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FATAL ATTRACTION

DIYA

A fter teaching me not to be a brat for thirty minutes straight with his tongue, fingers, and other parts he so cleverly used, we were both hungry. I made noodles and fried eggs.

It was my comfort dish. When my foster parents went out, Trina would make us fried eggs, and noodles topped with cheese.

“I’ve never smelled anything more delicious,” Asher said as I added some thyme and oregano on top ofthe cheese. He sat down, dragging the bowl of noodles toward him. “This is delicious.”

“Trina used to cook for us when…” I trailed off, shaking my head.

“When?” he whispered, looking straight into my eyes. “Trust me not to use your weakness against you, Diya.”

I already trusted him more than I should.

For as long as I could remember, there was only room for Trina and Layne in my life. I trusted no one else, I loved no one else. Everyone else I had met in my life… every single one of them was disposable.

But looking into his eyes…

“When my foster parents left the house. It was the best part of our lives.”

“They hurt you?”

“They did. He did.”

He reached for my hand and stopped when I jerked away. His hand just stayed there… waiting, giving me a choice, and after a minute, I put mine over his.

“Our foster father. Most nights, he’d push me against the bed, his hands on my mouth, telling me I deserved to be punished for wearing that short skirt. And then our foster mother would walk me to the bathroom, pour cold water over my head, and rub my skin raw until she was satisfied I was cleansed.” I bit my lips, and he held my hand tighter. “She’d tell me to pray for forgiveness because I’m the devil’s spawn.” I laughed. “She’d tell me I’m going to hell.”

“I want to fucking kill them. Where are they now?”

“We already sent them both to hell.”

“You killed them?”

“Yes.”

I told him then, I told him something I had never told anyone, knowing he’d not betray my trust.

“God doesn’t love the child of Satan. You’re going to hell.” She would cry as she’d pour more cold water down my body. The fresh wounds would sting from the water and her nails.

“Fuck you, Martha. You’ll be the one going to hell. I-I’ll be in heaven.”

“Shut up, girl. Shut up,” she’d scream in my face.

“You shut the fuck up, you useless woman. Go rub your husband with that bar of soap. He’s the piece of shit who is dirty. Not me, not my sisters.”

Slap.

“You’ve no respect for your elders, girl, and Trina and Layne are not your sisters. Look at your skin and theirs.”

“Oh, fuck off, you persnickety bitch. You’re a sad, worthless woman. It must be a pathetic life to live… giving excuses for your husband.”

Martha would scream and sob, but she wouldn’t stop rubbing my body. She’d rub until she was sure I was clean, until my privates were clean, and then she’d slowly grab me by my hair, pulling me closer until her nose was against my skin.

She’d smell my clean skin, and her hands would tremble. I knew she wanted to touch me as her husband did, but she wouldn’t, and then she’d run out of the door, cursing at me for being the spawn of the devil, for being a temptress, leaving me naked and cold.

I took in a deep breath as his fingers curled around mine, keeping me steady.

“Saying sorry will never be enough. But had they lived, I’d… show them hell.” I smiled a little as he wiped my tears, pulling me up from the chair, his fingers soft on my skin. “You did good. Men and women like them shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

We stood in silence for a while before I took a calming breath.

“So… how’d you find out about Dr. T? He’s why you came here, right?”

Asher nodded, his eyes grave.

“Riley’s letter.”

I gasped. “She wrote to you.”

“Yes. We used to write to each other until we didn’t. And then one day… out of nowhere, I got a letter.” He took a deep breath. “It was a suicide note. If only I had come a little sooner…” Asher took a sharp breath, his jaw rigid. “I could have saved her.”

“It’s normal to feel that way, but you have to move on, Asher. It’s the only way you’ll get through this.”

“I will. After I destroy the monster who ruined her.”

“Where are the letters now?” I asked, knowing that it wouldn’t be in his room. The orderlies would have found them on their routine check if he had kept them in his room.

His lips thinned and he looked away before giving me an abashed smile. “In your office. Inside the Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry by Kaplan and Sadock.”

I shook my head with a chuckle.

“How long?”

“Long.”

“Bastard. What if someone else had found them? What if I had?”

“I put the book back on the highest shelf,” he said, giving me a smirk, “and there are two copies of it.”

“Can I read the letters? I might notice something?”

“Sure,” he said.

“Thank you, Asher.”

“Thank you for the food.”

He gave me a quick grin—this one not so broken—as he stood up.

Grabbing my bowl and his, he walked toward the kitchen sink. The sound of water filled the silence stretched between us as he washed the bowls, dried them, and put them on the shelf before he turned to me, and it almost looked like this could become a part of my life, a part of my broken routine.

“I should go.” His voice was reluctant. “I have to, but I don’t want to.”

A small part of me wanted him to stay.

Without a word, he pulled me up and sat me on the table. My protest died when he took my chin and pressed his lips against mine. When he moved back, he was smiling. “We’ll finish this during our one-on-one session.”

“In your dreams, Asher.”

“In my dreams, you were naked and begging me to taste you.”

“Get the fuck out,” I said, pushing him out of the kitchen, and out the door, as he laughed his fucking ass off.

“Are you suddenly shy, Sharma?”

“Fuck no. I’m…” It was embarrassing, to say the least. “Just leave, and be careful.”

“You too,” he said. “I’d usually say lock your door, but keeping it locked is going to do nothing to protect you. You need to find something sturdy. Good night.”

The next morning, I walked to the kitchen and poured a tall cup of coffee.

I loved my chai dearly, but some mornings were torture without coffee.

Closing the cottage door behind me, I took the trail toward Hollowhaven. Soon, the compound came into view, along with familiar faces weeding the garden. They looked peaceful, untouched by the voices and nightmares that often haunted them.

“Hi, Diya,” Vincent said with a smile when I walked into the building.

The woman and the man standing next to Vincent, talking with Becca, turned around in sync.

They looked like they’d walked straight out of a glossy magazine. She was in a gorgeous summer dress, her blonde hair shining in sunlight. He was dressed in a sharp suit that screamed custom-made.

I recognized him immediately. The slightly older version of Vincent.

“Mayor Bricks,” I said. I had met him once when I first came to Hollow Heights.

“Doctor Sharma, it’s nice seeing you again. How long has it been?”

“Four months.”

“I was happy that we found an amazing doctor. With Doctor T gone now…” He shook his head, his smile sad. “You’re a godsend.”

“Thank you, Mayor Bricks.”

The woman stepped forward, smiling softly.

“Hi, I’m Ellis Bricks.”

“Hi, Mrs. Bricks.” I took her offered hand.

“Call me Ellis,” she said. “How’s Hollow Heights treating you?”

“It’s good. I love the town, but I’m here most of the time,” I said, and Ellis nodded. “So what brings you here?”

“My brother and his wife come to Hollowhaven every year to celebrate their anniversary,” Vincent said, casting a glance at his brother before turning back to me. “It’s next week, and they’ve been working with Doctor T on the details. It is a charity event to raise funds for Hollowhaven. They’d like to discuss it with you. Think you could help?”

The last time we saw each other, he’d punched Asher and stormed out. Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.

“Oh, sure,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. “But I don’t think most patients will be comfortable with it.”

“Of course. We talked about that,” Ellis said. “Only for the residents who are comfortable attending the gala. No pressure. Hollow Heights is our home, and we just want to give something back.”

“Sounds good.” Turning to Mayor Bricks, I added, “You can wait in Doctor Stanley’s office. I’ll be there in a second.”

As Becca walked off with them, I turned back to Vincent. He was already looking down, scratching his jaw like he suddenly found the floor interesting.

“So… why are you here, Sheriff?” I asked.

Vincent’s eyes flicked toward me for half a second. “Just tagging along,” he said. “Figured it might help if I made sure everything runs smoothly.”

Yeah, right. He wasn’t fooling anyone.

“You should come with me then,” I said.

His lips pressed into a thin line. He’d rather do anything else. Like hunting down Asher or digging deeper into Hannigan’s death. Not babysit a charity meeting with me.

But he followed me without a word as I opened Doctor Stanley’s office after a knock.

“Everything is already wrapped up, isn’t it, Mayor Bricks?” Doctor Stanley asked as I took the seat next to Camille, giving her a nod.

“Yes,” he said. “Doctor T and Ellis had already sorted out all the details before... his death.”

Doctor Stanley’s face fell. “Do you have any leads, Sheriff Bricks?”

Vincent gave me a pointed look, like he knew I was hiding a criminal. Okay, he was right, but he had no concrete proof.

“Not yet.”

“I heard there was another death,” the doctor said. I studied the faces around me, noticing the subtle changes and signs.

Vincent looked frustrated, while Ellis and Camille looked scared. Mayor Bricks looked worried, and Doctor Stanley was curious to know more.

“If you need more assistance from our side, please don’t hesitate,” Doctor Stanley said. “Whoever did this must be punished.”

“I’m worried about what happened to Doctor Tomlinson,” Ellis said as we walked out of Doctor Stanley’s office, running her fingers along her pearl necklace.

“We can push back the date if you need more time.”

Her smile flickered, just for a moment, before she gave me a firm, almost too-bright look. “No, no. We don’t want to inconvenience you,” she said quickly, then glanced over at Vincent. “Vincent will handle everything.”

I walked them to the main door.

“So…” Ellis said, looking at me when we reached the door. “How about you join us for our anniversary dinner, Doctor Sharma? It’s a small intimate party with friends and family,” she said, giving a not-so-subtle nudge to Vincent. “Vince would love to have a date, and not be hounded by mothers with single daughters.”

Vincent snorted.

“Thank you. I’ll check with other doctors and let you know.”

With a goodbye to me, Ellis and Mayor Bricks walked out of the building, and I turned to Vincent.

“Your brother looks like you. You all look the same.”

“I was told I’m the handsome one,” he said with a shrug. “You keep watching me.”

“What?”

“You want to know if I came here for Asher,” he said, eyes in slits.

“I do. The last time, you were…”

“I don’t want to keep accusing him,” he said, his voice defensive.

“Then don’t.”

“I know he’s not innocent. You should have seen Hannigan’s body. If it was Asher…”

“You assume it was him. Assumptions aren’t evidence.”

“But that’s all you do, don’t you? That’s basically your whole job.”

“It’s not.”

“How can you know someone else, their feelings and pain, their darkness and thoughts? You assume.”

“I…” I trailed off seeing Asher walking toward us. He glared at Vincent before he turned to me, pointedly looking at the clock behind us.

“I’m sorry,” I said, and his eyes narrowed. “I have a session right now. I should go.”

“I’ll call you,” Vincent said.

I nodded and watched as he walked away, joining his brother and sister-in-law.

Asher leaned closer to me with a frown. “You looked so chummy together.”

“Don’t be jealous,” I said with a smile.

“I’m not. I just hate his face.”

“I believe you. He hates yours too.” I walked toward my office, and he followed, sulking.

“You must pay for being late to the session, Doctor. That’s extremely unprofessional.”

“What?!”

“I think a kiss would be enough for now, but more later.”

I shook my head with a chuckle, walking inside the door when Nurse Shelly came running toward me, looking pale.

“What’s it?”

“It’s Millie, Doctor Sharma.”

I followed Nurse Shelly until we reached the main reception. Millie was on the floor, her body shaking violently, her breath coming in broken gasps.

“Millie?” I called out, quickening my steps.

Her eyes darted up before she shut them tight, her body shrinking as if she wanted to disappear entirely into the wall.

I crouched next to her, my hand on her shoulder. She rocked back and forth, mumbling something under her breath, over and over. Her breaths came in shallow, erratic gasps.

“...everywhere. Everywhere. No,” Millie mumbled, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Run, run, everywhere...”

“What happened?”

“We were coming out of the cafeteria. Everything was fine, and then she… she just started having an anxiety attack. It was so sudden. No idea what triggered it,” Nurse Shelly said.

“Millie,” I said softly. “Can you take a deep breath with me? Just one. In and out.”

Millie didn’t respond. She kept whimpering.

“Lorazepam, one mg IM,” I said. Shelly nodded and left to prepare the injection.

“You’re safe,” I murmured, turning to Millie. “You don’t have to say anything. Just listen to my voice.”

Millie sobbed, still caught in whatever nightmare that haunted her.

“Millie, I’m Doctor Diya. You’re safe here,” I said. “Let’s breathe together, okay? Follow my voice.”

She trembled, but her rocking slowed down.

“Breathe with me, Millie.” I took a slow inhale, loud enough for her to hear. “Inhale for four seconds. One… two… three… four.”

I watched her closely. “Hold it. One… two… three… four… five… six. Now exhale. One… two… three… four… five… six… seven… eight.”

Her breath hitched as she tried, and her shoulders drooped.

“Again. Inhale—one… two… three… four. Hold for six…”

This time, she followed. A shaky breath in.

“Exhale—slow. You’re doing great, Millie.”

Her breath started syncing with mine. Still uneven, but better. She stopped rocking.

Behind me, Shelly stood ready with the syringe, waiting for my instruction.

“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered. A lie.

It was never going to be okay. Not unless…

Her breathing slowed a little.

“You’re safe.”

Millie took a sharp breath, her lips trembling. “It’s everywhere,” she said, shaking her head. “Everywhere. Lavenders, lavenders everywhere.”

“I’ll take her to her room,” Shelly said, gently guiding her up from the floor. Millie’s shoulders were slumped as she stood up.

It had been a long time since Millie reacted this severely to anything.

Something triggered her. What?

“Don’t go on a date with Vincent. Don’t go anywhere with Vincent.” That was the first thing Asher said when he walked in for his session, after I had checked Millie once again.

“How do you—”

“I overheard you talking with Ellis.”

“Pretty much everyone who matters will be at the Mayor’s party,” I said, frowning. “I can take a look around. This man must be really well-connected.”

“I know. I still don’t want you to go,” he whispered, pressing his lips to me before he pulled back. “I hate to think of you with him, dancing, laughing… kissing.”

“If I promise not to kiss him?” I asked, leaning closer to him, my fingers trailing down his shirt. It was illegal how he looked gorgeous even in the hospital-issued shirt.

“How could anyone not want to kiss you? He’d try, and I’d kill him for that.”

I pushed him away from me, shaking my head.

“So, tell me more about the Bricks brothers?”

“Ok, so… Holland’s the eldest. He’s the favorite son.Jonah is the unambitious black sheep of the family. He was a musician, and his father hated it. Oh, and then there’s Sheriff Asshole. He has always been too perfect for his own good. Why?”

“Something triggered Millie today, and…” I rubbed my neck. “Do you remember Millie’s case?”

“Of course. The whole town was shaken when that happened. She was gone for three days.”

“How old were Holland, Jonah, and Vincent back then?”

“Vince was eleven. We searched for Millie too. Riley, Vince, and I, and the whole town.” His eyes clouded over. “Holland was in college. He wasn’t in Hollow Heights when that happened. I remember it because… it was the day after Vincent’s birthday, and Holland wasn’t at the party. He sent a gift to Vincent, though,” Asher said, tugging at his hair and shaking his head.

“Anything else?”

He shook his head, and then his eyes widened. “The other day… I saw Jonah here. He said he came to visit Doctor Stanley.”

“And?”

“I caught him staring at Millie, and he was jumpy too.” Asher frowned.

“Ok. I’m definitely going to that party,” I said. “I need to dig deeper into the Bricks brothers. Now, Riley’s letters?”

“I’m definitely going to that party,” I said. “Now, Riley’s letters?”

He looked at me for a few seconds before moving toward the shelf, taking the book out.

“Here.”