Chapter Sixteen
Declan
What the hell just happened? Having found my way through Dr. Campos’ house and to the back patio.
I pace back and forth to the beat of my racing heart.
One minute he’s pressing me for information, and the next he’s in a state of shock.
My hands are glossy with sweat from the anxiety, and I struggle to spark the lighter.
He recognized Daphne’s name. How can that be?
I wipe the sweat from my forehead, still focused on lighting the cigarette.
Why am I so worked up? No answers come to mind.
A vibration in my pocket startles me, causing me to stumble into rose bushes lining the brick wall at the back of the doctor’s property. It’s my girlfriend calling. And it occurs to me I never told her about my experience yesterday.
Shit.
Struggling to get my balance back, thorns cling to my clothes.
“Hi honey,” I greet her with a grin as I stamp out my barely lit butt. “Is everything okay?”
She exhales slowly before responding, “Yeah. I was worried about you. You never called me last night, and I figured you would, being that it was your first visit to this new doctor. Given how you were doing when you checked in, I wanted to make sure he didn’t kill you.
Haha.” Her laugh settles my nerves a bit, even if it’s sarcastic. “So—how are you?”
“The doctor had some sort of, I don’t know, episode.” I blurt it out without thinking of how it’ll sound.
“Oh no, what happened?”
“I think it might be related to Daphne. I told him her name, and he went into shock.”
“That fucking bitch,” she boasts with fury.
“Declan.” Dr. Campos slides the glass patio door open and waves for me to come inside.
"Babe,” I grab her attention in earnest. “I can’t talk about it right now. Later, okay? Sorry for not calling. I gotta go back in.”