NATASHA
The man who was sent to make me get over Nic must have gone on a mission for me by what I’ve heard from my father and the others who are talking in the castle hallway. Just outside of my room, I can hear them talking about him being missing.
There’s talk of moving me which has me afraid. When my father walks in, I steady myself so no emotion shows on my face. “Hi, Dad. I’ll be good. Can I go home now?”
He laughs as he shakes his head. “Tasha, you’re not fooling anyone. Now I need to ask you a question and you will tell me the truth, young lady.”
I freeze as I know what he’s about to ask and I don’t know if I can lie to the man. “Yes, sir. I always tell you the truth, Dad. You know that. Even things I don’t want you to know, I’ve told you. What is your question?”
His eyes bore into mine as he takes me by both arms and holds them, tightly. I think it’s to measure my heart rate so I keep that in mind as I make my body do what it has to in order for him to believe my lie.
“Natasha Greenwell, did you get that man, who was sent in here to help you get over that horrible man, to go to New York?” he asks as he keeps eye contact with me.
“No,” I say as I look back into his eyes with the same expression on my face.
For the longest amount of time ever, my father stares into my eyes then says, “Then where has Nic gone to?”
I shrug. “How should I know?”
“Because you two talked, extensively,” he says.
I’m not sure how he knows that as I whispered everything I said to him about my Nic. He had no clothing on to hide a wire. Up until now, I wasn’t even sure he went to New York for me. But since he’s missing, I assume he did.
“Did he tell you about anyone he knew or might be seeing that would have him disappearing overnight?” he asks me as he lets me go.
I want to let out a sigh of relief but know that would look suspicious so I keep it in as I turn and walk to sit in the chair at the table. “He and I did not talk about him or his life. And on that subject, tell me why you thought it would be okay to try to force a man on me?”
Dad turns and looks at me with a crease in his forehead. “Your doctor is the one who came up with that. He didn’t notify me or ask if he could do such a thing. I’m not happy with him about it. As such, he’s been terminated.”
I gasp because that means something terrible when my father says it. “Dad, no!”
His expression changes to one of humor as he laughs. “Not that kind of terminated. Fired. I fired him. No killing was done.”
With relief, I sit back. “Thank God! Dad, this really is too much. I know how you feel about Nic and I promise to stay away from him. You’ve set me back so far in school, I’ve missed my graduation.”
He interrupts me as he points his finger at me. “You need to worry about things other than that. You will graduate some time. What’s more important, your life or that diploma?”
“My life is not in danger,” I say as I roll my eyes. “Nic would never hurt me, Dad. And if I told him I didn’t want to see him he’d leave me alone. He has tons of other women he can spend his time with.”
“Well, he hasn’t seen fit to spend time with any in the last thirteen months. He’s obsessed with you,” he says as he takes a seat on the small sofa in the corner of the room.
“You’re having him followed or what?” I ask as I think about what he’s said. Nic hasn’t been messing around. He’s waiting for me!
My father nods. “Of course.”
Then it hits me that even if Nic manages to get to me and get me out of here, we will be pulled apart again and the overwhelming feeling of defeat takes me over. My body falls forward as I fall out of the chair.
All I can see is blackness, then I feel my body lifted and I’m placed on the little bed. “Tasha!”
I can’t seem to open my eyes. My body is limp as my father lifts my arm up and it falls back down. I can hear him, yelling at me to wake up. I can feel his hand as he slaps at my cheeks. But I can’t open my eyes or talk.
I hear him slam out of the room and into the connected bathroom. He comes back and I feel cold water splash all over my face and chest and sputter as it brings me back. “Dad,” I croak, weakly.
My body begins to shake and he stands there, watching me. “Tasha, what’s wrong with you?”
I hear a knock at the door and my lunch is brought in. The woman says something in Greek and my father’s face goes ashen. “Take the tea away and bring her some without that in it,” he orders her.
She hesitates as she places the tray on the table, then says some more to him in her language. He nods and runs his hand over his forehead. I look at my father and ask, “What’s she saying, Dad?”
“The drug they give you in the tea three times a day is making you dependent on it. If you stop cold turkey, you will get the tremors and have seizures.” He looks at me with a certain amount of sadness in his eyes, mixed with a touch of guilt.
“You’ve had me drugged and now my body is dependent on it?” I ask him as I glare at him.
He doesn’t answer me as he sends the woman away, leaving the drugged tea for me to consume. “It’s not that I meant to do that. I thought you or he would move on. I didn’t think it would take this damn long, Tasha. I’ll get you into rehab. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” I ask as I try to sit up. My head is swimming and pounding as he hands me the fucking tea.
I knock the glass out of his hand, spilling the drink all over his white shirt. “Tasha!”
“Get the fuck away from me,” I tell him with a low and even tone.
“Now, you listen…”
I cut him off. “Don’t. Just don’t. You’ve done something horrible to me and I will not lay in this bed and let you do one more bad thing to me. You may have done this in a misguided sense of parenting but you’ve done something terrible to me. You’re done. Do you understand me?”
The way he’s looking at me, through hooded eyes that show remorse as it sinks in what he’s done, has me thinking I may finally get to go home. Not that I have a fucking place to live anymore as I know they’ve thrown my things out of the dorm.
No one waits for thirteen months to see if anyone will show back up. And Dani was most likely spirited away too as Dad let that cat out of the bag back in Nic’s office that fateful day that changed my fucking life.
“I’m a fucking drug addict because of you.” I turn my back to him and hear him leave my room.
I feel sick to my stomach and my head is throbbing and I know that tea would’ve stopped this from happening but I’ll be damned if another drop of that shit goes down my throat.
I made it through three days of being fed ecstasy without letting it get to me. I can overcome this too. I have to!
Nic may be coming for me. He may be on a plane right now for all I know. If he does get to me, I’ll be sick and weak and in no condition to fly. And maybe that’s exactly what my father meant to happen.
As I lie here and think about everything, I think either my father planned things out very well or half-assed. Either way, it makes no difference. He’s made me sick and I am done with the man.
Hours have passed since my father left the room. I’ve thrown up four times and feel awful. I had the flu once and it was about this bad. I can get through this. I know I can. Nic fills my fevered dreams and I have no doubt I can fight this for him.
I hear the door open and keep my burning eyes closed as I hear my father’s voice, “See, it’s pretty bad.”
“It is but I have something that will help her,” I hear a woman say.
A prick stings the inside of my elbow as she presses a needle into my vein there. I want to pull away but lack the strength to. “No more drugs,” I whisper.
Her hand moves over my forehead. “Not drugs, honey. Just a mix of powerful vitamins and nutrients to help you. No more drugs. And I’ll set up an IV drip to hydrate your body.”
Rolling over, I see my father’s red-rimmed eyes as he reaches out and touches my cheek. “I’m sorry and I’m taking you home. As soon as you’re safe to travel. This is over. I am done. I am a fool but I know when I’ve gone too far. I never meant for this to happen to you. I swear it.”
A tear runs down my face as I watch him get on his knees beside my bed. “Dad?” I have to stop talking as a lump forms in my throat.
“Don’t talk. Just rest and let the vitamin mix do its magic. I’m sorry. I’ll make this up to you. I promise. I’m taking you home to your mother. We’ll take care of you until you’re all better,” he tells me.
I don’t want to go to their house. I want to go to Nic’s. But I’m not about to try to argue. I’m going back to America. Nantucket isn’t that far from New York and I can get to Nic then.
The mixture is working as I no longer feel the need to vomit. Sleep invades my thoughts and I drift off, knowing soon I’ll be back to where I can get to him. To the man I love.