Page 41 of Out of Nowhere

Shaking his head, he chuckled. “I’d never ask you to dress like a woman,” he said. “Although I really think you could pull it off very nicely.”

“Of course I could,” Seo-jun said. “And you hardly ever see your mother, right?”

“Right. But I don’t want our relationship to be a lie.”

“Maybe it would just be easier if you met this woman and then tell your mother you were incompatible. Put her off for a while longer.”

“She’d just keep fixing me up with more women.” He got out of bed. “I’m going to the bathroom, and then I’m going to brush my teeth. Then I’m coming back to bed and kissing you senseless.”

“If you get to brush your teeth, I get to brush mine,” Seo-jun said, then leaped out of bed and ran for the bathroom.

“No fair!” Dex called, running after him.

“I have to go see Anna at ten. She has a therapist appointment she wants me to participate in.”

Dex and Seo-jun were lying in bed, sweaty and tired from morning sex that had left Dex drowsy and sated. He wished he hadn’t promised Anna he’d be there.

“Okay. Let me know if you want to go to lunch afterward. What time do we need to be at the airport tomorrow?” Seo-jun asked. The way he was absently running his finger up and down along his sternum made Dex want to jump him again. He might if he had the energy, but he definitely did not.

“Uh, probably nine a.m. Just to be safe. I’ve missed flights if I wasn’t at an airport three hours before take off.”

Small frown lines formed between Seo-jun’s brows, and Dex couldn’t resist massaging the area with his thumb. “Don’t worry. You can take a pill before we leave. I’ll take care of everything.”

Seo-jun let out a breath, his dark eyes seeking Dex’s. “It’s been a long time since I’ve relied on anyone, and that person wasn’t someone I should have relied on. I have to admit it feels good with you. When it was Haru insisting on taking care of me, Ifelt suffocated. You just make me feel secure, like I have a safety net.”

Catching Seo-jun’s hand in his, Dex kept their gazes locked. “You can rely on me. I won’t let you down, I promise. I’ll always be your safety net.”

Seo-jun nodded slightly, and Dex’s heart flipped in his chest just knowing that this man who had seemed so unapproachable just months ago now trusted him so much. They werelovers.

Dex took a shower and ate a granola bar for breakfast on his way to the facility—a term that definitely didn’t fit the place.Resortwould be more apt. This idea was underlined when Dex was told by an attendant that his sister had spent the morning by the pool and was in her room changing. She would meet him on the second floor.

Dex hadn’t been upstairs before; he’d only been told that the doctors’ offices and exam rooms were there, including those of the psychiatrists and therapists. When he reached the large oak door with Paula Carpenter, LCPC etched on a gold plate, Dex pushed it open and found himself in a small waiting room with a much less utilitarian vibe than most offices. There was no receptionist, but a moment later a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties walked down the hall and greeted him.

“You must be Anna’s brother,” she said after they shook hands.

“Yes. Dexter Price. You can call me Dex.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Dex. I’m Paula.”

Paula wore a tangerine-colored blouse and blue slacks with a colorful necklace with matching earrings. The frames of her glasses matched her blouse perfectly, and Dex wondered if she had a pair to go with every outfit.

“Please, come into my office. I told Anna to come a little late because I’d like to speak with you first.”

That surprised Dex. What did Anna’s therapist want to talk to him about?

“I’m afraid I don’t have Anna’s consent to be privy to her health information,” he said as they entered an average-sized room with a large window overlooking the tennis court and grove of trees beyond. Paula indicated for Dex to take a seat on the couch, which was dark gray and scattered with colorful pillows that looked a little misshapen, as though patients had clutched them while they tried to put their emotional distress into words. It was a little depressing.

“You do now,” Paula said, settling on a large chair upholstered in deep red corduroy.

“Come again?”

“Anna has given you consent.” Reaching for a folder on the low, square coffee table between them, she passed it to Dex. “HIPPA laws are a little different when it comes to mental health. A patient can simply verbally agree to a family member being privy to their information, but I like to play it safe and have written consent.”

Dex looked over the papers signed by Anna before passing the folder back to the therapist.

“I’m glad she changed her mind. I’ve been worried about my sister, and I ‘m not always sure what she’s telling me is one hundred percent fact.”

“I understand. Tell me about Anna from your perspective,” Paula said, leaning back in her chair.

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