“Felicity, you won’t be able to leave until we start to talk about your issues.”
“My issues were a lack of medication, and we’ve talked about that, so I think I’m good,” I said.
“This guy really can’t take a hint.” Cleo played with the blinds. “You remember that teenager at the high school who kept coming up and asking you for a date, what was his name?”
“Andrew.” Shit, I answered her.
“What’s that? Who is Andrew?” Dr. Butler asked.
I shook my head. “I said aren’t you. As in aren’t you going to check up on your other patients? Someone was yelling before.”
“Does the yelling bother you?”
I stopped wanting to ask if he was joking.
“Seriously? Who gives these people their licenses?” Mark laughed. “Of course yelling bothers her. It’s yelling, you moron!”
I nodded in agreement… fuck.
“Is something funny, Felicity?”
“Just your questions. Can I get back to writing now?”
I didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, I tried to focus, ignoring how hard it was to write when my hand shook more each day.
This place was making me worse, not better.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I’m Not Crazy
Theo
Tomorrow would make three weeks since Felicity had returned to Crossroads. I hoped to
get back to Los Angeles by early tomorrow morning to see her. They had a rule that all new or returning patients had to wait three weeks before leaving or having a guest.
At first I’d tried not to think about it or her to stop myself from going crazy. I cared more now than I had before, which was why I found myself at the New York State Executive Mansion to meet Governor Daniel Ford. He was hosting a donors’ event while his daughter was suffering without him. He was trying to raise money since he was hoping to run for president next year. The fact I had to pay to listen to this guy answer questions from other wealthy people who hoped he shared common interests with was painful just to think about.
“Mr. Darcy.” A slim man with salt-and-pepper hair stepped forward, hands outstretched. Beside him was a woman with short blonde hair, dressed in pink with pearls around her neck. Similar to the two daughters beside her, both of them looked just like their father, dark hair and blue eyes. They were all picture perfect.
“Thank you for having me, Governor. I’m sorry I’m so late.” I forced a smile, shaking his hand.
“Nonsense. Everyone is just making small talk. The other guests are already in the parlor.” His wife smiled and pointed the way. Following them, I noticed there were no pictures of Felicity in the house. There were dozens of them displayed everywhere, on vacations, with celebrities, and even in Times Square at New Years. Felicity had been erased. It was even worse than if she were dead. It was like she’d never existed to them.
“Mr. Darcy?” The mayor shook my hand. “Welcome back to New York.”
“Thank you. It’s exactly how I remembered.” Filled with rats.
The mayor gave a loud, bogus, and annoying laugh, still holding on to my hand. “Last time you where here your company threw one of the biggest benefit concerts the city had ever seen. Tourists flew in from every corner of the globe. It was like New Years all over again.”
“I’m guessing you’re hoping it will happen again,” I said, taking a seat at the dining table.
“A mayor can dream.”
“Sorry, mayor, nothing is in the works yet. I’m here for the governor.”
There were quite a few people already here as well, but I didn’t care. My main focus was them, the happy-go-lucky, all-American Ford family.