Melanie

I'm hunched over my computer, fingers flying across the keyboard as I try to track down the elusive bug that's been haunting me for days. My deadline for this project is looming, and if I don't find and fix this damn bug soon, I'll never make it in time.

"Mother fucker," I mutter under my breath, frustration boiling over as lines of code blur together in front of my eyes.

A throat clears next to me, and I jerk my head up to see Evie standing there, arms crossed and a knowing look in her eyes.

"What?" I snap, my irritation bubbling to the surface.

Evie raises an eyebrow at me. "Did you call the therapist?" she asks, her tone pointed.

I let out a frustrated sigh and shake my head. "No, I haven't," I admit grudgingly. "I have to find this godforsaken bug first, it's driving me crazy."

Evie lets out an exasperated sigh of her own. "Fine," she says, resignation evident in her voice. "I'll take a look while you call the therapist, okay?"

I begrudgingly agree and stand up, gesturing for Evie to take my seat. As she settles in front of the computer, I grab my phone and power it on. Messages and missed calls start pouring in, but I ignore them all as I dial Dr. Harvey's number.

After a few rings, a man answers the call, saying, "Dr. Harvey's office, how can I help you today?"

"I'm calling in regards to one of Dr. Harvey's patients, Daniel Winston," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

The man on the other end of the line pauses for a moment before responding. "Is he a new patient? I haven't heard of him," he says.

"No, he's been visiting Dr. Harvey for almost two years," I reply, my voice tinged with annoyance.

The man sighs. "Give me a moment to check it out," he says before putting me on hold.

I tap my foot impatiently as I wait for him to come back on the line. After what feels like an eternity, he finally returns.

"I'm sorry," he says apologetically. "But there's no record of a patient called Daniel Winston."

I feel a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. "Thank you," I say quietly. "I must have made a mistake."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" the man asks politely.

"No, thank you. Have a nice day," I reply, my voice hollow.

"You too," the man says before we hang up.

I stare at my phone, feeling a mix of disappointment and frustration. Another dead end.

I turn to Evie, who is furiously typing something on my computer, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Dr. Harvey isn't Daniel's therapist," I inform her, my voice heavy with disappointment.

Evie looks up at me, her expression serious. "Then who the fuck is his therapist?" she demands, frustration evident in her tone.

I shrug helplessly. "Maybe it's a therapist in another town," I suggest. "I don't know."

"Why would Daniel go all the way to another city to see a therapist?" Evie asks incredulously.

Again, I shrug, feeling at a loss for answers. "Maybe he doesn't want to be seen entering a therapist's office," I offer weakly.

Evie scoffs, clearly unconvinced. "Bullshit. Something's wrong," she insists, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I bristle at her accusation. "You're being unfair to Daniel," I retort defensively. "Maybe it's one of those cyber sessions, you know, therapy through the phone or laptop."

Evie rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right," she says sarcastically. "And maybe pigs will fly."

I glare at her, feeling a surge of frustration. "I'm serious, Evie," I snap. "It's a thing."

"I know, but is it really the same as being in the same room with a specialist?" she asks, her tone contemplative.

I shrug again, feeling a sense of helplessness creeping in. "I don't know," I confess. "I'm just speculating."

We lapse into silence for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts. Then, Evie breaks the quiet with a determined tone. "Anyway, we'll figure it out and find her eventually," she declares, her eyes meeting mine with unwavering resolve. "In the meantime, I think I found your bug."

My eyes widen in surprise. "Really?" I ask eagerly, leaning in to get a better look at the screen.

Evie moves the cursor to show me what she's changed, and I nod in understanding. "Okay then," I say, a surge of anticipation coursing through me. "Let's compile it and run it to see if your changes did the trick."

Evie clicks the compiler button and swings her chair to face me. "So, since the program is compiling," she begins, "what should we do to find Daniel's therapist?"

"Maybe we should take this as a sign and give up on trying to find Daniel's therapist," I suggest tentatively, feeling a twinge of guilt at the thought of prying into his personal life.

Evie's expression hardens. "We definitely won't be doing that," she asserts firmly.

"It's intrusive," I argue, trying to reason with her.

Evie shakes her head adamantly. "You won't be asking what Daniel is telling the therapist," she counters. "You'll be asking for help from the person who knows better in this world what is going on in that fucked-up head of his."

I try not to smile at Evie's colorful phrasing. As amusing as it is, it's still offensive. "Nevertheless," I say, my tone firm, "we can't seem to find the woman."

Evie sighs heavily and looks up at the ceiling, frustration evident in her expression.

Just then, my phone starts buzzing, indicating an incoming call. I glance down at the screen, seeing Daniel's name flashing. I pick it up in my hands and look at it, feeling a mix of apprehension and annoyance.

"Daniel is calling," I inform Evie, my voice tense.

She raises an eyebrow at me. "Are you going to answer it?" she asks, her tone neutral.

I shake my head, my jaw clenched. "No," I reply firmly, putting my phone back on the desk beside me.

Evie nods in understanding. "Good for you," she says sincerely, her eyes softening with empathy.

I offer her a grateful smile, but deep down, I know I'm not yet at the point where I can talk to Daniel and stay unaffected. Not to mention, I have no idea how to handle him. Damn it, Evie is right. I have to find Daniel's therapist and work with her. Goddamn it, why is this so complicated?

And then, like a bolt of lightning, it dawns on me. "I got it!" I exclaim suddenly, startling Evie out of her thoughts.

"What? What did you think of?" she asks eagerly, leaning in closer.

"It's a bit risky," I begin cautiously, "and I won't do it if we can think of something else, but..."

"Okay, what is it? Tell me," Evie urges, her curiosity piqued.

I take a deep breath before blurting it out. "I'll see Daniel and get his therapist's number from his phone," I declare.

Evie's eyes widen in surprise. "How on earth are you going to pull that off?" she asks incredulously.

I shrug, feeling a surge of determination. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet," I admit. "But I will."

Evie looks unsure, her brow furrowing in concern. "Are you sure about this, Mel?" she asks cautiously.

I meet her gaze steadily. "If we can find another way, I won't do it," I assure her. "But so far, it's the only plan we have."

Evie sighs heavily, her reluctance palpable. "I don't like it," she admits, her voice tinged with worry.

"We'll sit down together and think it through, every little detail, so I'm prepared," I reassure her, determination firm in my tone.

She shakes her head, her expression troubled. "As much as I don't like it, so far we don't have another choice," she concedes reluctantly.

"Okay, then," I say decisively. "You should come to my apartment after work and talk this through."

"Okay, you got it," Evie agrees, her voice resigned.

I nod, feeling a sense of relief that she's on board with the plan. "I'll set up a meeting with Daniel, later in the week, so we have time to prepare," I inform her.

"Not very late though," Evie interjects quickly. "We should get this over with as soon as possible."

I consider her suggestion before suggesting, "What about Wednesday?"

"Sounds great," Evie replies with a nod.

I take my phone and quickly type a message to Daniel, "Wednesday, 6:00 pm, the usual place," and hit send. After a few seconds, his reply comes in: "Can't wait to see you."

"It's settled," I announce, a mixture of determination and apprehension swirling inside me.

Evie looks at me curiously. "Where are you meeting Daniel?" she inquires.

"At the café where I've met him the last couple of times," I answer, trying to sound nonchalant.

Evie scrunches her nose in distaste. "Do you really want to go back there again?" she asks incredulously.

I shrug, trying to brush off the unease creeping up on me. "Eh, why would I ruin another café for myself?" I reply with forced lightness. "They've already seen Daniel crying there."

Evie chuckles at my blunt honesty. "That's bloody cold," she remarks, shaking her head in amusement.

We share a chuckle together, but deep down, I know I really don't want to see Daniel. The thought makes my stomach churn with unease. But I'm desperate. I'll try anything to put a stop to all this madness.