22. the art of giving up

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[edited]S O R E N

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[edited]
S O R E N

Henry looked at me blankly as I sat in the chair silently. He glanced up at the clock before looking at me expectantly. We kept our gaze, my arms crossed as he leant back in his chair.

The only movement was the rising and falling of our chests. I had no intention of talking and he seemed to be waiting me out. His rough beard matched his ageing hair, his blue shirt standing out.

I watched emotionless as he itched his nose slightly before turning back to his normal calm stance. He looked up the clock once again before his voice broke the silence, "Hour's up."

I stood up and zipped up my jacket, pulling on my beanie. He said nothing as I opened the door and unconsciously looked at the couch where I was half-excited to meet the gaze of Jay, though there was nothing.

"She's gone." Henry's voice echoed in my head as I stared at the empty coach, thinking she has changed her time so she wouldn't have to see me.

I turned to look at Henry as he stacked a load of paper into the printer, "She doesn't do counselling anymore."

"Oh."

"I can't legally tell you why." He typed into the printer, the sound of paper registering itself echoed in the quiet room.

"I didn't want to know."

He looked up and said blankly, "Then why are you still here? Why did you stop, turn around and talk to me. Especially after you sat silently in that damn chair for an hour, counting the seconds until this session ended."

I glared at him and threatening took a step towards him, "Don't fuck with me. You don't want to fuck with me."

He walked over to me slowly, "You see, I wasn't. To anyone else that wouldn't have been triggering, yet to you, it was," he leaned against his table top, "Now tell me, why is that?"

Henry watched as my breathing when rigid and my fingers turned into clench fist. I forced myself not to grab his neck and push it into the table with such force he'd have long term damage. I don't like losing, being made a fun of.

"Could it be you missing Ms. Whiley?" He stared me directly and took a deep breath before giving me a calm look. 

"How the fuck did you—that little—she told you about our fight."

"Nope, but you just did." I took three strides until I was chest to chest with the short man, "I've observed you, Soren. You don't seem to love anything, which isn't true, because look at you; you're still alive, humans die without love. So, you do love something—"

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