Die In California

21

Devyn's POV:

"Hey girl." Ashleigh smiled as she came to sit beside me on the couch, handing me a bag of chips and a can of coke.
"Hi." I smiled and accepted her gifts, ripping the bag of chips open to begin devouring them. We sat in a comfortable silence for a little longer, but I knew that something was eating away at her. For starters, why did she randomly come to sit with me, and bring me food? Secondly, she was occasionally side-eyeing me, as if to check on me, or to pick the perfect opportunity to talk to me.

"What d'you want?" I asked, rolling my head to the side to look at her. She of course gave me an innocent look but I saw right through it. "Just ask. I won't flip out." I shrugged and held my pinky finger up. She laughed but linked hers with mine, before sighing as she tried to figure out the words.
"Can I ask how therapy is going? You don't have to answer, not at all, but I'd like to know how you are, up there," she tapped her temple, "if you want to tell me."

I took a moment to think it through, giving her a small smile to reassure her that she'd not triggered me at all. I'd been going to therapy for, well, I'd lost count how many sessions I'd been to, but it had been well over a month. A few weeks after the session JP joined in with, anyway. I'd noticed that I felt more like myself these past few weeks, well these past couple of days in particular. Maybe therapy was the right thing to do.

Dr Holloway - Dawn - made me talk about my past and helped me to realise that a lot of it wasn't really my fault, I'd just been dealt a tough hand. I'd had a life like no one else, and maybe I didn't deal with it the best way that I could, but I still came out the other side. I came out as a grown-ass woman. I was mostly put together, not completely broken like I had thought, and I was slowly learning how to healthily patch up those last few broken pieces. It was a work in progress, but it was definitely something.

"I- uh... I feel almost completely normal." I quietly spoke, looking down at my can and watching my fingertip trace the ring of the pull tag. I could sense Ashleigh's pride as she nudged her shoulder into mine, before wrapping her arm around my shoulders and pulling me into her. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad." She kissed my temple and held me close. "I think you owe something to someone, though." She hinted just as JP walked into the room, unsuspecting confusion on his face as he glanced at us.

"Since when were you two so cozy?" He teased with a laugh, making me roll my eyes as Ashleigh flipped him off and threw a cushion at him. He was agile, something that he hadn't lost, and easily dodged it, before throwing it back at a much stronger force. Ash squealed and burst out laughing, shaking her head at him as she left to the kitchen. On her way out she made sure to give me a look with a raised eyebrow, telling me what to do. I groaned and threw my head against the back of the couch, before waiting for her to leave to do what I had to do.

JP sat on the other couch, already flicking through channels on the tv with his feet up on the coffee table. "Hey." I spoke up, making him look across at me with a hum and a sweet smile. God, I'd missed him. "I-uh, I kinda owe you an apology." I quietly spoke, looking down at my fingers as I picked at the raw skin around my nails. JP cocked his head to the side in my peripheral vision but I ignored it, allowing myself a few moments to gather the strength to push my stubbornness aside.

"I'm sorry I flipped out on you when you talked to Linda about me starting therapy again. And I'm sorry I held it against you for so long. I knew that you were just trying to help. And you really did. It was probably one of the best things you could have done for me. So thank you." I spoke. It seemed to have taken JP by surprise as he sat there, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. He took a few minutes to recompose himself, then jumped across onto the couch beside me, pulling me into a tight hug.

I burst out laughing as he fell on top of me, his short body still managing to squash me against the couch cushions as he hugged me like his life depended on it. "I'm so glad you're feeling more like yourself." JP pushed himself up onto his elbows so that he could smile at me, his hazel eyes staring down into my blue ones. "Hey, I have an early birthday present for you. Well, it's kind of an early birthday present and a present for going to so many therapy sessions. Linda said you can lessen your sessions." He spoke with so much pride that it warmed my heart.