“What’s that saying about if something is right for you, you should let it go?”

“And if it’s meant to be, it might just come back,” I finish and then look at the door where Jessica exited.

It seems she did, but I’m not sure either of us are right for each other.

Chapter 3

Jessica

“And how did you feel seeing him again?” Dr. Warvel asks as I play with the fringe on the blanket.

“It was fine.”

“Fine, how?”

“I’m not sure. A part of me is glad it is over. The other part of me is happy that it went as shitty as it did. Your moving work less.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I can feel the rage burning. It is frustrating and makes me feel inept that I can’t get my mouth to work right. All day, I struggle to keep it together and not allow it to bother me, but in this room, I can be angry.

She leans forward. “Try again, remember to go slow and stay calm.”

“I hate this.”

“I know. Part of what we’re working on is getting your brain to push against itself while also handling all the changes in your life. It’s a lot to deal with, Jessica. You’ve done great so far, but the more you can control your anger, the more likely it will be that your words come out correctly.”

She’s right. When I’m able to breathe, think it through, and focus, the words come out better.

Allowing my anger to leave my body in a long breath, I try again. “It was hard seeing him.”

“Because you have avoided it?”

“Yes. There was always a part of me that regretted ending things.”

Dr. Warvel sits back in her chair. “Your first love is always one that hurts the most. At least, for most people. Losing him was your choice, though, correct?”

“It was the right one.”

Grayson and I would’ve ended, it was inevitable. We were two kids from very different places, even though we were in the same town. He was two years into the college he was attending in Charlotte, and I was headed to school in Massachusetts. While we could do the distance from Charlotte to Willow Creek, going states away was going to be our demise. Even though I loved him, I needed to end things. I needed to be free from his family and the fear of him leaving me when he saw I wasn’t the girl for him.

“How did things end?” she asks.