Chapter 2

Ethan

I took the elevator up to Dr. Adrian Hale’s office and tried to steady my breathing. When I walked in, he was already waiting with that calm smile of his. He looked good in his dark blue button-down, sleeves rolled up just enough to show his strong forearms.

“Come on in, Ethan,” he said. “How have you been since last time?”

I sat down on the couch and let out a breath. “Not too bad. I had a good photography job this morning at the boutique hotel. The light was nice, and the manager was easy to work with. Then I spent the afternoon at the studio with Lila. We grabbed lunch and just talked about regular stuff. It felt good.”

Adrian nodded and leaned forward a little in his chair. “That sounds like a solid day. How are you feeling overall? Still carrying that heavy feeling from the breakup, or has it eased up at all?”

“Some days are better,” I said. “The mornings can be rough, but keeping busy helps. Work keeps my mind occupied.”

He asked a few more questions about how I was sleeping and handling the tough moments. I answered honestly, but I left out the real reason my dreams left me sweaty and frustrated every morning. No way was I telling him that.

Then he brought it up. “Last session you mentioned starting to chat with someone on the dating app. You said it might be a good distraction. How’s that going? Is it helping take your mind off things like we talked about?”

I rubbed my hands on my jeans. “It’s been nice, actually. I’ve been talking to this guy I’ll call Alex. Our conversations don’t feel forced. He asks about my day and shares about his. It’s comforting in a simple way.”

Adrian’s hazel eyes stayed on me, steady and interested. “What makes the chats feel different from others you’ve had?”

“He just gets it,” I said. “Like when I mentioned a rough patch, he didn’t try to fix it right away. He just listened and said something that actually made sense. It’s been a good break from overthinking everything else.”

I remembered how this all started. A couple weeks ago, during one of our sessions, Adrian had gently suggested finding “healthy distractions” instead of jumping into dating too fast. Later that same day, Lila had sat me down at the studio, made me d******d the app, and helped me write a decent profile. So far, it was working better than I expected.

While I talked, I couldn’t stop noticing Adrian. The way his broad shoulders moved when he shifted in his chair. The strong line of his jaw and how the light caught the gold flecks in his eyes. Heat slowly rose in my chest. In my dreams he was under me, groaning my name. Here he was my therapist, acting all professional and kind. I forced the thoughts away.

Adrian asked, “Do you like talking to him? Are you thinking about meeting up sometime?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I do like it. He feels different from the usual matches. I’ve caught myself wondering what it would be like to meet for coffee or a quick walk. See if the vibe is the same in person.”

Inside my head, two thoughts fought each other. One part wanted to keep things safe with Alex. The other part kept pulling me back to Adrian, his calm voice, his commanding presence, the way his shirt stretched across his chest. *Focus, Ethan. Alex is a good guy. Don’t mess up the one professional relationship that’s actually helping you. It’s against every rule anyway.*

“I’m trying to take it slow though,” I added out loud. “No rush. He seems worth getting to know properly.”

Adrian smiled. “That’s good progress, Ethan. You’re being thoughtful about this. Setting boundaries is important after what you went through.” He stood up for a moment to hand me a bottle of water. Our fingers brushed slightly when I took it. The touch felt warm and lingered a second longer than normal. My pulse quickened.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

We spent the rest of the session talking about ways to handle old memories when they came up and how to keep building small positive habits. His voice stayed steady and reassuring the whole time. When the hour ended, I felt tired but a little lighter.

“See you next week?” he asked as I stood up.

“Yeah. Thanks again, Dr. Hale.”

I left the building and started walking home. The evening air felt cool on my face. I pulled out my phone and texted Alex.

Me: Just finished a long day. How’s yours going?

Alex: Busy, but better now that you messaged. Tell me about your day?

We kept chatting the whole walk home. His replies came fast and made me smile more than once. When I got to my apartment, I kicked off my shoes and made a simple bowl of ramen. I added an egg and some green onions while the steam rose up. I ate at the counter, phone in hand, still replying to Alex between bites.

After dinner I sat at my laptop and edited the hotel photos from the day. I adjusted the colors until the sunlight on the beds looked warm and inviting. The work felt satisfying. Around ten-thirty I closed everything, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed. Sleep came easier than it had in a while.

******

The next day I went back to the same hotel for an afternoon shoot. Carla greeted me with her usual energy.

“You are back again! We loved the first set. Ready to get some different angles?”

“Ready when you are,” I said.

I worked for a couple of hours, catching the changing afternoon light through the big windows. I chatted with the staff between setups and took my time getting the shots right. When I finished, the rest of the day was free. I went home, took a long shower, and relaxed on the couch.

Later that evening I picked up my phone and messaged Alex. Yesterday we vibed alot, more than usual.

Me: I’ve really been enjoying our talks. Would you be up for meeting sometime soon? Coffee or something low-key?

His answer took a few minutes.

Alex: I’ve enjoyed them too. But work has me pretty tied up right now. Let’s keep getting to know each other better first. I want to build something real.

I felt a small pinch of disappointment but I understood.

Me: No worries. That makes sense.

That night I sat on the couch after dinner. I had taken a decent selfie during a break at the hotel, with good light, easy smile. I hesitated, but still sent it to him anyway.

Me: Here’s a picture from today. Your turn? Only if you’re comfortable.

The dots appeared. Then stopped. Then started again.

Alex: You look great. Thanks for sharing that… But I’m not really comfortable sending a photo yet. I hope that’s okay. I’d rather we keep building this through talking for now.

I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the keyboard, I wasn't sure of what to reply him either. Something about his answer felt strangely familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t know what to reply.