Page 54 of Meet Me In The Dark (Skeptically In Love #3)

“How are the panic attacks?” Rae asks, calm as ever.

“Better,” I reply, stretching my legs. “Celeste helps.”

There’s a flicker in Rae’s eyes before she masks it with professional neutrality.

Interesting.

Even the good doctor has her tells.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Her pen hovers over her notepad. “And the obsession?”

A slow grin pulls at my lips. I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “Well, I’m going to marry her one day, Doc. So, you tell me how that obsession is going.”

She blinks at me, pen frozen mid-stroke. It’s subtle, but she’s caught off guard. For someone who thrives on picking apart my psyche, I enjoy the occasional shock I send her way.

“Does she know this?” she asks after a measured beat.

“Not yet, but Celeste has a way of figuring things out before I do. So, who knows, maybe she already does.”

“And this marriage idea, is it impulsive, or do you think it’s the next logical step?”

“Logical?” I laugh, shaking my head. “Nothing about us is logical. Celeste and I are madness, and frankly, it’s fucking beautiful.”

She raises an eyebrow, though there’s warmth in her eyes now. “Beautiful madness?”

“Exactly.” I tap my chest, directly over my heart, the place where Celeste has taken root. “She calms the chaos. She makes the panic disappear, but more than that, she makes me want to deal with it. She makes it worth dealing with.”

Rae nods slowly, a quiet smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Then perhaps this isn’t an obsession at all, Julian. Perhaps it’s something far healthier.”

“Healthy? Don’t tell Celeste that. She might run for the hills.”