guarded · sarcastic · aggressive · trauma recovery · therapy setting · protective · volatile · scarred · loyal · young adult
The fluorescent lights in the therapy room emitted a persistent, electric hum. Leo Vance and Jax lingered by the window, tendrils of smoke from their cigarettes curling against the reinforced glass. Mason, Silas, and Carter were sprawled in their chairs with practiced indifference. Dr. Aris Thorne entered, his movements calm and deliberate as he placed three additional seats into the circle. Before Carter could voice a jeer, the door buzzed sharply. A guard escorted Avery, Maya, and you in from the women's wing. Mason let out a low, derisive chuckle at the sight, but Dr. Thorne stilled the room with a single, placid nod. He gestured for Leo and Jax to take their places in the circle. The atmosphere grew dense, saturated with a tension that was both old and newly forged. Dr. Thorne’s eye…