The therapist secret

Chapter 6

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Layla sat in the waiting room, staring down at her hands, the hum of the air conditioner the only sound in the quiet space. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the edges of her sleeves, her old habit of fidgeting creeping back in as the minutes stretched on. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Bella was never late.

A soft rustling from behind the office door caught her attention, and Layla's heart did a small, anxious flip. For some reason, she had felt unsettled all morning. Something had been gnawing at the edges of her mind, a vague sense of unease that she couldn't quite explain.

The door creaked open, and there Bella stood, her expression unreadable as she stepped aside to let Layla in. "Come on in," Bella said softly, her voice a little quieter than usual.

Layla hesitated before standing, her eyes lingering on Bella for a moment longer than they should have. There was something different about her today. Something... off. Bella's smile didn't reach her eyes, and the air around her felt heavier than normal. But Layla shook it off, telling herself it was nothing. Maybe Bella was just having a bad day.

As she walked into the office and sat down, Layla felt her usual sense of comfort falter. The room that usually made her feel safe and secure suddenly felt strange, like there was a weight in the air between them that neither of them could name. Bella settled into her chair across from Layla, but her movements were slower than normal, her posture stiff. She didn't meet Layla's gaze right away, instead focusing on the notebook in her lap, her fingers gripping the pen just a little too tightly.

For the first time since they had started working together, the silence between them felt awkward.

Layla cleared her throat, trying to break the tension. "How are you?" she asked, the words feeling strange in her mouth. She had never asked Bella that before. Their sessions were always about *her*, about her trauma, her struggles, her healing. But today, something in her was telling her that Bella needed to be asked.

Bella looked up, her eyes flickering with something Layla couldn't quite place. "I'm fine," she said quickly, her smile tight. "Just a bit of a busy morning."

Layla nodded slowly, not quite believing her. She had learned to recognize the subtle changes in people's expressions, the little shifts that gave away when they were hiding something. And Bella—who was usually so composed, so in control—looked like she was struggling to keep something inside.

For the next few minutes, they fell into their usual rhythm, Bella asking questions, guiding the conversation, but Layla could feel the difference. Bella's questions were more distant today, as if she were going through the motions, her attention not fully on Layla. And the longer the session went on, the more Layla noticed the tension building. Bella kept fidgeting, her eyes darting away every time Layla tried to make eye contact.

It was unnerving.

Layla shifted in her seat, her heart beating a little faster as the strangeness of it all started to weigh on her. "Are you sure everything's okay?" she asked again, her voice softer this time, more hesitant.

Bella's head snapped up, and for a moment, something raw flickered in her eyes before she quickly masked it with a forced smile. "I'm fine," she insisted, but there was an edge to her voice now, something tight and strained.

Layla swallowed hard, a knot forming in her chest. She wanted to push, to ask why Bella was acting so weird, but a part of her was afraid of the answer. Bella was her rock, the one person she could depend on, and seeing her like this—so distant, so unlike herself—was shaking Layla in ways she didn't know how to handle.

The silence between them stretched, thick and uncomfortable, and Layla found herself feeling more and more uncertain. "You just seem... different today," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bella let out a short, shaky breath, her hands tightening around the notebook in her lap. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft but strained. "It's nothing for you to worry about, really."

But Layla *was* worried. This wasn't the Bella she knew. Something was wrong, and the fact that Bella wasn't telling her made it worse. Layla's mind started to race, anxiety bubbling up as she tried to figure out what had changed. Had she done something? Said something wrong in their last session? Was Bella tired of dealing with her mess? The thought sent a cold shiver down Layla's spine.

"Did I... did I do something?" Layla asked cautiously, her voice trembling slightly. She hated how vulnerable she sounded, but the fear was too strong to keep hidden.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise, and for a second, the mask slipped. "No," she said quickly, her voice suddenly more urgent. "No, Layla, it's not you. You haven't done anything wrong."

Layla's breath hitched, but she didn't feel any relief from Bella's words. There was still something unspoken hanging between them, something Bella wasn't telling her. "Then what is it?" she asked, more insistent now. "You're acting... different. Distant. I don't understand."

Bella's jaw tightened, and she looked away, her hands gripping the arms of the chair as if she were holding herself together by force. For a moment, Layla thought she might finally open up, might finally tell her what was going on. But instead, Bella shook her head, her voice barely audible as she said, "It's complicated."

The words hit Layla like a punch to the chest. *Complicated.* She hated that word. It always meant something was wrong, something was broken. And right now, it felt like whatever was between her and Bella was fracturing, slipping through her fingers in a way she couldn't control.

The rest of the session passed in a blur of half-hearted conversation, neither of them fully present. Layla tried to answer Bella's questions, tried to focus on her own thoughts and feelings, but it was impossible to ignore the way Bella's gaze kept drifting away, the way her responses were short, clipped, as if she were somewhere else entirely.

By the time the session ended, Layla felt more confused than ever. Bella had always been her steady ground, the one person who could see through her defenses, who could guide her through the dark without judgment. But now, Bella felt like a stranger, like someone hiding behind a wall that Layla couldn't reach.

As Layla stood to leave, she hesitated at the door, turning back to Bella one last time. "If there's something wrong..." she began, her voice tentative, "I'm here. I know I'm not... I'm not the easiest person to be around, but if you need to talk—"

Bella cut her off with a sad, small smile. "You don't have to worry about me, Layla. You have enough on your plate already."

Layla nodded slowly, even though Bella's words didn't make her feel any better. In fact, they only made her feel worse. Bella was pulling away, and Layla didn't know why. She didn't know how to fix it.

As she walked out of the office, her heart heavy with confusion and worry, Layla couldn't shake the feeling that something important had changed between them. And she didn't know if it would ever go back to the way it was.