Entangled ✔️

chapter 27

Adam had been thinking about Ahana all day, running through all the horrific details of her story. He’d tried to convince her to call in sick and spend the day with him, but she was too dedicated to consider it. Adam winced, remembering what he’d said to her about daddy issues the night he walked out.

All he wanted to do was take her pain away, not add to it.
He told himself not to probe into it any further, but his inquisitive nature, combined with his concern for Ahana, won out. When he arrived at work, the first thing he did was open the research database on his computer. He spent hours sorting through articles referencing physical abuse .

Most of them had to do with  victims and crimes, but he found a few that mentioned families, particularly the young children found in  homes,suffering abuse at the hand of their parents . Some of the cases included sexual molestation too in addition to physical abuse.

Adam flung his arm across his desk, scattering pens, newspapers, research books, and even his mug of coffee across the floor. They crashed and clattered in a symphony of chaos that mimicked his own internal rhythm. He stormed out of his office, knowing he needed to leave before he did any permanent damage.

He had a strong urge to drive to Ahana's Hometown and kill this man who’d hurt his Ahana. He could get anywhere with his press pass and use his bare hands. Surely he could do that before the police caught him.

But first he would go to her home and lock her mother in a dark closet. He’d never considered himself a violent man, but thinking about Ahana all alone with that monster was killing him. His own mom would be rolling over in her grave if she knew what he was thinking, but the thoughts kept coming.

They followed him all the way home. What kind of woman did this to a child? Why didn’t she protect her daughter? Why didn’t she took Ahana with her? Why did she coddled her Son and treated Ahana like garbage?

His knuckles hurt from clenching his fists so hard. He calmed himself with some deep breaths and knew he couldn’t act on any of it. Ahana would never forgive him. She abhorred violence, and he wouldn’t do anything to cause her more suffering. The vengeful thoughts would not leave his mind, but Adam knew he could literally exhaust them. He changed into his sweats and  T-shirt, choosing to do the only thing he could to dissipate the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

He ran.
He ran for hours, harder and faster than he ever had, even when he was training for a marathon. He ran so much he threw up in some bushes along the Street, and then he ran some more. His thoughts turned to Ahana. How was she so stable? Her strange choices made so much more sense to him now.

She wore layers as a protective mechanism to keep others out. She didn’t drink or have sex because she thought there might be some evil lurking within her. She was wrong about that. She was the purest person he’d ever met. Adam forced himself to run harder, to chase the vengeful darkness away.

When the physical pain finally overtook the emotional one, he collapsed on the grass of the formal gardens in Green Park. He lay there until his breathing returned to normal. Then he took out his cell phone and texted her. He needed to hold her in his arms again. Come over tonight .

Can't.

He didn’t like her answer. Why?

Sick.

Sick of me?

Although he’d just run twenty miles, he found himself holding his breath, waiting for her answer.

No, silly, I’m really sick. Flu.Worry flooded through Adam. He had to see her. To make her feel better in any way he could.

An hour later, Adam was freshly showered and standing by her bed.