Addicted

“Always has been! Always will be!”

epilogue

They found more than a dozen bodies buried in shallow graves in the train yard where Quinton painted his first mural—the mural of the perfect family he wished he had.

Along with Tyson and Diamond, they also identified the bodies of Quinton’s brother and sister using dental records they obtained from a court order. Two additional bodies are believed to be those of his father and stepmother. Quinton admitted to killing them on the one-year anniversary of his mother’s suicide.

Quinton is permanently confined in the criminally insane ward of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. They are still trying to get him to reveal the identities of his other victims, but he refuses. However, all of the remaining victims are believed to have been young females.

“My name is Zoe, and I am addicted to sex!”

I was attending my first Sexual Addiction meeting, and I decided to waste no time telling the whole room my dilemma. Marcella told me I could just sit back, watch, and observe the first few times until I felt comfortable enough to speak. I jumped right in with my testimonial, though. Hiding things and keeping secrets had caused enough damage in my life, and never again would I allow them to overpower me.

Marcella had located the addiction group through a local Atlanta hospital. I still planned to spend a couple of weeks in Florida with Dr. Graham in the summer, but attending local meetings with other people suffering from the same illness as myself was a start. Surveying the room, I was surprised to see so many faces. Even stranger was how normal they all appeared to be. They came from all walks of life—from accountants and housewives to lawyers and college students. While I was not happy to find out so many others shared the same problem, it felt good to know I was not alone.

Jason was outside in the waiting area with Marcella. He was dying to come in with me, but I reassured him I could handle it alone. Things between him and I were improving every day, and our lovemaking was nothing short of awesome. I always knew he was the man for me, and my love for him had never been, and will never be, more profound.

I gave my testimonial to the group. I told them how my life had been turned upside down because of incidents in my childhood. I explained that nothing and no one had been what they seemed. I told them my life had transformed into a web of lies and deceit filled with people who all had their own secrets and mental issues to deal with. I described how I was stalked and almost murdered. Finally, I explained how it all came to a horrible end in the mountains a week before the meeting.

I made it through the session and listened to a few of the others relate their depressing stories and enlightening recovery experiences. Then I went back out in the hall and kissed Marcella good-bye, promising her we would do that gurl thing real soon—go shopping or take in dinner and a play together, just like Brina and I used to do. Jason reached out for my hand, and we headed out the hospital exit, on our way to rebuild our lives together free of chaos and lies.