“Yes. I feel undeserving. Good things make me wonder when I’ll lose them.”
“Good things like your relationship with Trayherne, for example.”
“Well, he’s not exactly ugly.”
His fingers tightened on mine. “Aww, honey. So sweet.”
I couldn’t hide my grin. “But yeah. He’s one of them. The money is another. But I’m going to use it. It’s going toward Carly’s education. She’s in culinary school,” I reminded my therapist, unable to hide my pride.
“That’s wonderful, and a positive use for money that came from a difficult situation. But you’ll still have some leftover. The amount was sizeable, wasn’t it?”
I snorted. “Uh, yeah. You could say that.”
“She wants a treehouse,” Tray offered, and I narrowed my eyes. “She’s going to make me build her one when we buy a house.”
“Yeah, like you can build. Shut up.”
Dr. Phelps smiled. “Is that something you plan to do with the money? Buy a house?”
“Eventually, maybe. I’m happy where we are.” I bit my lip. I didn’t want to assume. “Are you happy where we are?” I asked quietly.
“Yeah. Just need that big screen TV we talked about, and maybe a cardboard cutout of Megan Fox, and the place is perfect.” He squeezed my fingers to let me know he was kidding.
As if I didn’t know that. He’d much rather have a cardboard cutout of Scarlett Johansson.
“I actually had another idea for some of the money.” I searched Tray’s face for a reaction. He only waited.
“And what would that be?” Dr. Phelps asked pleasantly.
Here went everything.
“I want to open a kind of shelter for the lost. For missing and endangered kids and adults who have nowhere else to go. A safe space, where there’s no judgment and you don’t have to share more than you want to. There will be counselors on staff, and people who understand, as much as anyone can.” I exhaled. “Like me.”
No one spoke.
“Well?” I demanded when I couldn’t take one more second of silence.
“I think that you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met,” Tray murmured.
Then he slid across the couch and kissed me. Full on the mouth, with tongue. Right in front of Dr. Phelps.
Of course, I kissed him back.
My happily ever after started right fucking now.