Her Therapist

Chapter 28.

SEBASTIAN

"Where are you taking me?" Esther is jumping on her feet, next to me, looking so small, so innocent, although I know she's nothing like that. When I don't answer her, she snaps: "Tomlinsoooooon!"

"Larsson", I say calmly, and continue walking, while she tries to keep up with me.

"Will you tell me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I won't."

"But why?"

"Because, Larsson."

"That's not an answer", she imitates me, and I roll my eyes, on which she scolds me.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me!"

I glance at her, and with a quick check, I notice that she is dressed in a green parka jacket, white shirt with long sleeves, and black sweatpants. I always notice how she likes to dress comfortably. She's not like other women, like Ava, like Lucy, like... Mery. They dress for others, they dress to impress, while Esther is here zero trying, and she is still so beautiful, so natural...

"Whatcha looking at?", she yells, and I smirk to myself, moving my eyes from her. "You are awfully quiet today, Sebastian."

"I'm just tired", I answer honestly. I didn't have problems falling asleep nor did I fall asleep late, but I still woke up tired.

"Oh, then, we... don't have to go."

I know that she is just trying to escape from me, but part of me thinks that she cares about me, too. I know that's not true, but it's not so bad to imagine it. That someone cares for me.

Mery cares for you. She made you lunch.

Yeah, she did. Which I ate, crying like the child I was when I was in the shelter.

Conor cares for you.

Yeah, he does, though I haven't been able to see him properly this week because both of us have been busy. Me with Esther, and other patients, and he with... Well, with what he can be busy.

And even some of your other patients care for you, like example Wendy.

No, she's just grateful. She rather cares for Conor. I can still see her worried face when she saw Conor's dark bags under his eyes.

"Aw", I come back to reality, "someone who doesn't know you, would think that you are worried for me."

"Don't you even think", she hisses, her jaw clenching, crossing her arms, and I see her shivering. The wind is blowing, and it's one of the days when the temperature is low enough to give you chills but high enough not to make you put on winter clothes.

"Are you cold?", I ask, and she snaps her head at me, of course, with a frown on her forehead. She just shakes her head, still shivering. "Come here", I instruct, pulling her by her forearm. She winces and moves from me. "Come, I just wanna give you my jacket."

"Well, Sebastian, someone who doesn't know you, would think that you are trying to be a gentleman", she chuckles.

"Maybe I am." I shrug and take off my jacket. "Hey, wait!", I yell after her when she just continues walking. "You don't even know where we're going. Stop. Esther!"

She stops abruptly, and I walk to her, running, and put my jacket over her shoulder. "Zip your jacket."

Esther lifts her eyes to me, their color so bright in the light, as she sighs. "What's wrong?"