Chapter 307
“Oh, here we go.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Dominic, Lucas had nothing to do with it except for the initial invitation. This is my passion, and it has nothing to do with either of you.”
Dominic gnawed on the inside of his cheek and stared at me like he was searching my face for answers.
Amy, who had been writing furiously this entire time, cleared her throat. “Let’s take a step back. Dominic, it sounds like you’re concerned about Ellie getting involved with this Lucas individual. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Dominic said curtly.
“And Ellie, how does that make you feel?”
“Like he doesn’t trust me,” I said. “Like no matter how many times I tell him that I’m not involved with Lucas in that way, he won’t believe me. But he’ll believe-”
I almost said Vivian, but I stopped myself and breathed.
“I just wish you would believe me sometimes,” I said.
“Yeah, well, it’s hard when I feel like I don’t have enough reasons to believe you.”
Amy held up a hand. “Okay. Let’s pause here. Dominic, I want you to think about what Ellie just said. She’s volunteering for a healer organization. This is something that’s important to her, something that aligns with her goals and her career. How can you support her in that?”
Dominic was quiet for a long moment. Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“You’re right,” he said. “I should support her.”
My brows shot up. I hadn’t expected him to concede so easily. I especially didn’t expect him to say what he said next.
“In fact,” he added, “I would like to help with the fundraiser. I could come with you that day. Offer an extra set of hands.”
I stared at him. I could see it in his eyes, the real reason he wanted to come. He didn’t want to help. He wanted to keep tabs on me. Make sure I wasn’t meeting up with Lucas or doing something he disapproved of.
“No,” I said.
Dominic’s expression darkened. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you there.”
“Ellie-”
“I said no.”
His jaw ticked. He looked like he wanted to argue, but Amy cut in before he could.
“It’s okay for Ellie to have her own space,” she said gently. “Supporting her doesn’t mean hovering. It means trusting her to do her own thing and being there for her when she needs you.”
Dominic crossed his arms and leaned back against the cushions.
Amy let the silence drag on for a moment before she spoke again. “Alright. Let’s talk about your homework. You mentioned you only did it once and it was interrupted. Why haven’t you tried again?”
“We haven’t really seen each other much,” I said.
Amy tapped her pen against her notebook. “How much time do you two spend together in a given day?”
1/2
I thought about it. “Maybe an hour? If that?”
+30 Bonus
“And most of that is dinner,” Dominic added. “Ellie is usually at the academy.” I knew he wanted to say I was hiding from him, which I was, but to his credit, he didn’t.
Amy paused, considering, then said, “Well, this week, I’d like you to try a new exercise.”
“The ones on the list didn’t really-“I began, but Amy stopped me with her hand held up.
“Different approach this time,” she said with a small smile. “Clearly, a big barrier to you being able to perform the exercises is because of a lack of time spent together-perhaps avoiding each other, no?”
The silence that followed spoke volumes.
“That’s why,” she went on, “I think spending a night together might be beneficial.”
I felt my face go hot. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re not… I mean, we don’t…” I trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.
Amy’s expression softened. “I’m not talking about anything physical, Ellie. I mean a sleepover. The kind you had when you were kids. Movies, snacks, maybe even sleeping bags on the floor if that makes it feel less intimidating. The goal is to facilitate some playfulness and innocence in your relationship. To remind you two that you can just… enjoy each other’s company.’
My cheeks were burning now.
“A… sleepover?” I choked out.
212
+30 Bonus
