Addicted (M)

Chapter 9: Tangled Webs

The hum of the fluorescent lights had never felt so oppressive. Avery stood outside the security door to the psychiatric ward, her mind still racing with the echoes of Jadin's words. His confession—or was it a warning?—played over and over in her head. The way he had spoken about the power inside him, something beyond the realm of the logical. Something she couldn't quite grasp, but could feel gnawing at the edges of her understanding.

What had just happened in that room?

Her pulse hammered in her throat as she stared at the locked door in front of her. It was as if the world around her had split open, revealing a darker, hidden layer that she wasn't prepared to face. And yet, she had no choice but to keep walking down this path.

Avery had come to work that morning determined to maintain control. To methodically work through the files, to make sense of the chaos that Jadin was weaving around her. But how could she think rationally when the very air seemed to crackle with an energy she couldn't explain?

The door clicked open, and she stepped inside, her heels echoing in the sterile corridor. She needed answers. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she had no idea where to begin.

Her office felt smaller than usual as she sank into her chair. The space, once familiar and comforting, now felt like a prison.

The incident with Jadin... the electrical surges... the burns on his mother's body... Her mind reeled as she flipped through the pile of papers on her desk. None of it made sense. It couldn't. She had to get a handle on this before it consumed her.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. It was Holly.

She hesitated for a moment, but then answered. "Hey."

"Hey, I know you've been swamped, but I found something interesting," Holly's voice came through, urgent. "I've been going through some of the old police files related to Jadin's mother's case. There are some things that don't add up. You might want to take a look."

Avery straightened in her chair, her attention snapping back to full focus. "What do you mean? What did you find?"

"Some discrepancies in the way the investigation was handled. A few things they didn't report, especially when it comes to the autopsy. For example, the burns? They didn't match any electrical devices in the house. It was like something had... zapped her. No electrical wiring close enough to cause it. It was like the damage came from within."

Avery's breath caught in her throat. Within. That word—within—had the same unsettling weight as Jadin's confession. "Are you saying—?"

"I'm saying," Holly interrupted, "it wasn't just some freak accident. It was something else. And it could be tied to whatever's going on with Jadin."

Avery's thoughts scrambled to connect the dots. "Have you found anything else? Something to show how this connects to him?"

Holly was silent for a moment before speaking again, her voice lower now. "I think Jadin may have been involved in other incidents. Smaller, hidden things. But people are too afraid to report them."

Avery felt a cold knot settle in her stomach. "Afraid? What do you mean, afraid?"

"I mean that when things go wrong around Jadin, when there's an outbreak of violence or something weird happens, people tend to keep quiet. The authorities brush it off as nothing, but there's a pattern."

Avery's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of her desk. "I need to see those files, Holly. I need everything you've got."

"I'll send them over," Holly said. "But be careful, Avery. Whatever's going on with him... it's dangerous."

The line went dead before Avery could respond.

She stared at the phone for a moment, her chest tight. The feeling that had been building inside of her—the feeling that Jadin was more than just a troubled patient—was now undeniable. But where did that leave her? Was she supposed to help him? Or was she merely a pawn in a game she couldn't see?

The rest of the day passed in a blur, the files from Holly weighing heavily on her mind. She barely noticed when it was time to meet Jadin for their next session.

By the time she entered his cell, the air seemed thick again. The faint hum that had accompanied their previous meetings was back, almost imperceptible but still there. Avery's nerves were stretched taut as she approached the table where Jadin sat, his hands folded calmly in front of him, his posture unnervingly relaxed.

"Dr. Weaver," he greeted her, his voice smooth, almost too calm. "I see you're back. I was wondering when you'd come."

Avery swallowed, forcing herself to remain composed despite the war raging inside her mind. She couldn't let him see how shaken she was. She had to stay in control. "Jadin, I've been thinking a lot about our last conversation."

A slight smirk played at the corner of his lips. "I thought you might."

"I need you to explain something to me," Avery said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing within her. "Something happened during our last session. The lights, the surge of electricity—was that you? Did you cause that?"

Jadin's smile deepened, but there was something more behind it now—something dark, almost predatory. "What makes you think I did?"

Avery felt her breath catch. "Because the same thing happened before, Jadin. The electrical surges. The burns on your mother's body. I'm trying to make sense of this."

His gaze was locked on hers, intense, as if seeing right through her. "You want to know everything, don't you, Avery? You want to understand me. But you're not ready for the truth."

Avery felt the words stir something deep inside of her—a mixture of fear and something darker. Something she couldn't name. She leaned in, her voice lower now, more insistent. "Then show me, Jadin. Show me what you're hiding."

There was a long pause, the tension thick enough to touch. And then, as if he couldn't hold back any longer, Jadin shifted toward her. His fingers brushed against her arm, sending an electric jolt through her body. She froze, caught between the sensation of fear and something else—something raw and undeniable.

His touch lingered, the heat of his hand searing her skin as his eyes darkened, his lips parting just slightly. He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "If you really want to understand, Avery, you'll have to come closer. You'll have to let me show you."

Avery's heart pounded in her chest, the lines between danger and desire blurring with every passing second. She should pull away. She should retreat. But there was something about him, something magnetic, that pulled her in against her better judgment.

And in that moment, she didn't care if it was dangerous.

Her fingers trembled as she reached out, brushing lightly against his cheek. The contact sent a thrill through her, her body betraying her mind's warnings. She had been trained to maintain control, but with Jadin... it was different.

"Are you ready to see who I really am?" he whispered, his voice low, almost a growl.

Avery's breath hitched, and for the first time since meeting him, she wasn't sure if she was going to run—or fall.