The New Normal

Chapter Twenty Six

"Did you report what Brody did to the police?" Steve asked, notebook and pen in hand, peering over his glasses.

I leaned further back in the couch, wanting it to eat me whole. I did not want to be here and I did not want to talk, but I knew that wasn't going to help. "Yeah, when he was expelled. But I just want to forget about it."

Steve nodded his head thoughtfully and scribbled my response on his paper. "How's your sleep?"

I perked up at the change of topic. We had been talking about everything that happened with Brody for a long time and it was refreshing to speak about something different, even if it was as minimal as sleep. "It's been better. Ever since I've started working, I've been falling asleep a lot easier. I barely need my sleeping meds because being on me feet constantly has been leaving me exhausted."

"You work with Tyler, the student who helped you during the attack, correct?" My therapist questioned and I nodded my head. "He's the boy who was also giving you a hard time when you first moved back."

It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement. I picked at the fabric of my scarf that I refused to take off as the bruise from what happened at Homecoming still lingered. "Yeah, but we're better now."

"Oh?" He arched a brow, looking intrigued at my response.

"He's been nice," I said, not expanding much. I looked at the numerous books that was on his shelf behind him and I studied each of the individual titles. "I mean, we're not besties or anything, but we're decent."

My stomach felt heavy thinking about Tyler. He was as complicated as Rubik's Cube. One day he'd be incredibly nice and the next, he'd be all moody and barely responding to anything I say, or he'd just have massive attitude. It was like he bounced back and forth between liking me and tolerating me and he simply couldn't make up his mind of which one he felt prominently.

It was moments like this where I wished Tristan was here. He'd tell me I'm thinking too much and I need to take time and relax. Despite being fairly annoying, he calmed me down and without him here, I felt like a spiraling mess. Not only did he calm me down, but he'd also put Tyler in his place.

Steve looked at me, waiting for me to say something and I immediately felt bad for drifting off into my thoughts. I sighed as I finally said, "I miss Tristan, he made me feel better."

"How so?"

I ran a hand through my hair and placed it back onto my lap. "He always understood what I was feeling and when I was feeling it. And right now, I'm feeling incredibly lost and it doesn't help my best friend hates me, my ex started telling everyone about my sex life causing some asshole to try to get in my pants, and now I have this guy who is confusing me beyond belief. I need something stable in my life and I can't rely on any of the people that I used to and I think that is what hurts the most about Tristan being gone. He was the only person I could trust without even thinking about it."

"Could you trust Tyler?" Steve wondered, writing down some notes as he spoke. "The past few sessions you've been mentioning him a lot, maybe he's someone you could turn to."

I bit my lip, ready to argue about trusting Tyler, but deciding against it. Although Tyler was hot and cold, he never proved himself to be untrustworthy. He helped me with Brody, helped me at work, and on the days he wasn't as confusing as a jigsaw puzzle, he was a really good friend. I smiled to myself as I thought about our conversation in his room on the night of Homecoming, "You are beautiful and there's a big difference between the two."

Looking up at Steve, I shrugged with a shy smile. "Maybe, who knows?"

After my session with Steve, I walked to work and was greeted by Crystal serving an elderly couple. "Hey darlin' Tyler's in the back making some sandwiches for a catering gig. He could use an extra pair of hands."