“I . . .”
“You what?”
“Every time I see her, I”—I shrug, ashamed by my behavior—“I become very nasty toward her. I say things.” I wring my hands together. “Terrible things.”
“You try and hurt her?”
I nod.
“Like she hurt you?”
I clench my hands into fists. “I don’t know why I do it . . . I can’t seem to stop myself. Horrible things just blurt out.”
“I see.” Aaron watches me for a while. “Why are you angry with her?”
“I’m not.”
“Did she sleep with someone else?”
I frown. “No,” I snap. “She’s not like that.”
“She’s not a nice person?”
“She’s the best person,” I fire back in disgust.
“She lied to you?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“How so?”
I puff air into my cheeks. “She told me that she wanted a sexual relationship only.”
He frowns as he listens. “Go on.”
“And then . . .” My voice trails off.
“She made you fall in love with her?”
My eyes drop to the floor, and I nod.
“You’re uncomfortable with those feelings?”
I stay silent, unable to answer.
“Why do you think that is, Henley?”
“I don’t know,” I reply softly.
“Do you want to be in a loving relationship with Juliet?”
“No.”
He goes silent, and eventually I have to look up at him. He gives me a reassuring smile. “This is a safe space. You can express your feelings freely in here. But I think we both know that you do.”
“Trust me, I don’t.”
“Have you told Juliet how you feel about her?”