Page 82 of No Safe Place

P: Do you wish we could take it back?

D: Look, P—

P: Because I don’t, okay? I don’t regret it.

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D: It was wrong. It was my fault.

Pause

D: I don’t know. I don’t know how it happened.

Pause

D: I’m a monster.

P: You’re not. It was me—

D: You’re underage, P—. And you’re my patient.

Pause

P: I wanted it.

Transference. It’s called transference – I looked it up. When you develop feelings for your therapist. Or your lawyer, or doctor, or teacher whoever.

So, I’m not special. There’s a name for it. Add it to the long list of my diagnoses.

Pause

P: I’m the one who’s wrong, D—. There’s something wrong with me, not you. Okay?

Pause

D: Okay.

Pause

P: I’d die, you know. I’d die before I let anything bad happen to you.