Hey Bartender, Love me (book 2)

Chapter 2

"Tell me how you've been this week."

Luke sat in a chair across from his therapist, a tall girl with wavy hair that bordered blonde, brown, and gold depending on the lighting. She had grey eyes that sometimes looked blue, a round face, and a large nose that crinkled when she was thinking. She was wearing a solid white top tucked into a pair of pink and black plaid pants—usual professional attire.

The best thing about her to Luke was the fact that she looked approachable. There was just something about her demeanor that screamed "You can talk to me about anything".

"That's actually the reason I got into psychology," She told Luke on their first meeting. "I used to call it my "curse", I couldn't leave my house without some random person stopping me in the store or on the street without talking to me and telling me their entire life story, so I figured 'why not make a profession out of it'?"

     She had an easy smile that lit up her face, and always seemed so relaxed no matter what the situation was. Whenever she was trying to figure out phrasing or ask a tough question, she looked up to the ceiling before settling kind eyes on her target. All in all, Luke couldn't have asked for a better therapist; she just made him feel at ease no matter what.

"I've been really good, actually. Ashton and I went on a date earlier in the week."

"How did that go?" Caity asked him, ignoring the notepad that sat on her lap in favor of looking at him like he was an actual person, not just a victim she was trying to cure.

"He was so thoughtful and cute," Luke gushed. He knew Caity had a soft spot for their relationship, she always got a little tearful when hearing all the wonderful things Ashton did for him, so he enjoyed recounting stories to her. "He talked to Harry and made sure he'd be okay for the night at the bar, then picked up food from the diner which we ate on the train to Long Beach. His driver met us at the train station and took us to the beach, where we cuddled on a blanket and went for a walk at sunset. It was probably the best date I've ever been on,"

"That's great, Luke. I'm so happy you're able to take these steps and truly be comfortable with your new relationship."

Caity hadn't been 100% sure a new relationship was in his best interests when he expressed interest in Ashton when he first started therapy. He was still a mess from Michael and she thought having someone new step in might be harmful to Luke. After Ashton dropped him off to a session and she had the chance to meet him, she immediately changed her mind. She saw how different Luke acted around him and realized it would be good for Luke to have someone he could count on—actually count on. He still needed to do work for himself and not just rely on another person, but he seemed to be trying and it was apparent. That's what made their relationship work.

"Now, how are you feeling about today?"

Luke gave her a puzzled look. He was doing great, still in a fantastic mood from the date the other night and riding high on those feelings. Nothing could bring him down.

Caity took a glance down, flipping through some of the pages on her lap.

"You know what today is, right?"

Luke shrugged lazily.

"September 23rd?"

"Yeah, today marks the day one year since Michael abducted you from Ashton's bar and took you to New Jersey."

Luke sat there, blinking as he processed the information.

"Wow."

Caity sat forward a bit, not sure what was going on in his head. She set her papers down on the table to her left and clasped her hands in front of her.