AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You will lose elevator privileges if you stop it again. Free up the elevator now or I’ll be forced to report it.”
Roman snorted but let go of me and hit the button. I bit back a smile as the elevator whirred back to life, climbing the floors. The depression was still there, but not quite as heavy as it had been at breakfast. It was odd to me that sharing with someone I trusted helped so much.
I wasn’t just touch-starved but kindness-starved as well. Even now I wondered what they wanted from me, why they even considered me at all.
Sure, they were friendly and held my hand, hugged me. But that didn’t mean they were interested in more. Mates didn’t always mean we would bond.
“I want nothing from you but friendship for now, Harlow,” Roman answered. “If it turns into something more, I’d love that, if not, that’s something we all would respect.”
“Shit, sorry, I meant that as a thought, not something I’d say out loud.” I winced.
The doors opened and I rushed out as if I could escape Roman and my embarrassment. He grabbed my wrist, spinning me so fast I almost crashed into his chest.
How did Roman seem bigger than Hiro? Because right now, he felt like a brick wall in front of me. An alpha.
It was impossible, right? Could alters be different designations?
He didn’t release me, holding me so close I was forced to look up into his green eyes. They lacked Hiro’s softness, and in this moment, I found the hard promise there important.
“This isn’t on a timeline, Harlow. I know you have a lot to heal from and this has to be secondary. You deserve to have that space. I’m not asking for your heart right now,” he promised. “But never doubt that you are worthy of our attention. You’re strong, confident, sexy, and we want to get to know you. Hiro and I both.”
“Really?” I hated how vulnerable I sounded, but his words hit every insecurity I was clinging to like a freaking toddler with his blanket. It was safer to think they didn’t like me. I couldn’t get hurt if I was too afraid to pursue it, right?
“Stop doubting yourself, Harlow,” he ordered. “You are enough. They were the ones who were lacking. Never forget that.”
He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and walked away as if he hadn’t just shattered the walls I’d formed around myself years ago.
Harlow
Monday Afternoon
Dr. Bradley’s Office
Dr. Bradley and I stared at each other, neither one of us willing to break the silence between us. I had refused to apologize about last time, and it seemed me questioning the awful way he spoke to patients upset him.
Sounds like a personal problem to me.
We continued our silent standoff until he shifted in his seat, getting more uncomfortable by the second, and finally broke.
“Do you want to go to Dr. Vane instead?” He said it like he was offering me an out, but the glint of malice in his eyes told me that I was right in assuming he was hiding something more behind this whole Mr. Rogers mask.
From the menacing look in his eyes, he wasn’t bluffing.
My blood ran cold at the mention of Vane, and I narrowed my gaze on the awful doctor in front of me.
“Are you threatening me? I thought it was your job to be a counselor,” I said in a faux-innocent voice that had him shifting in his chair. Why they would choose a counselor who seemed to be hiding a monster just under the surface was beyond me, it seemed like a stupid move.
I’d hate to hear a session with a more vulnerable patient.
“We do have a high-security floor for our more unruly patients, Harlow,” he continued. I swallowed hard at the next threat he was throwing at me but kept my mask of indifference in place.
I refused to let a man in a sweater vest make me feel like I was a failure.
It was like his words flipped a switch in me, and I couldn’t hold in my anger anymore. Similar to the consuming rage that took over in that abandoned warehouse, I was ready to end this man.
“No. I won’t be treated like this,” I said. “Go tell Vane that you aren’t a strong enough doctor to handle me questioning your off-the-wall methods. And just a bit of advice, victim blaming someone for the trauma someone else caused is fucking gross.”
He stuttered out something before standing, glaring at me through his obviously fake spectacles.
