~Reo’s~

“I want to be loved,” I say. “Not feared.”

The words fall out before I can stop them. They sit there between us, trembling like they came from someone else entirely. But I know they’re mine. I know because my throat is burning and my chest feels cracked open.

Dr. Harland blinks slowly. She doesn't look surprised. Not judgmental either. She just watches me with her hands folded in her lap. Her pen’s resting quietly on her legal pad. The window behind her lets in soft sunlight, like it’s trying to offer me some kind of warmth. I don’t take it.

“I’ve spent so long… twisting people into respect,”...