Page 110 of About Love and Revenge

“What you call a cliché is what most women dream of their whole lives. A ring, a romantic evening, but above all, you showing your devotion to her.”

“I’ve already ordered the ring. As for my devotion, I'm sure Elina already knows she has it. I’ve never allowed her to doubt that.”

“If you say so.”

I'm so frustrated. I never stopped to think—perhaps because we skipped several steps that a normal relationship would go through—that I should plan the best way to propose.

When I realized that I wanted her by my side permanently, I was sure that I just needed to convince her.

"So, what's the plan?"Christos asks.

“I'll start from scratch. With the ring and everything. I'm going to propose to her again tomorrow night, after the benefit ball.”

Elina

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

“Are you nervous?”

“Very much . . . I wanna run away.”

“Stay calm. Let's do this together. I will stand by your side.”

I squeeze her hand, noticing how cold mine is compared to hers. “I'll never be able to thank you enough, Zoe.”

“We are friends. You have nothing to thank me for.”

After a few minutes of waiting, the secretary tells us that it's my turn. The woman looks a little startled when I tell her that Zoe will come in with me, but even though I feel embarrassed that I need her support, I can't face this alone.

“Miss Argyros, it's a pleasure to meet you.”The doctor is younger than I expected, but his smile is so frank that it disarms me instantly. He also speaks slowly, and I find myself reading his lips, but I see I've been caught the moment I look up.

I usually read people’s lips because it gives me a little more time to process what they’re saying.

Once we're seated, he asks, “So how can I help you?”

Half an hour into our appointment, I'm so embarrassed I can't look at either of them.

I felt Zoe watching me while I answered the doctor’s questions, and now I don't have the courage to face her. I'm overwhelmed and I want to cry, since all I've done so far is talk about my struggles and it's brought back memories I preferred to keep hidden.

“The first thing you should know is that dyslexia is not related to your intellectual level,” the doctor begins to explain, and the quiet way in which he speaks slowly causes my heart rate to normalize. “Some of your answers bothered me, so I would like to suggest the formation of a team to work with me in your case—a special needs teacher and a neurologist, but mainly, a psychologist.”

“We can arrange that,” Zoe hurries to reply, and only then do I realize how anxious she is too.

“It's not my place to judge your father, but I can't help but say that it's unparalleled ignorance to treat dyslexia as lack of intelligence. You have said several times that your family never sought help and that instead they forced you to learn, which causes even more stress and can have the opposite effect.”

I take a sip of the water the secretary brought me earlier. “I would like to try. The treatment, I mean. I don't know if it’ll work, but I'm willing to take the risk. I'm tired of living in hiding. Please help me.”

He smiles and leans forward, resting both elbows on the table. “That's the first step: you wanting to heal. When would be a good time for me to run some tests?”

“How was the appointment?”

This time, when I enter the house, it’s Odin who is waiting for me.

Zoe went with me to get the dress she helped me choose for the benefit ball: a long strapless dress with a high slit in the left thigh. I'm going to wear a black silk mask with crystals attached to my face, because I don't want to have to hold it on all night.

The dress shows too much skin for my taste, but Zoe said all eyes will be on me and Odin and that I must make a grand entrance or they'll eat me alive, which only added to my nervousness.

With sorting out all these final details, I ended up getting home later than I planned.

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