Page 88 of Twisted Needs

CAMPING OUT DOWNSTAIRS

ANDERS

“You look really hot today,” I tell Helen, tilting my laptop screen back a little. “Did you get new glasses?”

She rolls her eyes. “My daughter says I’m dressed as an office siren.”

“You so are,” I grin. “Man, if you weren’t my therapist…”

“Did you see that one lady?” Helen cuts me off. “Krazy Kendra?”

“Message received. Back to professionalism.”

She pushes her glasses onto the top of her head and wipes at her forehead. “The AC is broken in this building. I picked the worst day imaginable to wear a blazer.”

“That explains the glow,” I laugh.

“How’s the writing?” she asks. Luckily, I came prepared. I hold up my battered composition notebook like it’s a trophy and flip through pages filled nearly edge to edge with handwriting. Helen immediately starts clapping. “Wow,” she says. “Look at you!”

I bow dramatically.

“There he is. Future bestselling author.”

“The only books I’ll ever write are those seventy-dollar textbooks professors force students to buy.”

“At least it’s not the faerie smut my daughter writes.”

“God, I love faerie smut.”

“I know,” Helen sighs in agreement.

I grin.

“So writing’s been good?”

“Oh yeah,” I deadpan. “My life is fucking zen, Helen. It’s glamorous, even.”

Helen immediately narrows her eyes. “The quicker you get to the point, the longer we have to talk about it.”

“You’re gonna be mad.”

“Anders.”

“I’ve been a bad boy, doc.”

“Anders.”

I sigh. “I’m genuinely trapped in an entanglement.” Helen groans before I’ve even continued. “My brother told Parker to ignore me. He ignored me. Now he isn’t.” I throw my hands up in defeat. “He wants me, but he refuses to admit it.”

“What makes you think that?” She asks calmly.

I laugh once. “Where do I even start? He got jealous when I said I was gonna sleep with some guy. Then he called me ‘baby’ over the phone and begged me to come home.”

Helen’s expression immediately drops. “And then?”

I rub my face. “And then about an hour ago he dropped to his knees and begged me not to leave him.”

For maybe the first time ever, I manage to render Helen completely speechless. Her mouth actually falls open, which should feel insanely unprofessional. “Yeah,” I say. “I know.”