work.
We turn a corner and step into a large sunroom with a garden that probably costs thousands to maintain.
“We’re only at the start line,” the nurse says. “With your sister, I mean.”
“It’s the hardest part. Starting. You’ll have to convince her she has a problem before she’ll fix it.”
The nurse clears her throat, eyes glinting in excitement.
I guess she likes a challenge.
On that we can relate.
