Free Forever We Fall: Broken #4 (The Broken Series) by Chloe Walsh Page B

out and Kyle's brow shot up in surprise.
    "That's a good fucking plan, Der," he said approvingly. "Your mom really misses you." He smirked and added, "She's calls my office, you know?"
    Now it my turn to raise my eyebrows. "For real?"
    "Yeah, about twice a week since the shooting."
    "I feel bad about the way I've left them hanging, Kyle," I confessed. I'd been a horrible dick to my mom. I hadn't answered any of her calls for months – never even sent a text at Christmas – so I couldn't blame her for contacting Kyle. "I miss them…"
    "Derek?" Dr. Mae's soft, soothing drawl vibrated in my ears, stirring me from my thoughts, and I stood up and smirked, taking in the sight of the curvaceous, hot-as-hell redhead who was smiling at me. "I'm ready for you."
    "Yeah, I can see why you're enjoying therapy," Kyle grumbled as he glanced briefly at the fine doctor. "You like the old ones, don't you, Junior ?"
    "She's thirty-five at the most, Kyle, and you have to admit she's gorgeous," I argued, gesturing my hand at the smoking-hot doctor with her back to us. "Just 'cause you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't check out the menu."
    "I have a real aversion to redheads since Rachel, dude," he shot back with a smirk as he followed Dr. Mae into her office. Sinking down on one of the four armchairs circled around a varnish-stained coffee table in Dr. Mae's orderly office, Kyle twisted his head in my direction, wiggled his eyebrows and muttered, "Besides, I don't need to look at the menu. I know exactly what I'm eating when I get home."
    I shook my head in amusement as I sat on the chair next to his. "I gather you took my advice, then? Unleashing the beast?" The image of Kyle's terrified face when he'd ranted on about urges and episodes last weekend entered my mind and I smirked to myself. He would be twenty-four next month and the douche still didn't have a clue. It was Hope who I felt most sorry for…No, scratch that. It was me who I felt most sorry for. I was the douchebag who ended up listening to his crazy notions and theories…
    "Let's just say I can't wait for dinner tonight," he snickered, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Sweet Southern p…"
    "Good god, man," I blanched. "You make me sick." Shaking my head, I pressed a hand to my stomach and forced myself to swallow my own vomit. "I'll never look her in the eye again…"
    "You'll never look who in the eye again, Derek?" Dr. Mae asked, her blue eyes dancing with humor. "Or is this a private conversation?"
    Kyle opened his mouth to answer her – no doubt with the truth – and I kicked him in the foot in warning. Forcing a smile for the doctor's sake, I muttered, "It's a private discussion."
    "Very well." Shaking her head, Dr. Mae tucked her hair behind her ears and turning to face Kyle she outstretched her hand and smiled broadly. "You must be Kyle Carter." When Kyle nodded and accepted her hand for a quick handshake she added, "Thank you for coming. I've heard a lot about you."
    "I'm sure you have," Kyle replied coolly, immediately taking a defensive stance from her comments, as he tapped his fingers on the wooden armrests of his chair.
    I rolled my eyes and sagged in my seat. He was so goddamn defensive. I would never understand the way his mind worked – why he studied every new face he met with untrusting, calculating eyes.
    Unperturbed by Kyle's abruptness, Dr. Mae turned to face me and we fell easily into a discussion about my aims, goals, and coping strategies for when I was feeling overwhelmed. Kyle's fidgeting got worse with every minute that passed, and I wasn't one bit surprised when he stood up and wandered around the office aimlessly.
    Subtly shaking her head, Dr. Mae ignored Kyle's pacing, focusing on the conversation in hand and I had to give it to her; the woman had some fierce concentration to not get distracted by the six and half feet giant poking around her office.
    She seemed to realize in twenty minutes what it had taken me years to learn; Kyle couldn't