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“Impressive,” he says, leaning in as he listens to me speak. “You know there’s not many people who can get an entire community to trust an outsider like this. We’re lucky to have you on the project.”
Lips quirking upward into a smile, I reach into my bag and pull out the folder of data I have. “Here’s the preliminary results of our research,” I say, handing it over.
“Would you mind if I took a quick look?”
“Sure,” I say as he opens it up. He scans the pages and I watch his eyebrows draw upward, then back down as he reads it. I can’t figure out how he feels. Is he unimpressed? Is he happy with the results?
“This is good stuff, Sienna,” Dr. Thornton says, looking back up at me with a smile. “You’re doing great work. You’re right on track. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with during the study.”
“Thank you,” I say, my heart suddenly light as a feather. “I appreciate the feedback.”
My eye catches something out the window of his office and I turn my head, clenching my fists at my side when I realize that it’s Bastian hanging around by a large maple tree, smoking his vape.
Dr. Thornton’s eyes follow mine and he spots Bastian as well. His face falls and he looks pale and withdrawn suddenly.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Dr. Thornton nods, his gaze distant. “I’m fine. Thought I saw someone I used to know.”
“You mean Bastian Ravenwood?” I ask, suddenly curious. “He came with me, he and his brothers have been kind of helping me on the project. Do you know them?”
“Ah, the Ravenwoods," he said, his voice tight with restraint. "Yes, I'm aware of them. Caspian Springs is a small town, after all.
His eyes avoid mine as he busies himself with shuffling some papers around on his desk. There’s a stiffness in his posture, as though retreating inside himself. “Have they been bothering you?”
I shake my head. “No. They rallied the community behind my project and have been helping me with my interviews.”
“That’s wonderful,” Dr. Thornton says, though his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “I just wish …” he trails off. “Never mind, don’t worry about it.” He waves a hand, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is more to their relationship than they’ve all been letting on.
I need to tread carefully here. “Can I ask, what happened between you guys? I know there was some kind of bad blood, but why do they seem to dislike you?”
He goes quiet for a moment, sitting back down at his desk and steepling his hands. There’s a sad sort of tension in the air when he speaks again.
“Did you know that I knew them growing up?” he asks. I shake my head, eyes widening.
“I fancied myself like a father figure to those boys,” he admits, a sigh escaping him. “I started my work in psychology as an undergrad, working at the community center in CaspianSprings. That’s where I met them. They were just kids back then. When I did my graduate studies, I stayed there because I wanted to be close to the boys, to help them grow.”
My eyes widen. “What happened?”
“When the boys became young men, they … well there was a girl,” he explains. “She was a sweet girl, very good for them. But one day she confessed that she had feelings for me, that she was in love with me.”
I inhale sharply, hand flying up to my mouth.
“Don’t judge them too harshly, my dear,” Dr. Thornton adds. “She tried to kiss me and I didn’t handle it well. I rejected her advances and told her that I was going to tell the boys what had transpired. But a few days later, it was found that she had taken her own life in her grief over my rejection.”
I stare, the pieces finally falling into place. This explains so much—why they were so hostile when they found out who I was working with, why they assumed my relationship with him, and why, when offering their bargain, they demanded complete obedience.
My head spins, and I consider sitting down.
“My dear, you look like you’re about to faint. Come,” he says, leading me gently by the arm over to one of the armchairs. “Breathe.”
“Sorry.” I shake my head, trying to clear away the dizziness. “Sorry about that. It was just … surprising, that’s all.”
“I understand,” Dr. Thornton gives me a tight smile. “It’s difficult to talk about, but I thought maybe it would help you understand them and the community better. It’s why I can’t bring myself to go back in person to handle the research there myself. I feel connected to Caspian Springs but after what I did, I don’t blame the boys for needing space.”
“I’m sorry about what happened,” I say. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You tried to protect them.”
“I don’t know if they see it that way,” he says quietly. “Grief is a strange thing, you and I know that as psychology researchers. The way it can manifest varies from person to person and in this instance, it’s easier to blame me.”
