I furrowed my brows, blinking my heavy eyes open to the dim hotel room.
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Only it was dark now with one of the lamps on.
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I'm not sure what time it was or how Nine was still up.
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There was paperwork spread over her lap, her hair tied up in a high bun with her bangs framing her face.
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She had on those familiar aviator glasses that I had seen her wear days ago.
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Instead of her work clothes from earlier, she wore silky black pajama pants and a matching sleek tank top.
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I froze when she suddenly glanced over to me, probably feeling the weight of my staring.
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For once, I didn't bother to look away.
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I felt too tired to pretend I wasn't staring at her.
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"Did I wake you?" she asked me, setting the paper down with the others as her attention settled on me.
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I shook my head, "No" I whispered, wincing when I attempted to move my stiff legs, "What time is it?"
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Nine tapped her phone by her leg, illuminating the screen, "Almost three" she murmured as if this were a normal occurrence for her.
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"You don't sleep?" I asked her, furrowing my brows at the idea of that.
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It makes sense why she answered my call so quickly the night I drank.
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She was probably already awake working.
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"Depends on the workload" she calmly determined, now gathering the papers in a neat stack, "What woke you up?"
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I lazily shrugged my shoulders, "I just... woke up, I don't know," I whispered, running my hands over my face with a deep sigh.
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"Are you hungry or thirsty?" Nine asked as she slid the papers into the leather book she pulled out earlier, "Do you need to use the bathroom?"
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I pursed my lips, suddenly feeling the urge to pee.
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Really fucking badly too.
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"Yeah—the bathroom," I forced out, laying up from the bed.
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A groan fell from my lips when I attempted to move my legs again, feeling the worst soreness weighing them down.
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"I'll help you, River" Nine said, smoothly sliding out of bed to walk over to me.
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I shook my head as I watched her approach me, "I'm not letting you touch me anymore," I whispered, wincing as she gently guided my legs to hang off the bed.
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My words were definitely an empty threat, but right now with this amount of pain, it felt like I might just stay true to it.
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"Then I won't touch you" Nine calmly said, guiding my tense legs to wrap around her torso.
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I narrowed my eyes at her, "You weren't supposed to agree" I mumbled as she slid her soft hands under my thighs—
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And lifted me up entirely into her arms.
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"I should force you to have sex with me?" Nine asked as I instinctively wrapped my arms around her neck.
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"I don't know" I said as she walked toward the bathroom, "But you would probably get off on that."
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"If it was consensual beforehand, sure, River" she emphasized, walking into the bathroom and toward the toilet.
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I pursed my lips, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at the seriousness our conversation had taken.
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Nine carefully lowered me down on the toilet, letting go of my thighs and pulling away as I dropped my arms from around her neck.
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I lifted the white shirt I wore, adjusting on the seat as she turned away from me.
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Peeing in front of her felt like nothing given everything I had already done at this point.
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I've also peed in front of Kai and random girls in club bathrooms.
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This was truly nothing to me.
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And it didn't seem to faze Nine as she stood waiting with her back to me.
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Until I wiped and flushed the toilet, attempting to stand on my own.
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"River" she scolded me when I stumbled, grabbing my waist to help steady me.
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"I just wanted to do it on my own" I mumbled as she helped me walk over to the sink and wash my hands.
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"I know, but I'm here to help you" Nine calmly reminded me, turning on the sink as I reached over to put some soap in my hands.
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"You're the one who did this" I countered back, lathering the soap in my hand.
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I felt her hand firmly squeeze my waist, sending shivers down my spine, "You misbehaved and begged for it. You did this to yourself," she corrected me, her brown eyes meeting mine through the mirror.
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I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, determining it was too late and too fucking early to deal with another punishment.
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So I just silently washed my hands, letting her dry them for me before walking me back to bed.
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She helped me get comfortable, adjusting my pillows and even tucking the covers around me.
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I felt entirely content again, especially as she slid in next to me—just as close as she was hours ago, softly caressing her hand against my cheek.
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My eyes immediately fell closed, letting out a deep sigh as I relaxed under her touch.
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It was easy to fall back asleep, especially with her soft and attentive caress.
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---
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"River."
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I furrowed my brows at her familiar voice, feeling the softness of her touch against my forehead.
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I forced a hum, keeping my eyes closed.
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"River" she said again, her voice lowered and echoing around me.
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I furrowed my brows deeper, humming tiredly as her caress trailed down to my cheek.
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"River" she repeated a third time, making me blink my heavy eyes open in confusion.
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Nine stood over me—her hair down instead of in the bun she previously had it in.
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Then I noticed the black blouse she wore with matching dress pants.
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There wasn't a single wrinkle in her clothes.
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When did she get ready?
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"I'm going into the office" she told me, grazing her fingers against my jawline as her eyes trailed my face.
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I pursed my lips into a frown, "No" I forced out, reaching my arms out for her.
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"I know" she whispered softly as I ran my hands up her covered arms, and she let me, "My first patient is at eight."
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My frown grew deeper at the idea of her actually leaving.
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I also felt tired so that didn't help.
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"I don't want you to go" I forced out, dragging my hands back down her arms.
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"I'll see you at five princess" she reminded me, making me shake my head in response.
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"That's so many hours away" I pointed out with a deep sigh.
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"We'll have dinner as well" she added, tracing her fingers against the edge of my chin, "The evening will be here before you know it."
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I rolled my eyes with a dramatic sigh, "Whatever," I whispered reluctantly.
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Nine hummed in response, "I know you're half asleep so I'll ignore the attitude for your sake" she calmly determined, retracting her touch away from me to grab my wrists and lower my hands from her body, "Text me when you wake up," she told me.
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"Okay" I mumbled, turning on my side away from her.
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Mostly because her words just irritated me.
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"Act accordingly when you wake up, River" Nine warned me, and that's when I felt the soft caress of her hand up my back, "Sleep well."
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I only hummed as she pulled her hand away from my back, hearing her heels click distantly toward the end of the bed where I assumed she picked up her duffle bag before leaving entirely.
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A deep sigh fell from my lips as I heard the hotel door open before softly falling shut, causing me to nuzzle deeper under the pillows and fall back asleep.
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By the time I woke up again, it was a little past ten, the hotel room seeping in darkness from the blackout blinds.
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I laid there for a moment, recalling last night, especially with my legs which still felt painfully sore.
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I didn't bother to move fully as I reached for my phone, unlocking it to go through the different notifications.
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Zion and Sid had texted about breakfast, but at this point, it was already past ten and it would take me a little while to get out of bed.
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Then I would have to head back to my place and get ready, so I just declined the offer, asking them if breakfast tomorrow would work better.
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Kai also texted me last night, responding to my last-minute cancellation of our plans.
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She also wanted to see me today.
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I just genuinely don't think I'll be up for anything until the afternoon—I kind of want to lay here for a while and maybe stretch.
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I texted her about going shopping at three before navigating over to a specific contact.
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DOC.
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She wanted me to text her when I was awake, so I went ahead and typed up a quick text.
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I didn't know what to say, so I just kept my text basic.
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Me: i'm awake
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I watched the text deliver through just as Kai responded, causing me to click on her newest text.
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Kai: three works perfectly for me :)
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I hearted her message, texting her to specify we should meet there rather than carpool.
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Then I could leave from shopping to my therapy appointment.
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I reached for the water bottle on the nightstand, noticing it was a completely new and unopened one.
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There was also a bottle of Tylenol.
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Nine must have set it there before she left.
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I shook my head when a smile grew on my lips, twisting the cap off of the water bottle to take a sip.
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I also took two Tylenol pills to help with the aftermath of last night.
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I glanced down when my phone lit up with a new notification-or a call.
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Nine is calling me.
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I blinked a few times, lowering the water bottle as I reached for my phone.
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I swiped my finger across the screen, answering the call and putting it on speaker.
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"Good morning" I spoke first, taking another sip of water.
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"Is it a good morning?" I heard her familiar smooth voice, "Are you feeling better now?"
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I rolled my eyes, knowing she was referring to the attitude I caught with her hours prior.
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"I feel so much better" I decided to say, my voice overly cheery, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
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"I would rather see it than hear it, but you're aware of that" Nine clarified, easily picking up on my forced cheery tone.
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"Right" I mumbled, taking another sip of water.
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"Have you eaten?" she calmly asked me as I swallowed the sip of water I took.
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"Not yet" I said, screwing the lid back onto the water bottle.
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"I'll call the front desk and have something sent up" Nine determined, easily making a warmth spread across my body.
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It was the way she made decisions for me-how she took the initiative to order breakfast for me.
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"I'll also handle your Uber" she spoke again when I remained silent, "What time are you planning to leave?"
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I pursed my lips, "Probably around one to go shopping" I told her, subtly leaving out the details about Kai joining me.
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I'm not sure how she would react if she knew I made new plans with her today.
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Knowing Nine she would make other plans for me in place of the ones I just made.
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"Is that all?" Nine asked me.
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"Yeah, just shopping and then therapy," I said with a deep sigh, grabbing my phone as I laid back in the bed.
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"You're going shopping alone?" she just had to ask, making me purse my lips in thought.
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Because now if I say yes then it's a technical lie.
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One she could possibly find out about.
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"No" I suddenly whispered, shaking my head to myself at the fact that I couldn't go through with the stupid fucking lie.
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But last night proved that the last thing I needed to be on was her bad side.
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I'm still not telling her about the hookups with Kai— that's an entirely different matter.
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One Nine will not put up with.
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I just won't hook up with Kai again.
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"Who are you going with, River?" she asked me, but by her tone, I already knew she was aware of who.
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And the fact that I had subtly beaten around the bush.
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"Just Kai" I murmured, trying to sound casual about it.
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"And why didn't you say that to begin with?" Nine said, her voice still as calm as ever on the other end of the line.
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"Because.." I started, staring up at the tall ceiling, "You don't like her" I said, chewing the inside of my cheek.
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"I assume I wouldn't like anyone who interrupts my dinner with a colleague and openly puts her arm around your waist" she stated, reiterating the time Kai walked over to her table when I specifically told her not to, "Do you see the issue here, River?"
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I let out a deep sigh, "Not really, Kai's just... touchy" I murmured, even if I knew the real reason why she was so touchy.
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Kai's touched much more intimate places of me.
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"Not anymore" Nine determined, her voice more serious with me, "Her hands don't roam on you from here on out."
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I smacked my lips together, "Okay" I said, trying to think of the best way I would tell Kai to keep her hands to herself.
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At least without telling her why.
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"Good girl" she calmly said, making a warmth burn around me, "I'll see you at five."
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"Okay" I said, lowering the phone from my ear as we ended the call.
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Then I was left in silence again, deciding to go back to sleep for another hour or so.
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Or until the room service Nine ordered arrived.
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The sharp knocks at the door easily woke me up, causing me to slide out of bed.
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A grunt fell from my lips as I stumbled on my legs, reaching for the nightstand to give me some kind of support.
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Each step toward that door made the soreness at my inner thighs burn worse, tugging down on the door handle and poking my head through the open door.
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I only had on Nine's t-shirt so stepping out fully didn't feel like the best idea.
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"Room service" the woman smiled as she stood behind the cart.
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"Thank you" I said, awkwardly reaching around the door to tug the cart inside.
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Which was really fucking hard with the current strength of my legs and then also trying to shield myself.
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But I did it.
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The woman probably thought I was insane but I didn't care.
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I was just excited to eat, pushing the cart over to the bed and uncovering the different foods.
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Nine had ordered me a more healthy array of dishes.
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Like eggs, fruit, wheat toast with jams, and oatmeal.
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No pancakes or waffles-or even french toast.
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But I made it work, determining it was probably better that I eat a cleaner breakfast.
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I would feel better for the day.
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Once I finished eating, I got comfortable in bed again, deciding to scroll on TikTok for a little while.
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I really only had an hour of downtime to myself before it was time to get up.
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At least as best as I could.
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My legs still hurt but the Tylenol had definitely eased a lot of the pain.
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I didn't put in much effort to leave the hotel since I planned to get ready at my place.
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I just brushed my teeth and pulled on the comfy clothes I packed.
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I also re-did the bun in my hair since it looked a little crazy after sleeping.
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Then I exited the hotel room with my duffle bag, walking stiffly toward the elevator.
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By the time I made it downstairs, my Uber was already waiting for me.
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I texted Nine to let her know I was in the Uber and headed back to my place since she specified that I keep her updated.
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Once I made it back to my apartment, I unpacked my duffel bag and then picked out my outfit.
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I settled on a black long-sleeve corset top with matching leather pants and short kitten heels.
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I went the dressier route since I had dinner with Nine after therapy.
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So I put a little extra effort into my makeup, deciding to wear my hair in a bun with curls framing my face.
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I grabbed my cheetah print Saint Laurent bag before leaving my apartment, determining it matched perfectly with my black outfit.
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Then I headed over to The Bravern, which is a more high-end shopping mall with all the luxury stores.
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Kai was unsurprisingly not there when I pulled in— and after checking my phone, I realized she was running ten minutes late so I headed inside alone.
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First I went to Neiman Marcus, texting Kai to meet me where the fragrances were.
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I wanted to browse more of the fragrance oils, especially since Nine seemed to like it on me.
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"Ten minutes is a record" I joked as Kai walked over to me at the fragrance section.
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"It is, isn't it?" she said, pulling me into a brief hug.
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I quickly pulled away before her hands could roam low on my waist, pretending to smell one of the fragrance oils I was holding.
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"Sorry, I was just in the middle of this" I quickly lied when Kai furrowed her brows at my abrupt actions.
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"Yeah, of course," she said, glancing over to the oils, "You're switching over from perfume?"
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I nodded a few times, "The oils seem to have more longevity," I determined, setting the two that I liked aside.
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The Baccarat was my favorite so far.
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"True" Kai murmured, glancing back over to me, "So how have you been? I've missed you" she said, playfully grabbing my waist.
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I subtly pulled away from her touch yet again, blinking awkwardly, "Good, I've missed you also" I murmured, glancing over to Kai whose brows seemed to be furrowed yet again.
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"Is something going on?" she suddenly asked, tilting her head at me, "Did I do something again?"
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I quickly shook my head, "No, not at all, Kai" I quickly assured her, gently setting down the glass bottles in my hands, "I just don't think you should touch me... like that. Friends don't do that."
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Kai blinked a few times, "What do you mean like that? Haven't we always touched each other?" she asked in confusion.
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I awkwardly pursed my lips, "Like in an inappropriate way. I just... don't really like it" I tried my best to explain, using the one excuse that would work.
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That I simply don't like it.
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But Kai didn't buy it, furrowing her brows deeper as she glanced over to the fragrance oils.
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"You're seeing someone, aren't you?" she suddenly asked, grabbing one of the glass bottles, "You're buying perfume oil and now you're saying I can't touch you—the other night you even turned around when I was changing."
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I quickly glanced around at the people shopping around us, hating how loud Kai's voice just grew.
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Even if no one looked over, I knew for a fact they were listening.
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I probably would be too if I was them.
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I'm just nosy like that.
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"I'm not seeing anyone, Kai" I said, lowering my tone as I glanced back over to her, "I just want boundaries as friends. That's all."
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Kai frowned, "I totally did something, didn't I?" she whispered, growing more upset by this than I had originally expected.
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Maybe I should've told her in private... I just didn't expect this reaction.
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"I promise you didn't do anything" I assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Otherwise we wouldn't be hanging out, right?"
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Kai nodded silently, but even I could tell she was upset by the suddenness of all this.
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"I love you so much" I whispered, pulling her in for a side hug, "I promise we're good, okay?"
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Kai nodded again, "Yeah, I love you too" she whispered, hugging me back as she pressed her hand awkwardly to my upper back.
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I let out a relieved sigh, giving her a brief squeeze in the hug before pulling back.
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Then I focused back on the fragrance oils, letting Kai smell them to help me pick out the one I wanted.
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But I could tell Kai was still upset even if she tried to hide it with a small smile.
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I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure what I could technically say to her.
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I knew it couldn't be the truth.
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And I didn't want to try and soothe her with more lies.
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So I just left it alone, shopping with her as I pretended not to notice how down she seemed.
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We still had fun though, especially as we worked our way through the different shops.
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I mainly got new clothes and purses.
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Also, the Baccarat fragrance oil that Kai helped pick out.
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I made sure to put it on right before my therapy appointment, wanting to see if Nine would notice it on me.
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I still felt really bad about how everything went with Kai, but she seemed happier by the end of shopping.
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Putting down a boundary was probably a good thing given her reaction.
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I mean, we're just friends so we should act just like that.
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"Good evening, River" Sienna greeted me as I exited the elevator into the familiar dim lobby.
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"Sienna" I said with a forced smile, approaching the front desk, "I'm here for my appointment with..." I trailed off, catching myself before I said her first name.
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"Dr. Luccino, yes, she's already waiting," Sienna assured me with her usual smile.
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I pursed my lips into a tight smile, nodding once as I tried not to be bothered by Sienna's overall presence.
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I already have what she wants.
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Or who she wants.
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She can be as delusional as she fucking wants.
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"Hey, River" Dr. Kincaid said as she walked out into the lobby.
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Great.
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Is the universe trying to fuck with me today?
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"Hey" I briefly said, flashing her a smile as I walked past her toward the hallway.
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Luckily, Dr. Kincaid didn't appear confused by my shortness.
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She probably just thinks I'm in a rush.
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A smile twitched up on my lips as I approached her open office door, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out to soothe my sudden nerves.
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I don't even know why I'm nervous right now.
"Hey doc" I murmured as I entered her office, noticing she was seated at her desk.
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"River" she addressed me, her brown eyes locked on me as I gently closed the door to walk over to her.
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"How's it going?" I asked her with my usual smile, watching as she stood from her chair to her tall height.
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It was almost impossible not to smile even wider, taking in the outfit I saw her in this morning.
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I laid eyes on her before anyone in this office got to— specifically, Sienna.
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"Good, River, how has your day been?" she asked, opening her desk drawer and grabbing a paper.
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"Good" I said, unsure what else I should say.
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If I should mention Kai.
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Our dynamic is supposed to be different in the office right?
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"Before we get started," Nine said, walking over toward me with the paper in her hand, "Dr. Rashad faxed over your information on file."
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I nodded a few times even if my face burned up at the recollection of that appointment yesterday.
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"You're pretty close with her" I stated more in observation, gently grabbing the paper from her extended grasp.
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And it wasn't about jealousy whatsoever, I just wanted to know more.
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Like if I coincidentally met one of her friends.
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"She's a good connection," Nine stated as she watched me fold the paper in half.
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I raised a brow, "A good connection?" I asked curiously, glancing up to meet her stare, "For what?"
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Nine rolled her lips into a pursed line, "She's a doctor, River" she emphasized, holding my stare entirely, "I assume she's a good connection for numerous reasons."
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I furrowed my brows, recalling how she called her Nine. Just Nine.
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She would have to be a pretty close connection to call her that right?
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And she's a gynecologist only—what could she really provide as a good connection?
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Other than instances like me when—
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I tightened my grip on the paper in my hand at the sudden thought, determining my brain was just trying to fuck with me.
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Or maybe Nine was.
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"You didn't take anyone else to her right?" I suddenly asked, not bothering to fight myself to hold the question back.
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Nine didn't react.
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Her expression remained neutral, staring at me for a long moment of silence.
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Too long if you asked me.
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My lips parted with a scoff, taking a large step back from her before she had a chance to deny my assumptions.
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Her silence already confirmed them anyway.
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"River" Nine said, her voice lowered between us as she took a step toward me.
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I took one right back from her, feeling my disgust grow as I processed this.
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"They all sat in that chair before me" I pointed out, shaking my head as I squeezed the paper tighter in my hand.
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Nine briefly glanced down at the crumpled paper in my hand, acknowledging the irritation and disgust she, herself, had drawn from me.
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"I understand this is upsetting, River—"
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"Upsetting? I'm fucking disgusted, Nine" I firmly cut her short, making her raise a brow at me.
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I knew it was because of the language I used with her, but I didn't care.
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I can't believe she took me to the same doctor who examined all her past arrangements.
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I should've known-I should've noticed.
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Especially with how well Dr. Rashad knew Nine.
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Fuck.
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"You're misinterpreting this" Nine said, her composure somehow still intact while I had to physically control my breathing, "Sit down and we'll discuss it."
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I rolled my eyes at her words—her demanding fucking words.
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"I'm good" I mumbled dryly, taking another step back from her.
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"River, we have a session," Nine calmly told me, not bothering to take another invasive step toward me, "I won't ask you to take a seat again."
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I shrugged, "You don't have to" I sarcastically said, "I'm leaving."
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That's when I noticed it.
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The subtle edges of her jawline flexed, revealing her true irritation.
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Good.
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"If you walk out of this office, River—"
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She cut herself short as soon as I reached for the door handle.
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And before I could process it, I had already opened it—walking out of her office as my thoughts screamed at me not to.
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A part of me knew I would regret it in the long run.
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But she would regret it harder.
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She's the one who brought me there after all of them.
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It was a thought that made me nauseous, walking down the hallway toward the elevators as I said a brief goodbye to Sienna and Reagan.
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I stepped onto one of the elevators when it dinged open, clicking the lobby button so I could get the fuck out of here.
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So much for continuing our usual office dynamic.
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