I sat on a brown leather couch that the nurse gestured to while I waited for the doctor. He sat behind a large mahogany desk in a very high backed chair, which was turned away from me towards the window behind the desk.

“Please don’t be concerned in the slightest. We have everything under control here,” the doctor said into the telephone receiver. After he hung up the phone he remained sitting with his back to me for a moment or two, then slowly swiveled his chair around. As he turned towards me and I saw his face my whole world suddenly felt like it had crashed down around me.

It couldn’t be him! It’s not possible! I thought as I stared in complete shock at the man in front of me.

“Jake? Jake, what are you doing here?” I asked, barely able to compute what I was seeing.

He looked at me with what appeared to be a combination of amusement and cold, calculated glee. He almost seemed to be enjoying watching me come undone as he stared at me with those incredibly intense eye - Jake’s eyes - and rested his elbows on the desk, touching the fingertips from each hand together. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly and looked as if they were fighting off a full blown laugh. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I couldn’t understand why Jake would do this to me. And why did he seem to find this situation so funny?

“Ms. Abby Scott, please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Dr. L…”

“Jake, I know it’s you. What the hell are you doing?” I said as I continued to stare at him like he was out of his mind.

“If you are more comfortable doing away with formalities we can address each other by our first names, by all means. You may call me Jeffrey if that makes you more comfortable.”

I stared at him, not having the vaguest idea what to say. It was Jake. It had to be. He had the exact same…well, everything. Thick dark hair parted in the exact same place and clipped in the exact same way over his ears. I mean, it was a pretty run of the mill men’s hair cut, but still. It was exactly the same. He had the same sexy, well-defined lips with beautifully raised edges. I could never forget those lips, goddamnit! I knew every single curve and peak of them. He had the exact same pattern on his darkened jaw and upper lip that came with afternoon facial hair growth. Plus, those eyes. How in God’s name could I mistake those eyes? The eyes that had pinned me into place and slowly scanned me from head to toe, then told me without words exactly how to peel my clothes off, piece by piece, exposing every inch of myself to them, much to my overwhelming shame and delight.

“Abby…may I call you Abby?”

I tried to speak but nothing came out. Instead, I refocused my gaze as I looked down at the floor and shifted in my seat on the couch. I couldn’t believe he was doing this to me.

“Abby, you’ve just been in a terrible accident. What we’re trying to provide for you here is a place to recuperate from any physical and emotional damage that may have occurred during the accident, or perhaps before the accident.”

My head was swimming and I was having a hard time comprehending any of the words Jake was saying. And every time I looked at them, it felt like the walls were moving in closer and the room was getting smaller. I swallowed hard and tried to control the panic that was rising in me as images of the last few days flew threw my head. I tried to wrap my mind around what was going on here with the accident and the drugged food and that horrible nurse, and how Jake was involved in all of it.

“I realize that you have been through a lot, Ms. Scott, and I want to help you work through any issues that may be coming up for you right now.”

“I’m not sure what you mean. What issues?”

“Well, you do seem to be under the impression that I look like someone you know.”

I looked up in his eyes and I could have sworn he still had an amused look in them. I didn’t know what kind of game he was playing and I had no idea what to say. It was Jake sitting in front of me, I knew it was, but he was obviously trying to get me to believe otherwise.

“So, you’re saying I’m imagining that you look exactly like my ex-boyfriend because of the accident I was in?”

He flinched slightly when I said ex-boyfriend and I knew then that it wasn’t my imagination. Was he doing all this just to get back at me? Was he really that fucked up that he would pretend to be someone else even though it was obvious to me that it was him sitting right in front of me? There was no way that this couldn’t be my imagination or a reaction to the accident I was in.

“The mind does play powerful tricks, Abby. Usually, it’s in an effort to protect us from something that is too hard or scary to contemplate in the present moment. But since we’ve just met and I have just begun this first session with you, I hesitate to give you any firm conclusions as to what you are experiencing. I would like to find out as much about you as possible so that we can figure this out together.”

“Figure what out? There’s nothing to figure out! There’s nothing wrong with me,” I said as I stared defiantly into those deep, dark eyes. Normally my knees would be wobbling and my panties would be dripping wet after just ten minutes in their presence, but today I was obviously not in the mood. I was beyond irritated that I was being blatantly lied to and apparently held captive by the man that I had, less than a week ago, run away from. It may not have been the most mature move on my part, but it had been my decision, goddamnit, and it did not make me unstable or whatever he was insinuating. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Well, doctor, this is all very fascinating, but I’m not interested in hearing your theories or figuring anything out with you. I’m leaving today. Right now. Where are my things?” I stood up from the couch, keeping my gown wrapped around me and making absolutely sure that my ass was not hanging out the back. I needed at least a shred of dignity in front of those eyes today. I gave him my best tough chick in a hospital gown stare and wilted a little when I saw the corners of his perfect mouth curl up into another barely perceptible smile.

“Please sit back down, Abby.” His eyes burned into me as I stood there, slowly dismantling my remaining resolve with every second they held me in their gaze. I didn’t make a move to sit back down or look away from his stare or even blink. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me. After what felt like an hour, but in reality probably only amounted to less than a minute, I decided to try and talk my way out of there instead of arguing with him. Maybe he would listen to reason if I pointed out how ridiculous this all was. He hadn’t struck me as an unreasonable man before. But that was before. Before he apparently turned into an insane person who was holding me against my will in this creepy old hospital.

“You can’t keep me here, Jake. This is starting to feel pretty fucked up. What do you want from me? Couldn’t you just have texted me or sent me an email if you wanted to talk? I told you I needed some space but if you’d asked me I would have talked to you, you know that don’t you? I mean this is all kind of elaborate isn’t it?” I said as I gestured towards the door and the hospital ward that lay just beyond.

“Ms. Scott. I’m going to have to insist that you sit back down or you will have to be sedated and restrained.”

My mouth fell open and my eyes grew wide as I stood there with his words ringing in my ears.

Sedated and restrained? Is he fucking kidding?

I didn’t know what to do or say. I just continued to stare at him in shock as he slowly tapped his fingertips on the desk with a slight smirk on his face.

“Please,” he said as he gestured toward the couch.

I slowly sat back down, clutching my gown like it was some sort of life raft. It was literally the only form of a security blanket I had since I didn’t even know where my own clothes were.

And holy shit where’s my car? I don’t even know what happened to my car.

Up until I walked into this office, I had thought I was in a relatively normal, small-town hospital. Maybe with some renovation issues, but still, it seemed like a legitimate hospital. I’d had my doubts about the odd nurse and the food being drugged, but I had also written all that off to the effects of my nightmares and the creepy atmosphere. Now, I suddenly realized that this was all a lie or a game that had been carefully constructed by this lunatic sitting in front of me. I realized that talking to him as if he were Jake was getting me nowhere, so I figured I’d just go along with the doctor and patient game for a while. I didn’t feel like I had many other choices and was having a hard time concealing the fact that I was starting to feel like I was coming unglued.

“Ok, so what happened to me? Can you tell me that?” I said with an edge to my voice that gave away the fact that I was on the verge of tears.

“Do you mean the accident that brought you in here, or are you referring to your mental state before you arrived?”

“Of course, I mean the accident! I didn’t have any problems before that! Mental or otherwise!”

Oh God, Abby, get a grip! Don’t let him see that he is getting to you, I thought as I tried to regain my composure after raising my voice. I really didn’t want to lose control in front of Jake, in a hospital gown no less, while he literally held the key to my freedom. I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists then continued.

“I…I mean…yes, that’s what I meant. I would just like to know what happened in the accident that brought me here. Were there any other people involved? Is my car ok?”

“From what I understand, Abby, there were no other parties involved in the accident. You hit an elk on a dark, country road and rolled several times before coming to a stop up against a large tree. You were brought here in my private ambulance and I believe the county highway patrolman took care of your car.”

Well, I guess that explains my confusion when I woke up here, I thought as I recalled that first morning, with flashes of an elk and paramedics and a woman on a stretcher. That was obviously me and I was being brought into this infernal private hospital.

“Can I talk to the highway patrolman? Do you have his name or phone number?”

“I’m sorry I don’t have that information in my records.”

“Well, someone here must have it? The nurse that was on duty when I was admitted?”

“I’m afraid no one is on duty at the moment, but I will check with the staff tomorrow.”

“There’s no one else but you in this entire hospital right now? Not a single person? Not even that nurse that has been drifting into my room and feeding me…”

“I’m afraid I haven’t been clear enough with you about where you are, Abby.”

“I’ll say.”

I wished he’d stop saying my name. I’d loved hearing Jake say it before, but now it just sounded mocking and hollow.

“This is a private hospital. The wing you have seen since you’ve been here is the basement level of my house. We are capable of catering to up to four individuals here at the clinic, but seldom have more than one visitor at a time and only part-time staff. We are located about twenty miles from the nearest town, and I own all the land for those twenty miles in each direction. I have created this place as not only a sanctuary for myself but also as one for patients that need the rest and recovery that can only be brought about by controlled isolation.”

Controlled isolation. What the hell?

My feelings of irritation and bewilderment with this game of his were turning to full-on panic.

Did he actually think he could get away with holding me here against my will? I thought as I sat there and felt my heart sink into my stomach. I realized that I hadn’t said a word to anyone about going anywhere. I wanted to be alone and I didn’t want to be bothered by questions or gestures of sympathy. I figured maybe my boss at work would wonder where I was and call my cell phone a few times, but they sure as hell wouldn’t send out a search party. And Maxwell might wonder where I had disappeared to but I didn’t know if she’d take any action into her own hands since she was pretty preoccupied with her own life most of the time. I barely talked to my parents more than once a month so I was sure that they wouldn’t miss hearing from me for quite a while. I was notorious in my family for not being very good about phone calls or emails.

Oh my God, no one knows where I am and no one’s going to come looking for me. This man is crazy. This man that I thought I knew is fucking out of his mind.

I tried to think of anything I could say to him to get him to let me go?

“Well, doctor, as you can see I’ve recovered from the accident. I don’t know what other recovery you have in mind, but I do need to get back to my job. I’m sure they will be wondering why I haven’t shown up or called for a week. Perhaps we could make an appointment to see each other on an outpatient basis.”

The corners of his mouth started to curl again and my heart sank even further when I realized he wasn’t going to play the game my way. He had it all figured out in his head. It was his game, after all. He stood up and walked around his desk, stopping to lean on the front edge a few feet in front of me. He crossed one arm over his chest and rested the elbow of the other on it while rubbing his chin.

“Your place of work has already been contacted, Abby. They’ve been told that you’re taking an indefinite leave of absence.”

“Contacted? By who? They won’t just take a stranger’s word for it. That’s ridiculous!”

“I had my nurse fax a letter from my office and they accepted it without question. I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear from you when you’ve recovered, though,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

I couldn’t look at his horrible face any longer. He just seemed to be standing there, mocking me and laughing at me.

“According to my records, you were suffering from a breakdown when you were admitted, Abby. It’s my understanding that the accident was a direct result of your breakdown.”

“According to your records.” I looked up at him again incredulously. “What records? Where are your records? Let me see the re…”

“And…it is my recommendation that you stay here for further observation and recovery.”

“Your recommendation? So, if it’s just a recommendation then I’m free to leave, right?”

He held my gaze with the coldest look I had ever seen in my life. He wasn’t going to let me go.

“I’m afraid you don’t understand, Abby. It is my professional opinion that you could be a danger to yourself or others if you were to be released. I’m sorry, but I can’t allow that at this time.”

The silence that filled the room as I looked into his eyes came crashing down on me. I couldn’t even hear a clock ticking or a faucet dripping or a whisper of the breeze that might have been rattling the leaves on the tree just outside the window behind the desk. I started to experience the same tunnel vision that had slowly blacked out everything in the perimeter of the room the night I left Jake. Everything was closing in on me and narrowing down to a small circle so that all I could see were those dark, gorgeous, cold, calculating, terrifying eyes. I could barely breathe. I was so furious and terrified and stunned that I was actually surprised that I was still sitting up at all, or capable of making a coherent thought or sentence. And on top of everything I pretty much wanted to kick myself all the way to China for still having a reaction to those fucking eyes. My mouth was dry and my head was swimming with everything that was happening, but I had to try one more time.

“Look, Jake…”

“That’s actually a topic we could start with right now, Abby. This ex-boyfriend of yours, Jake, is that his name? Tell me about Jake,” he said as he uncrossed his arms and rested them on the desk he was leaning on. He was still mere feet in front of me, towering over me as I sat there and stared at the floor, completely worn out and deflated.

This was infuriating. Why was he doing this to me? Was he getting off on this? I was suddenly realizing that I had dodged a major bullet by breaking up with this psycho. But, what did he do that night? Did he follow me when I left his apartment, then bring me here to his hospital mansion in the woods after I got into an accident? I didn’t even know he had a fucking hospital mansion! Or did he cause the accident just so that he could bring me here?

Good lord, this is really starting to sound like the plot in one of my romance novels.

My head was still swimming and all I wanted to do was go back to my room. That horrible, creepy, cold-floored room was starting to sound pretty good to me. There was no way I could reason with this lunatic. All I could do at this point was hope that I would be able to talk some sense into him after a night of sleep, and that meant spending another night in this damned place, but I didn’t have a choice. I looked up at him and shrugged, asking with my body what the hell he wanted with his insidious stare.

“We were talking about Jake. You were about to tell me about him. Please continue.”

I laid my head back on the couch and closed my eyes. If he wanted to play this ridiculous game I was just going to have to go along with it for now. I needed some time to figure out how I was going to get out of here and I was just too weak to argue at this point.

“Ok, what do you want to know?”

“Why is he your ex-boyfriend?”

“Because we broke up.”

“Would you care to elaborate? I can’t really help you if you won’t let me, Abby.”

I lifted my head off the back of the couch and narrowed my eyes at him.

“Can you, at least, quit hovering over me like this?” I said, gesturing at his standing in front of the desk just a few feet away from me.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

I didn’t say anything and he got up from the edge of the desk where he had been leaning and walked around to sit in the chair behind it. I sighed deeply and looked at the books on the bookcase to the right of the couch. I would rather look at anything but him right now, even books with titles like Psychoneuroendocrine Dysfunction and Sin, Science, and the Sex Police: Essays on Sexology & Sexosophy. I didn’t really understand what kind of doctor this guy thought he was. He apparently took care of me after I got into the accident, but now he’s acting like he’s some kind of psychotherapist. But what if there never actually was an accident? I didn’t even know what to think anymore.

“We broke up because I didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore. I was the one that broke it off. It was me, my problem. It had nothing to do with you…I mean him. Is that enough information?”

“Can you tell me why you didn’t want to be in this relationship any longer?”

I sighed deeply and closed my eyes.

“Relationships end. There’s no mystery to it.”

“Has this sort of thing happened to you before?”

“What do you mean happened to me?”

“Have you broken off a relationship before? Is that a common denominator in many of your previous relationships?”

“I…I don’t know.”

I felt his eyes on me as I continued to stare at the books on the shelf. I was suddenly getting very tired of talking about my private life with this lunatic. Not that I had enjoyed it earlier, but now he was starting to hit a nerve and I didn’t like it one bit. Yes, I had broken up with a couple of previous boyfriends, but I most definitely hadn’t ended every relationship, that’s for sure. I knew I had issues and had a tendency to leave when things started to get serious, but everyone had their flaws. I was still young and I didn’t think there was any reason for me to tie myself down just then. And I didn’t need to explain my actions to anyone, especially not this asshole who thought he had the right to kidnap me and pretend to be my doctor just because he hadn’t gotten his way. I finally got the courage to look at him in the eyes again.

“I’d like to go to my room now. I had a suitcase with me in my car. It has my clothes and things I need in it. Is it here in the hospital?”

He smiled that barely perceptible smile again and looked down at his hands.

“I’ll check with the next shift nurse when she gets in. Is there anything I can bring you in the meantime?”

I glared at him for a few seconds longer than was necessary, then stood up to leave.

“No.”

“Then let me show you back to your room…” he said as he came around the desk and reached for my arm. I pulled away from him and backed up a few steps.

“I can find my own way back, thanks.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist, Abby. I can’t have patients just roaming the halls on their own. There are many things that can pose significant danger within these walls,” he said as he moved closer to me, reaching his hand up to the side of my face. I froze for a moment as he moved his head down closer to mine, running his thumb over my lips and cheek and gripping my head like he was about to kiss me. I was suddenly paralyzed by his gaze and couldn’t move away. His dark eyes were boring into me as his face grew closer and I felt his hot breath close in on my lips. I tried to take another step away from him but the couch was right behind me and his towering body seemed to have me surrounded. Just then I felt a sharp pain in my arm and the room slowly dropped away underneath me.