Page 30 of Cruising with You

Rubbing his hand along the scruff of his cheek, he watches me carefully. “From my own personal experience, I’m not sure it really exists.” Tears threaten to fall from my eyes, but I hold them back. “But if anyone deserves it, it’s her.”

Dr. Lorringer nods. “Do you wish you could give that to her? If you’d met in another life?”

“That’s a trick question,” he points out, refusing to look at me anymore.

With a kind smile, she replies, “We’re talking hypothetically, Gage.”

“Hypothetically?” His eyes dart back to mine. Then he studies me carefully. “Yeah. If I knew I wouldn’t hurt you and was capable of giving you everything you deserve––”

“And what does she deserve?” Dr. Lorringer interjects.

“A relationship that blows her brother’s out of the water.”

The audience laughs along with Dr. Lorringer. “Perfect. Go on.”

“If I knew I was capable of giving you that, I’d do it in a heartbeat.” There’s a hint of hesitation in his eyes that seems to fill a few of the little cracks of reservations I have with him. It’s the vulnerability that isn’t usually present in a guy that, for as long as I’ve known him, has always been so self-assured. It almost breaks me.

“And, Nora, are you willing to risk your heart to find out if heiscapable? If maybe he just needs someone to have faith in him and to teach him what unconditional love looks and feels like?”

“We just met,” I argue.

“Every love story starts that way. Whether it’s on a dating site, at the grocery store, through a mutual friend, or maybe it’s on a singles’ cruise,” she replies with a smirk. “Your relationship isn’t any different than anyone else’s in this room. It’s how you move forward after that first date. How you encourage that connection after the initial meeting. It’s these decisions that can make or break a relationship. You have to decide if you’re willing to deal with the mess that comes with every single person––because I guarantee no one is perfect––or if you’d prefer to keep your hands clean and let another potential soulmate slipthrough your fingers because that connection wasn’t strong enough to encourage you to get your hands dirty. That choice is up to you.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Gage jokes before giving me a sexy wink. I’m not sure if it’s to deflect or if it’s a tactic to get Dr. Lorringer to move onto the passion portion, but I appreciate his effort. It’s way too serious in here, and it’s hitting way too close to home.

“That’s why I get paid the big bucks,” Dr. Lorringer replies. “Now, I’ll let both of you decide if your relationship is worth pursuing or not on your own time. As for right now, shall we dive into the fun part?”

The audience cheers, and I join in, ready to breathe when I feel like I’ve been holding my breath during this entire interrogation.

“Perfect! Let’s give Gage and Nora one more round of applause for letting us peek into their little therapy session.”

As the clapping starts, Gage grabs my hand and raises it into the air before pulling me into a dramatic bow like we’re receiving a standing ovation at the ballet. I roll my eyes as my face heats up, but I kind of love how he plays off the crowd and makes me feel more comfortable in my own skin.

“Alright, and before you both go back to your seats, I want you to know that yourissues”––she uses air quotes around the term––“are completely normal. Neither of them are deal-breakers by any means, and I think you two are an adorable couple. Okay, go sit down. Enough of this mushy crap. Actually, I’m totally lying because passion is mushy, and we’re just getting started.”

“Great,” Gage grumbles behind me as we walk back to our yoga mat. With a snort, I peek behind me to see him smiling back.

“You’re a trooper. You know that, right?”

We both sit down before he replies, “Uh-huh. You definitely owe me, though. I feel like I just got a colonoscopy.”

“You and me both. I’m seriously going to kill Gem the next time I see her.”

“Yeah, I think I might have to do a little cockblocking to get back at her for earlier today too. Do you think Conner will mind if I slip some laxatives into his drink tonight?”

I snort. “That’s just cruel.”

“And our little therapy session in front of an audience wasn’t?”

I recount the conversation that really did feel a hell of a lot like therapy in front of a group of strangers from around the world. “Good point.”

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to stand up. Everyone. Yes, you too,” she orders a shy young woman who looks as timid as a mouse. I’d bet fifty bucks she’s a Pisces.

Gage and I both sigh before standing back up, then we turn to Dr. Lorringer to wait for our next instructions.

“Perfect. I want you to each face your partner then hold hands.” After rubbing my palms against my pants, I raise them up between us, and Gage grabs both. We’ve held hands plenty of times before, but after exposing our scars to each other, it feels a little more intimate somehow.

“Perfect!” Dr. Lorringer praises again before flipping a switch on the wall that transforms the room from overly bright and cheery to something a little darker and more intimate. “Now, I want you to look into each other’s eyes. Yes, this will feel very uncomfortable at first, but if we’ve learned anything from this evening thus far, it’s that sometimes, we need to peel away our layers to let someone else in. This can be painful, but I can guarantee it will also produce the most lasting and fruitful relationship. Let me give you an example. Did you know that you can make brownie batter without adding eggs?” Gage quirks hisbrow, and I find myself thinking the same thing.Where the hell is she going with this?

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