Page 29 of Forgotten Prejudice

“That’s because you haven’t met the right therapist yet.” Taking my hand, he tangled our fingers together. “Finding one that fits is just like finding a partner.”

My face heated up until I could feel the blush in my ears. Not wanting him to notice, I focused my eyes on his coffee. The mug was almost empty, with just a bit of liquid left at the bottom.

“There’s a misconception regarding mental health and therapy, and in most cases, people tend to have prejudice about the subject. I’m not crazy, as some would like to think, and I’m not weak for meeting up with a therapist twice a week.”

The last impression I’d ever have about Soren would be that he was either of those things. He wasn’t crazy and most definitely not weak. He was intelligent, bright, confident, and strong. To believe anyone would ever think otherwise was absurd.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I asked, meeting his beautiful eyes.

“Before? This is our fifth date.” He laughed. “Would you rather my first words to you were ‘I have OCD’?”

Shrugging, I huffed. “Well… when you put it like that, probably not.”

“I’m not ashamed of who I am, Ashton. Having said that, I don’t see my disorder as something that defines me as a person, and therefore, I don’t feel the need to tell every single person I meet about it. I shared it with you because if we’re going to take this further, it’s only fair.”

To take this further. My heart missed a beat, and I fisted the sheets in my hand.

“D-Does that mean you want to be in a relationship with me?” The mere idea that Soren would want me was insane. It became even more surreal when he tilted my head back and took my breath away in a heated kiss. He tasted like coffee, and hungry, I darted my tongue over his soft lips.

“I thought I made that part clear already,” he whispered after breaking the kiss, and I frowned at his words.

“But we haven’t even slept together yet.”

Cupping my jaw, he softly caressed my cheek.

I loved it when he did that.

“We’ll get there, too. Don’t worry.” He smiled. “I just like taking my time with you.”

Closing my eyes, I leaned into the touch of his palm and nodded, allowing the comfort he offered to brush away my shame because while he was being honest with me, I wasn’t. Instead of telling him, right there and then, about my age and my being in high school, I kept my mouth shut and allowed him to be fooled.

Was lying that bad? I mean, if it would get me a few more days, or hours, with Soren, it would be worth it. After all, how could something that felt so good be bad?

“What are your plans for the day?” he asked, pulling me back.

“I don’t have any.”

“Good.”

Ash

One day turned into a full weekend in which I hadn’t left Soren’s condo.

I skipped school on Friday and told Mom I was with friends. Because I never caused any trouble, she had no reason to suspect anything and told me to have fun. And I did, by staying with Soren until I had to leave for school this morning.

What a weekend it was.

On Friday morning, after taking me for breakfast in his favorite place, we went shopping. Soren bought me clothes I knew were too expensive, but he’d insisted on paying, saying he wanted to spoil me. Over the weekend, we did all kinds of stuff. He took me to an art show, lunch, and a tennis match. We even rode horses again. And while I enjoyed being out with him, my favorite times were when we were home. He had to take some breaks for work and studying, and when he did, I just chilled around his place.

It turned out there was a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, and a gym where he lived, and I took advantage of them. One evening, when Soren had to study, I went to the gym. He probably finished his work early because he came down and watched me work out. The intensity of his stare as he observed me from the side pumped me with so much energy that this was the strongest I had ever hit the gym.

The only downside of this magical weekend was the hard case of blue balls it left me with. While we kissed several times, Soren always cut it off right before reaching the good parts, leaving me to wonder if I had done something wrong. He promised me that it wasn’t the case, but it was still not enough. My dick was dying for him, and I was running out of patience. Maybe I should be more obvious? Who was I kidding. I would never know how to be bold or seductive enough to seduce a man like Soren. Or anyone, for that matter, as I lacked the sexy bone in my body.

Grunting, I shoved my head into my open locker and tried to chase away those thoughts before pulling out my backpack. School was probably the last place I should be thinking about sex, especially with how horny I constantly was. I swear to God, my dick was now getting hard just with the mere thought of Soren’s masculine arms, amazing abs, and how sexy his pelvis was when he walked around the house with nothing but a pair of thin sweats that showed the outline of his—shit.

I slammed my locker, tossed my bag over one shoulder, and began walking down the hall. Thankfully, classes were done for today, and I had a bit of time before my shift at Rob’s. After stepping out of the building, the bright sun blinded me, so I shaded my face with my hand. It was a good day for surfing. Maybe Aiden would want to catch some waves after I finished work. Pulling out my phone, I was about to shoot the old man a text when someone elbowed me.

“Zoe.” My voice came out high, probably because of my surprise.