Page 30 of Petite Fleur

It always ends with me being called down to the police station at the most inconvenient times to plead his case and have him transferred from holding to a facility.

The whole thing is exhausting, Lucas is exhausting.

So, while I hate that he's basically a zombie right now, I can't change it.

I've been promoting electric shock therapy for him for years. I know it has mixed results on schizophrenic patients and is primarily an outdated practice, but this man has no chance of a real life without doing something drastic.

Maybe I'll take him home and do it myself?

I have all the tools, and I have to admit, I do like shocking people…

Fuck, no.

I can't do that.

If I fail, he'll never trust me again, and I know it was hard enough to get him to trust me.

It seems as if we're stuck where we are, with the same dosage and empty existence that he's been living since the fall.

I'll just plead my case yet again for the ECT.

By the time my appointment with Lucas is over, it's finally my favorite time of the day. It's time to visit Maeve as she gets out of class.

I should stay behind; I should call the Psychiatric Board of Medicine and plead my case over the phone rather than a certified letter, but this is her least favorite class.

What if she's upset and needs me?

I can't miss that!

Realistically, I know she's not going to need me.

We haven't spoken since that day at the grocery store, and she doesn't even know that I've developed an obsession so intense that I love her.

As long as I can control myself, she never will.

She can live a normal life. Well, as normal as possible with me watching her every move.

I rush out of the office, reminding my secretary to forward my calls to my cell phone and head to my car.

I'm thankful I'm only a few miles from campus, and at this time of day, the streets are pretty dead.

It only takes me a few minutes to reach campus and park right out of visibility from her lecture hall.

I have an alarm set for when I know my girl will be leaving her class, so until then, I can scroll through emails and get a few things done while I wait.

I've told myself a thousand times that this has to stop; I need to leave this goddess alone.

I just can't.

Something pulls me to her, something dark and possessive takes over me, and I find myself following her even when I don’t intend to.

Right on schedule, Maeve walks out of her lecture hall, and just like normal after this class, she looks upset.

She avoids eye contact with her classmates, keeping her eyes low as she speeds away from the crowd.

I wish I knew why she was always so upset after this class…

I know she records her classes, so I could break into her place and listen to it.

---