Justice For Juniper (Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 30

Therapy – Part II

“Was it her kink? To be treated poorly? Did Phineas say?”

She looked up in shock, “I don’t know. Phineas said he only ever was with her sexually once and she lay there and did nothing.”

“Maybe they were both playing out fantasies. However, Adil is the private investigator?”

“Yes.”

“I would say trust his judgement. If he is of the opinion, after years of watching people behave inappropriately that Kyst’s behavior was highly unusual, then being self-aware and protecting yourself is not a bad idea.”

“When will the other feelings stop?” she asked quietly.

“Which other feelings?”

“The ones where I want to go home and cry into his Kyst’s arms because he’s always been the person I rely on? I can’t rely on him anymore. He’s been one of my best friends my entire life and now, more than our romantic relationship, I’m missing the friendship. When does that pain stop?”

“I don’t have an answer for this,” the therapist spoke gently. “Everyone heals at their own rate with different factors weighing in.”

“I hate him,” she repeated her earlier thoughts. “How can I love him and hate him at the same time?”

“Being human is a complex situation and nothing is black and white.”

“I keep thinking of him in the apartment where he ruined our lives being stuck to clean up the mess I made and the best friend in me wants to go help him.”

“And the other part?”

“The other part wants to sit him down while I rattle off a bunch of questions at him.”

“What if you do both and neither?”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you journal?”

“No. I’ve never felt a reason to journal before. I’m typically a calm person and I’ve loved my life and was incredibly happy.”

“Were you?”

The bold question made her blink. “Yes.”

“What is your favorite, happy memory from the last six months?”

“Okay.”

“Two other things.”

“Sure.”

“Do something alone. Not risky. I’m not telling you to walk the streets at night. It sounds like you have a very large support system and it’s fantastic but eventually these people will need to get back to their own lives and you to yours. I feel from our conversation; the largest part of your life has been spent intertwined with another individual. Find something to do, which is safe, and do it alone and out of the apartment. If Mr. Perez feels you need to take a bodyguard, then so be it but not your regular team behind you.”

“I can’t even think of one thing I ever left and went out to do on my own.”

“That is the point, Juniper. It’s time to learn who Juniper is outside of Kyst. If you sat down with a list of things to do, what would you pick without his opinion?”

“Okay. The last thing?”

“You mentioned to me you were happy, and I believe you.

However, there were moments in our conversation today where you spoke to pressure, doing things you weren’t sure of, and you even hid your pregnancy from your husband.

To me these speak to someone who was feeling like perhaps she was making herself small to fit into a space to avoid the emotions and responses from her partner. Your last assignment this week is for you to think of a time, other than this recent pregnancy, you were afraid to tell Kyst something important and I want you to write it down and write down all the reasons you were fearful to tell him. What did you think would happen?”