The Best Deceptions (Want You Bad sequel)

Chapter 7

**I would like to thank a  depressive episode for this chapter being nearly impossible to finish, Kaehla for being my sounding board and letting me use Erin as frequently as I do. Thank y'all for your patience!!**

I glanced at the time for the third time in the past five minutes and let my eyes wander the near-empty waiting room. I had started therapy about a month after Erin told me she was getting engaged. Luckily for me, I clicked with the counselor I had been paired with almost immediately. The only downside to the whole situation was that her punctuality was less than ideal. As the clock hit 2:09, Jessica opened the door for the waiting room with a big smile.

"Natalie, I'm ready for you now." I stood and followed Jessica through the door. She turned to talk to me as we made our way along the narrow hallway. "How are you today?"

"We'll talk about that when I'm on the couch," I joked, before motioning to her growing belly. "How are you? How's the baby?"

A fond smile spread across her face and she rubbed her belly. "We're good. I'm craving buffalo wings like crazy lately."

"A fetus after my own heart."

Jessica held the door to her office open and I crossed to the grey leather sofa, moving aside a couple of throw pillows, grabbing another to hold in my lap. Over the past six months, I had grown incredibly comfortable in this room, sometimes even kicking my shoes off and pulling my feet up onto the couch as I spoke. Jessica sat in her desk chair, grabbed her notepad and pen, and smiled at me. "So, what's going on, Natalie?"

I took a deep breath. "My divorce was finalized today."

Jessica nodded her head once. "And how are you feeling?"

"Kinda pissed." I picked at the pillow with my nails. "No, not kinda. I'm pissed."

"Why are you pissed?"

"He didn't even come to court. I was fine with our lawyers doing all of the communicating during the whole process to this point, but I at least expected him to show up to court. It just feels like, after he's the one that started this whole process, he wasn't there to finish it. And if I had known that we didn't have to be there, I sure as fuck wouldn't have gone."

"Why wouldn't you have gone?"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her question. "Because being there is admitting that it's really over and that I failed."

"We've talked about that before, Natalie."

I sighed. "I know, I know. I didn't fail just because my marriage ended. Rationally, I know that. But it still feels like I failed."

"Doesn't it feel a little bit nice to have that closure, though?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "I guess. I miss him. It would have been nice to at least see his face. The worst part is that I know he's in LA right now, so it's frustrating that he didn't show." I squeezed the pillow. "I don't want to talk about him anymore today."

After a couple moments of tapping her pen against her notebook, Jessica spoke. "Last session you were upset about the uncertainty surrounding the future of your band. Has anything more come of that?"

"We have a meeting in a couple of days to discuss it."

"And where do you stand with that?"

"I want to continue making music. If it isn't with those guys, then I'll have to deal with that. I know that Garrett at least wants to continue the band, but I think Delia is completely out. Chase seems to not care either way, but I don't really know."