You Are Mine Little Sister (by Syra Tucker) novel Chapter 172

RALI

One Month Later

"So, how were the dreams last night?" she asked, that warm, dimpled smile switching on like a small lamp.

"It was okay. I slept really good."

Hands on my skin. A knife dragging down my back. Me screaming.

Lies.

I kept my practiced smile on as I looked at her.

But there was always something about therapists seeing right through you.

She parked a long stare on me then dropped a sigh. "Are you sure, Zerali?"

The performance leaked out of my shoulders. "They did come for an hour or so. But it wasn't as intense as the other nights. Believe me, my nights have been more peaceful. You can ask Marovelle."

She shook her head and scribbled something in her note. A few strands slid free of her high ponytail. When she straightened, she hooked them behind her ear.

"How about the task I gave in our last session? Did you make that friend?"

This smile was bright and genuine. "I did! They loved the cookies and even promised to come over to the house some time so I could make more for them."

There was a female dance group very close to the house. I liked the girls there. So, my therapist assigned me to take cookies to them. They were the second set of people I was approaching in the past month, and it made me feel... human.

"Good. Good," she chuckled. "You see, Rali; it's fun when you interact with people. Folks here are kind, Rali. Torontea is gentle ground, and I assure you, there are a thousand people out there who are willing to be your friend."

I offered a shy smile while my fingers braided and unbraided the bag strap in my lap, making and unmaking the same little knot.

I also wanted to be their friend. I just didn't know how to be one.

"So... How about the second task?" She fixed me with a look that meant business.

My smile fell right through the floor. The floor suddenly needed attention, and before I knew it, I was counting the tiles around my feet. "I... I couldn't do it."

"Oh, Rali. But why?"

"I...I just..." The sigh came out shaped like an apology. "I'm sorry."

I really wanted to, but it was too difficult being around a male and not panicking. Davis was Marovelle's nephew. I trusted Marovelle and should trust him too. But he was still a man. It was hard to look at him and not see a man who could hurt me like every other man in my life. What if he tries to take advantage of me when we're alone or something?

"Rali," She leaned forward, her hands tented on the table. "I'm happily married with kids, and my husband has been the best partner I've had my whole life. There are good men out there. Not all are monsters. And not all women are saints, either.

"Okay, let's leave Davis out of this." She kicked back in her seat. "I'm giving you this task to execute before the end of the month. You MUST make a male friend. Keep it safe. Keep your distance. But I need you to make a male acquaintance and tell me all about it."

My mouth fell open, the thought wasp-stinging my temples.

"I... I don't know if—"

"You can, Rali. I have faith in you."

I shook my head, staring down at the floor again. "If they learn about my past, I'll look dirty. They might... run from me."

"Only a weak man would judge a lady for a situation she had no control over. And trust me, Rali, you don't need such weak men around you. That aside, who says they ever need to know? Unless, of course, you meet someone you're serious with and intend to let them in on your past. Your past is your past, honey. That part of you is dead." Her smile reached the dimple. "Can't you see God is on your side? You've been safe here for over a month. And I promise you, they're never getting you again."

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