Chapter 306
Ellie’s POV
Our next therapy session was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. I showed up right on time on purpose, hoping to avoid any awkward small talk with Dominic beforehand. He was already sitting on the sofa when I walked in, chatting with Amy, who was in her usual chair with her notebook open in her lap.
“Ellie,” she said, smiling. “Glad you could make it. Have a seat.”
I sat on the opposite end of the sofa from Dominic, leaving as much space between us as possible. He glanced at me but didn’t say anything.
Amy clicked her pen. “So. How have things been since our last session?”
“Fine,” we said at the same time.
Amy looked at us both. “Is that so?”
“Yep,” I replied.
“Have you two been doing your homework?”
I shifted in my seat. “We did it once.”
“Once,” Amy repeated. She jotted something down. “And how did it go?”
“It was fine,” I said again. “We didn’t finish, though. Got interrupted.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t elaborate.
Amy looked between us. “I see. And since then? Have you tried again?”
“No,” I admitted.
“We’ve both been busy,” Dominic added.
Amy set her pen down and folded her hands over her notebook. “I understand that you both have responsibilities. But part of making a relationship work is carving out time for each other, even when things are hectic.”
Dominic made a small sound that could have been a grunt or a laugh. I couldn’t quite tell, but I knew that we were thinking the same thing: the house had been eerily quiet since that night, when he left me mid-session to check on Vivian. We hadn’t seen each other much since then, and whenever we did, it was stiff and awkward. Polite, but uncomfortable.
If it weren’t for Vivian’s wails still echoing at least a few times a day like a broken clock chiming at odd times, the house would have been far too quiet.
I often wondered if Dominic was aware of the tension he’d caused that night by leaving me to help her. He must have known, and didn’t care, because he never apologized or tried to make up for it. I told myself that it didn’t bother me, that I expected this from the beginning, but….
Well. I wasn’t immune to it.
“Even if you two only have a few extra minutes at the end of the day, when you’re laying in bed,” Amy went on, “that would be sufficient.” She smiled. “Honestly, I tell a lot of my patients that bedtime, when the lights are off and your guard is down, is one
of the best times to talk.”
My stomach dropped. I opened my mouth, but Dominic beat me to it.
“We sleep in separate rooms,” he said.
Amy’s eyebrows lifted. “Separate rooms? Since when?”
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“Since forever,” I muttered.
There was a pause. Amy wrote something down, then looked up at us. “And why is that?”
“It’s complicated,” I said.
“Everything with you two seems to be complicated,” Amy said with a little laugh. Her tone was gentle, but there was a hint of exasperation underneath. “But that’s okay. That’s why we’re here.”
I didn’t answer. Dominic shifted beside me.
“Alright,” Amy said. “Let’s table that for now. Ellie, how has your week been? Anything new?”
I hesitated. “Actually, yeah. I got invited to help with a fundraiser next weekend. For the healer organization I joined.
Dominic’s head snapped toward me.
“A fundraiser,” he said. “So you’re going through with it after all.”
“Yeah.” I could feel Dominic staring at me, but I kept my eyes on Amy.
“That sounds wonderful,” Amy said. “It’s great that you’re getting involved in something you’re passionate about.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Dominic exhaled through his nose. I glanced at him out of the comer of my eye. His jaw was set, and his hands were balled into fists on his thighs.
“Dominic,” Amy said. “You seem tense. What are you feeling right now?”
His jaw worked for a moment before he admitted, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little frustrated.”
“Can you tell us why?” she asked, although I already knew the answer.
“Because…” He hesitated. Sighed, relaxing a little. “I worry that Lucas is only pulling you into this organization to pull you away from me.”
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