Page 175 of Brainwashed

My mind is blazing with thoughts as I stalk over to my desk and pick up the walkie I use to contact the guards quickly. Pressing the button, I bark, “Someone bring Felix Darcey to my office right now.”

Tossing it down, I pace around the room for minutes on end. They tick by so goddamn slow, each one of them jacking up the tension in my veins; the anger and confusion and distress. It’s all weaving its way around my muscles until I’m seething.

And then there’s a knock on the door.

Peters comes in, hauling Felix along. He’s in a straitjacket, shackled at the ankles. But when Peters goes to remove the shackles, I grunt, “Leave them.”

Peters gives me a look. Then peeks at Felix, whose forehead is lined with concern.

“Okay, then,” Peters mumbles and leaves my office, closing the door behind him.

My heated glare is locked on Felix as he blinks at me. “You’re really not gonna let me out of this stuff?”

“No.” I motion toward the couch. “Go sit.”

Felix looks worried and confused. “Is everything okay…?”

“Sit down, Felix,” I growl.

He swallows visibly, shuffling his way to the couch, chains clanking as he goes. He takes a seat, strapped up in the straitjacket, appearing all manners of uncomfortable. But I don’t care about that. I’ve made him more than comfortable in the short time I’ve known him. That was mistake number one.

I thought it would get him to open up to me, help me with the work. Instead, it made him think we were friends. Or potential lovers.

I need to shut this shit down.

Walking over to the chair, I take a seat, pressing record on my phone and dropping it onto the table with a thunk.

Felix’s eyes are wide as he gapes at me. “Are you sure you’re alright…? You seem—”

“We’re not talking aboutme, Felix,” I cut him off sternly. “You’re the patient and I’m the doctor.”

His brows knit. “What the fuck, Lem?? I don’t see you for days, and when you finally call me in, you’re acting like…”

“Acting like what?” I squint at him.

“Like an asshole,” he huffs.

“Well, it turns out all I needed was some time away from you.” I let the words slip out into the air. And once they’re out there, they’re all I can hear. It makes me feel sick, but I push past it as best I can.

Felix looks stunned; hurt. Like I just shot him out of nowhere. “Why are you being like this?” I say nothing, simply stare at him while he becomes a bit jittery. “Is it about the girls in your phone…? Are you getting back with them?”

I give him a confused look. “What girls? What are you talking about?”

He glances at his lap. “I looked through your phone and saw your texts. Your exes were messaging you…”

The explosion of things that happens inside me from hearing this is overwhelming as hell. I’m outraged, but also sort of flattered. Intrigued, it sort of makes me swoon for a moment. But then I lock that up, replacing it with annoyance, denial, and more hostility.

“My relationships are none of your concern, Felix,” I croak, then clear my throat. “Neither is what I choose to do when I leave this island.”

His eyes widen as he struggles against the fabric of the straitjacket. “Wait…leave? Why would you leave??”

My face is stone still. I have to force it to stay that way. “It’s inevitable. My research with you has plateaued. I’m not sure how much else I can learn from you, and it’s getting too complicated.”

The look on his face is making me want to throw up, but I swallow it down.

“No…No no no. Wait. I have more.” He gasps frantically, breathing raggedly, like he might hyperventilate. “I can give you more. Whatever it takes, just don’t… don’t go.”

My fingers are digging into my thigh so hard I’m going to bruise myself. “Like what? What more can you tell me…?”