His mind

"Toxic is when they can't let you go, but can't treat you right either"

| Ivelle |

She gathered her paperwork, seemingly gathering her thoughts too.
"So, you want to bring your children to Pollymore" she smiled
She's an idiot
"Yes" I smiled

She was a pretty idiot
She had dark hair, sweet eyes
I could see why Ardian went for a woman like her
But she's boring

She doesn't excite him
"Well, term starts up again this September..."

I didn't listen to her
I just watched her, the way she smiled
The way her eyes light up
The ribbon in her hair

The rings on her hand
The lack of an engagement ring
Very bad of you Ardian... if you love her
"Mrs Halter?" She questioned

"Are you married?" I asked
"Sorry?" She asked surprised
"I'm sorry. Forgive me, I'm going through a rather... turbulent divorce, are you married?" I asked, gaining her sympathy

"Uh... no" she said
"Taken?" I asked
Talk about him
I want to see him through your eyes
"Yes" she said shortly

"He must be a catch... woman like you" I said
"Thank you, it's uh... we're happy" she lied, smiling through it.
"What's he like?" I asked

"Oh I don't thi-"
"Forgive me, you just seem so... bright" I said, feigning my own sadness

"He... he's sweet, we... he's very intelligent, it's what drew me to him really, easy on the eye too" she said lightheartedly
I nodded
"So as I said theres-"

"I don't think you are" I said
"Excuse me" she said
"I don't think you are. Happy. With Ardian" I clarified
"I'm sorry I... I didn't tell you his name?" She questioned confused

I snatched her phone from the desk
"Enora I've heard a lot about you and you seem very sweet, very kind hearted" I drawled out, looking on her phone, pulling a knife out of my bag and resting it on the table
"But if you scream or move. I'll kill you before anyone would be able to stop me, is that clear?" I asked

There. Right there. Oh I missed that
Every emotion running through her face
Scared and confused
Anxious and angry
Before it settles on contentment
She knows the situation. Her situation and now she's powerless

Yet, there's also recognition
She knows who I am this time. She knows what I've done

"You are Ivelle" she let out in a shaky tone
I nodded as I scrolled through her phone
"Yeah. Nice to finally meet you" I smiled her way

"What do you want?" She asked warily, her eyes slowly darting in different places
She thought it wasn't obvious, it is.

"I just wanted to meet the woman who captured a man like Ardian's mind" I said
"His mind?" She asked confused
I nodded
"But I don't think you have. Looking at you, meeting you... you have his attention, maybe even his heart. You're sweet, you're pretty" I said, gesturing around the bright colourful classroom we sat in

"But his mind. He seems so... interested in me, don't you think?" I asked happily, looking up at her
"...no" She answered
"It's his job, he's just doing his job" she mumbled
"No... because he's visited me way more than he needs to. You must have noticed. You must have, running off to your sisters because he's not giving you enough time and attention" I mused

He's giving it to me.
"And that kiss... god, it was like... magic" I sighed, sitting back
"Kiss?" She asked, horrified
I nodded
"Ardian didn't tell you about that I guess... he's very caring too you see... he cares about me a lot" I frowned at her sympathetically

"Why are you here? What... what do you want me to say?" She asked
"I just want you to know. That you two fell apart because you're not right for each other" I said

"And you are?" She asked curiously
"Living with a psychiatrist has made you somewhat paranoid" I commented, pointing at her with the knife

"But no. We just... understand each other, I have his mind Enora" I smiled, slowly standing up
"Now... smile" I grinned, taking a photo of her, sending it to Ardian on her phone

"It really was nice talking to you" I said genuinely, taking the sim card from her phone and chucking the phone back onto the desk
"Ardian told me nothing about you, I had to find everything out for myself, so boring. But I suppose that sums you up to a tee Miss Darrington" I said, heading for the door

She stood up panicking.
As I left her classroom and jammed the door with a chair, hearing her begin to scream and shout for help

| Ardian |

Moping around in this flat... mine and Enora's flat, like I'm the prisoner.
My phone chimed
And I saw a photo from Enora
One that confused me and then chilled me before I desperately tried to ring her

No answer
Again, no answer
Again and again as I rushed down to the street and raced over to her school

Enora
- We're comparing notes Ardian...
Photo attached

•

Two policeman were talking to her when I got there
In her classroom
I looked around. Only to be stopped by someone
"Excuse me? Who are you?" He asked
"I'm Enora's partner, can I see her please?" I practically begged

I care about her, I... I don't want anything to happen to her because of me.
Because of Ivelle
He looked into the room too, seeing the policeman stand up
So he nodded
And I rushed in.

"Enora?" I questioned
She raced into my arms, crying
"I thought the place would be flooded, why aren't there more of you?" I asked angrily
"Mr Carmona wants discretion over this... matter" one of them said

"Discretion? She's come to her work, she's scared the shit out of her!" I shouted
"Ardian stop" she cried
"We'll leave you to it" the other office said to Enora, ignoring me and leaving the classroom

"Are you alright? I'm so sorry" I said
She pushed me away
"Enora?"
"She's trying to scare me. To... for what exactly? What does she want?!" She demanded

"I don't know" I shook my head
"What did she say?" I asked
If I can just figure out her mindset then maybe I can figure out what she wants.

"She said a lot of things about you. A lot... I... she said you're more interested in her than me, that she has your mind? That you kissed?" She shouted
Fuck
"She's a liar Enora. She just wants to drive us apart, she did the same thing to her last doctor, to her guards, she thrives on destruction" I tried

She shook her head
"Do you... do you like her?" She asked, seemingly disgusted by her own words
"No" I said

"Really? Because you've left me practically every day in one week, because of her! Trying to figure her out! I mean... she came here to scare me and you ask what she said?" She questioned, confused and... ashamed of me.

She was silent for a moment
"Did you kiss her? Is this what this all is? Is she infatuated with you or something?" She asked
"No. She... I... she kissed me" I said
"And I shoved her away" I tried

"And you reported her" she said, looking to me for confirmation
One she couldn't find
"You didn't report her..." she mumbled

"Only because I wanted to talk to her again to figure out wh-"
"She's got you... she was right, you are consumed in her" she said to herself
"No, this is what she wants, she wants us to fall ap-" I said, trying to grasp her arm

She turned abruptly and slapped me
"If you had reported her then you would have been taken off that case. Or... or they would have taken measures. She wouldn't be out there stalking us. Stalking me!" She shouted

"How did she even escape?" She asked
"She..." she didn't need to hear it
"She stabbed a guard" I said
"With what?" She asked
"With a pen" I said

"My pen" I clarified
Nothing but thinking over it for days and days. I knew
I knew it was mine she had taken. I had just been too... stupid to figure it out sooner
That's why she tried to take my keys
That's why she caused disruption and wanted out of her handcuffs

It was all little games she won time and time again.
Dione was right
You think you're just about surviving with her and she's ten steps ahead already
I was right
I lost before I even walked into that room.

"She's insane. And you... you just let her get on with it, you gave her every opportunity to get what she wants" she shook her head, tears streaming down her face
A woman like her shouldn't cry

And all because of me
I didn't deserve her
I know that's what Ivelle was trying to show me

But she thinks I don't deserve her because I can do better?
I don't deserve her because I'm not good enough for her
I never was.

•

I took a long walk before going home. Thinking over everything that had happened and how my life had fell apart in the space of a week
She destroyed Dione's in months
Am I that weak? That manipulated?

The fact that I was even comparing it to Dione's story was... pathetic
Like I should have lasted longer
Like I should have been better than all the other doctors
An imaginary competition in my head driven by pride and guilt.

I passed the police car, stationed there every day since she escaped
An unmarked car. With an unsuspecting policeman
Sitting stagnant and silent every time I looked out of my window

I trailed up to my flat, wondering where she could be.
Where Enora had fled with her sister after angrily leaving me at the school
She told me I shouldn't know. That if I knew then Ivelle would know
And she was right.

I don't know how Ivelle always knew but she did.
I shut the door, sighing and pulling my coat off

"You're late Doctor"

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