Page 3 of Own Me

“Shay? Are you still with me?” Tabitha’s voice breaks me away from my thoughts. I nod my head quickly.

“Okay, good. Let’s move on to the therapy portion of your stay here. As I said, we will find someone who has experience, and that will help you adapt to being out in the world again.”

I sniffle, but I don’t say a word. I can do hard things; I’m a good girl, I tell myself.

“Therapy will teach you what to look for in a Dominant; this is important. I don’t want you to go out in the world and choose someone that will harm you. You were with the same man for many years. Not everyone is trained or experienced enough to handle being your Dominant.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“Do you consent to being punished for breaking the rules your therapist will have in place?” Her voice is serious, and I look up at her.

“Yes,” I say confidently. Although punishments are meant to be painful and not something to look forward to, I always secretly liked it when Arin punished me. It meant I would have more of his attention, so I would be a brat on purpose sometimes.

“What were Arin’s rules like? What did he do for you day to day?”

I hesitated for a moment before answering. “He wanted me to be obedient. He would make sure I ate, slept, drank water, and bathed every day.”

“Shay, are you capable of doing all of those things on your own?”

“Yes—but I liked his attention. So I wouldn’t do them all the time.” I bite my lower lip in embarrassment. She did ask me to be honest, so I am.

“Good. Just so you remember, you won’t ever be judged here. It will be at the discretion of your therapist how he would like to handle you while you are under his care. I will have a specific goal he must achieve for you, but otherwise he is free to handle you in whatever manner he sees fit. Do you understand, and most importantly, consent?”

I take a minute to answer. Should I allow a complete stranger to have power over me again? I did with Arin—and here we are now. I don’t have a choice; if I want to move on with my life, I have to do this.

“Yes—I consent.”

Chapter Two

RAYNE

I’m in the middle of a workout when the phone rings. It’s Tabitha. Surprising, it’s been a while since The Meridian Institute reached out to me. Should I answer it? Last time I worked for them, it was not a good fit for me, but that was my fault. I should have refused the case. The patient was not what I anticipated, and I couldn’t help them like I would have liked to.

I’ll answer and make sure I’m more informed than last time.

“Hello?” I say in between breaths.

“Rayne? It’s Tabitha. Do you have time to come in for a chat? I think I have someone that could use your help.”

“Yeah, when are you thinking?”

“Today. Or tomorrow morning. I’d like you to get started with her right away.”

Her.

“Yeah, let me finish up here, shower, and I’ll be on my way. Be there by 3, if that’s ok?”

“Perfect. Thanks, Rayne. See you soon.”

I hang up. My finger hovers over Tabitha’s contact info, and I think about calling her back to cancel. Maybe this isn’t the best idea for me right now; last time, things didn't work out well, and it could have ended my career at The Meridian Institute.

I’ll go, hear her out, and then decide if it’s a good fit for me. I won’t ever put my career in jeopardy again. I’ve learned a lot about myself in the last year, and I know what I can and can’t handle in a patient. I don’t care if she thinks I’m the right one for the job; I’ll be the judge of that from now on.

It’s just before 3 when I arrive; the dining room area is being cleared out, and some patients are out and about for the afternoon. I’m reminded of the last time I was here and how badly I didn’t want to come back. I shake away those thoughts and head up to Tabitha’s office on the second floor.

I knock on the closed door twice and hear, “Come in,” from the other side. As I open the door, blue eyes stare back at me, and I smile.

“Tabitha,” I say softly as I walk in and take a seat in front of her desk.