Craving The Wrong Twin

Chapter Four

NORA

I avoid glancing over at Nathan as I go through his file, though every word I read feels heavier than the last.

Patient: Nathan Torrance.

Diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder, mixed episodes, mild psychosis.

Additional notes: Trauma from the death of a sibling. Persistent obsessive tendencies, focused on one woman for over five years.

My pulse stumbles.

Five years. One woman.

I don’t realize I’ve stopped breathing until my chest aches. I force in air through my nose, pretending to stay composed as I flip to the next page. But the words blur, swimming together into a jumble of regret and disbelief.

He has someone in his life. Someone he’s been fixated on for years.

And yet… he slept with me.

The same man who now sits quietly across from me, his green eyes lowered, hair falling loose around his face like he’s completely unaware of the storm he’s caused inside me.

I clear my throat. “Mr. Torrance,” I say, trying to sound professional. “Before we start, I’d like to establish some boundaries. This is a therapy session. Not…”

“...a continuation of what happened between us?” His voice is smooth, almost mocking, but there’s an edge to it. “Don't you think it's fate that made you my therapist?"

“Nope," I reply, still focused on the file before me. “You're only here because your original therapist is unavailable at the moment."

He shrugs. “Doesn't change the fact that we are here now."

I sigh heavily. “Can we get to why you are here? How are your episodes lately?"

Nathan leans back in the chair, the leather creaking softly beneath his weight. “Manageable,” he says, voice low. “If you ignore the sleepless nights, the constant anger, and the feeling that everyone around me is lying.”

I jot something down on the notepad, though I’m not sure what exactly. My hand moves on its own, desperate for something to do besides tremble. “Are you taking your medication as prescribed?”

A beat of silence, then, “Sometimes.”

I glance up. “Sometimes?”

He meets my gaze head-on, his green eyes a storm of defiance and exhaustion. “They make me numb, Nora. I’d rather feel too much than nothing at all.”

The sound of my name in his voice sends a sharp pang through my chest. He says it too easily, too intimately, as if we’re back in that room, in the dark, when I still thought he was someone else.

“You can’t just decide when to stop treatment,” I say, forcing calm. “You’re on a very delicate balance, Nathan. Skipping doses could trigger an episode.”

He leans forward slightly, elbows on his knees. “Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe chaos is the only thing that feels real lately.”

I press my lips together, fighting the urge to reach for him, to do anything that isn’t clinical distance. “Chaos isn’t therapy,” I say softly. “It’s avoidance.”

His mouth curves into a faint smirk. “You sound like every doctor I’ve ever had.”

“I’m not like every doctor you’ve ever had,” I reply before I can stop myself.

That catches his attention. His gaze sharpens, searching my face like he’s trying to find the truth hidden beneath my words. “No,” he murmurs. “You’re not.”

I shake my head and get back to work. “And the girl you're obsessing over? Have you done anything about this obsession?"

He shakes his head slowly. 'No. She's married to someone else.”

He's obsessing over a married woman and had s*x with a married woman?

Someone, add insanity to his patient records!

“If she's married then why don't you let her go?"

“She was mine before getting married, and I'll do whatever it takes to have her back." He rises to his feet and dips his hand into his pocket. “See you next session, doc."

Without another word, he turns around and leaves.

As soon as he is out the door, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I'm not sure I'll survive this job if I keep being so nervous around my patient.

Dr Pavel better return from his vacation ASAP

~~~

I get down from my car and scan the neighborhood my brother has been living in for days now. I called him earlier and he picked, thankfully. I demanded to know where he lived.

He didn't want to tell me at first , but I insisted and he gave up. That's what brought me to this run down neighborhood.

A familiar voice calls my name, and I turn to see him approaching. His hair is messy, his eyes tired, and his hoodie hangs loosely over his thin frame. My heart twists painfully at the sight.

“Liam,” I whisper, walking toward him. “God, look at you. You’ve lost weight.”

He gives me a half-smile, the kind that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You shouldn’t have come here, Nora.”

“I’m your sister,” I say, crossing my arms. “Of course I was going to come. You stopped answering my texts, Liam. What was I supposed to think?”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m fine, okay? I just needed some space. Things with Mom have been… bad.”

“I heard,” I reply softly. “Lila told me about the fight.”

Something flickers in his expression—guilt, maybe. “Yeah. She called me names. Said I was just like Dad. I lost it and…” He stops himself, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter now. Come on. You shouldn’t be standing out here.”

He gestures toward the street, and I follow him through a narrow alley that leads to a small, two-story building. The paint is peeling off the walls, and the railing on the stairs looks like it could collapse any moment.

“Please tell me you’re not living here alone,” I mutter.

He gives a short laugh. “I’m sharing the place with a friend. Don’t worry, he’s decent. Just… a little weird.”

When we reach the door, he knocks twice, then pushes it open. The smell of instant noodles and cigarette smoke greets me first. Inside, the apartment is cluttered, two worn couches, an unwashed pile of dishes in the sink, and posters of rock bands plastered across the walls.

A tall guy in sweatpants and no shirt appears from the hallway, scratching his head. “Yo, Liam. You didn’t say your sister was coming over.”

“Yeah, well,” Liam says, glancing at me, “she insisted.”

The guy grins. “I’m Theo.”

“Nora,” I say politely, though my tone is clipped.

Theo nods toward the couch. “Make yourself at home. Ignore the mess. It’s a bachelor thing.”

I give him a tight smile and sit down, clutching my purse. Liam joins me, sitting on the other end of the couch.

“I just needed to see you,” I tell him quietly. “You’re my baby brother, Liam. You can’t just disappear on us.”

“I didn’t disappear,” he mutters. “I just… couldn’t stay there anymore. Mom’s losing it again, Nora. She’s drinking, using…screaming at me for things I didn’t even do.”

I reach out, resting a hand over his. “You don’t have to deal with her alone.”

He looks down, voice small. “You’ve got your own mess to deal with.”

I swallow hard, because he’s right. But I still say, “That doesn’t mean I’ll stop showing up for you.”

He glances at me, eyes glistening with something that looks a lot like relief. “Thanks, Nora.”

I manage a small smile. “Always.”

He reaches over and hugs me. At that moment I realize just how grown he is. He's just Sixteen but fighting demons bigger than his age. My heart twists in pain.

I just need to get my license and become a full therapist. Then I'll take both my siblings out of the mess they're living in.