Chapter 74 ANYMORE

Chapter 74 ANYMORE
THANE ADAMS
The last session hadn’t ended well. Thinking about it now, I had to admit I’d gone a little too far. I released a sharp breath as I stepped out of the car and headed inside.
“Hello.” Brittany flashed me her signature wide smile as I walked over to the reception desk.
“Hi, Brit.” I forced a small smile back.
“So good to see you, Thane.” Her lips quivered into that flirting smile I already knew too well. Most times, I’d have flirted right back. Not today.
“Is Nancy in?” I cut her off before she could say anything else.
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled.
“Right. Thanks.” I walked away without waiting another second.
After knocking twice with no response, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The fresh scent of lemon filled the air. I settled into the usual spot I took during my sessions. Water was running from the bathroom, so I assumed she was in there.
Not even a minute later, her phone vibrated on the desk. I knew that sound. Her alarm. I let the first ring end, but when it started again, I reached over to shut it off. I grabbed the phone and slid my thumb across the screen. That’s when I saw the notification.
Calendar reminder: Simon’s birthday gift shopping.
I stared at it for a second before dismissing the reminder. Those two were close. I knew that. I just hadn’t realized they were that close.
I placed the phone back on the desk. Then something else caught my eye.
I froze halfway through turning away. “Fuck.” I turned quick, grabbed the phone again and pulled down the notification.
A message reflected. I clicked it before the full text appeared.
Simon: We’ll sort it out when I return. Until then, don’t do anything reckless.
My eyes narrowed. I swallowed and read the next message.
Simon: I’ll call you later. ❤️
My heart suddenly kicked against my ribs. I stared blankly at the screen, reading the messages again as if the words might rearrange themselves into something that made more sense.
Don’tdo anything reckless? Sort what out? And the fucking heart?
My grip tightened around the phone. I barely had time to process any of it before the bathroom door creaked open.
“Oh!”
My eyes snapped up. Nancy stood in the doorway, a hand towel still in her hands. Her shocked eyes immediately dropped to the phone in mine before returning to my face.
“Hey.” She walked closer, still looking surprised. “Didn’t know you were around, Thane.”
“That’s mine.” She held out her hand.
I looked away, suddenly finding it difficult to keep my expression under control as I placed the phone in her palm.
“Sorry.” I rubbed both damp hands down my trousers. “Your alarm went off, so I switched it off.”
The excuse sounded pathetic even to me. And none of it explained what I’d just seen. I wasn’t going to lose my shit over some stupid assumption. I wasn’t. But my chest had already started tightening.
“I saw something else.” I paused, choosing my words. “I mean... you and my father seem to talk a lot.”
Her brows pulled together. “Did you go through my phone?”
I didn’t answer.
“That was really inappropriate, Thane.” She walked back to her desk and sat down, placing her phone beside her.
“I’m actually disappointed.”
I stared at her.
“And to answer your question, yes, we talk. Your father and I go way back. It’s normal.”
I turned fully toward her. “Normal?”
She gave me a tired look.
“Close enough to put his birthday on a reminder?”
A quiet huff escaped her as she rubbed a hand down her face, already looking frustrated. For a second, I almost backed off. Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe I was just looking for something to be angry about because everything in my life had gone to shit.
But that message… Let’s talk about this. Take it slow. I’ll call you later. And that fucking heart I couldn’t get off my head. There was nothing normal about it.
“What is this really about?” she finally asked. “You practically stopped showing up for your sessions after the way you behaved the other day.”
I said nothing.
“I gave you enough room to cool down because I thought that was the decent thing to do.” Her voice hardened slightly. “But you can’t just disappear, ignore your sessions, walk back in here whenever you feel like it, and act as though nothing happened.”
I clenched my jaw.
“And honestly, Thane, I would’ve expected you to at least start with an apology for the way you spoke to me.” She leaned back in her chair. “Instead, you’re standing here going through my phone and questioning who I talk to.”
I stared at her. My mind was still stuck on one thing.
“Why?” I asked quietly. My eyes stayed on hers. “Why can’t you look me in the eyes right now?”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “You’re crossing the line, Thane.”
“I don’t give a shit about that.” My voice came out harsher than I intended. “All I’m asking for is one fucking reason not to believe my own friend has been lying to me.”
I stepped closer. “So tell me, Nancy. What the hell do you have going on with him?”
She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
“Don’t lie to me.” My chest was beating faster now.
Then, suddenly, the fire in her eyes disappeared. They softened. I didn’t want that. I wanted anger. I wanted her to look me straight in the face and tell me I was wrong. I wanted her to laugh at the fucking idea and make me feel like an idiot for ever thinking it. Anything but this.
She remained silent. And somehow, that silence answered everything. The realization hit so hard my chest twisted violently. My palm flew over my face as I dragged in a shaky breath.
“Fuck.” I shook my head. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It’s not exactly what you think.”
I dropped my hand. “What I think?” I repeated the words slowly, staring at her. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
She pushed herself up and took a step toward me.
“No.” I backed away immediately. “Don’t come any closer.”
I dragged a frustrated hand through my hair and started pacing, trying to keep my fucking head from exploding. But the more I thought about it, the worse it became. The messages. The birthday reminder. The way she couldn’t look at me. My father’s name on her phone.
I stopped abruptly. “Since when?”
She stared at me.
“Since when have you two been sleeping together?”
“I told you, that’s not it!” she yelled.
“Then what the hell is it?” My voice cracked with frustration. “What the fuck is it before I lose my mind?” I laughed once, but there was nothing funny about it. “Because I’m already fucking losing it.”
She grabbed the hem of her gown, twisting the fabric between her fingers like she suddenly didn’t know how to say whatever she was about to say.
“Simon and I attended the same university...”
“Oh, spare me the fucking history lesson.”
Her eyes dropped. I watched her swallow. “Well... I love him.”
My body went still. “What?”
She finally looked at me. “I love him. That’s the truth.”
My jaw clenched.
“Things didn’t go as planned between us, but...” Her voice faltered. “It’s not our fault we can’t stop loving each other.”
For a second, I couldn’t even process what she’d said.
“What?”
“I’m sorry but it’s… It’s not that simple.”
She tried to move toward me again.
“Fuck!” My fist slammed into the nearest wall. Pain shot through my knuckles and up my arm, but it barely registered. Not compared to the fucking pain crushing my chest.
“Please... don’t.” Her voice cracked into a whisper.
I stared at the blood already beginning to gather across my knuckles. My fingers tightened again. I didn’t understand why this hurt so much. Maybe because it always came down to this. Every damn time I let someone in, they found a way to let me down. I thought I’d learned how to protect myself from that.
Apparently, I hadn’t. And Nancy… Fuck. I didn’t think Nancy could be one of them too.
I looked at her once more, but whatever I saw in her face only made something inside me hurt worse. I didn’t care about the blood dripping from my knuckles anymore.
I couldn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself to. So I grabbed the door handle, yanked it open, and walked out without looking back.
“Thane!” Nancy’s voice followed me down the hallway.
I kept walking. I couldn’t turn around. Not without breaking down right there. And I wasn’t going to give her that. I didn’t care anymore.