Burning Your Lies (King and Queen Duet #2)

6

Huxley

The balding man stares between Savannah and me as we sit in silence. The relief I felt when I got the call was unparalleled. I worried she wouldn’t read between the lines, but I forgot how spectacular she is. There’s only one problem. We may be free from Xavier’s ears in here, but the shrink is another story.

“How did it feel when you read Huxley’s letter, Savannah?”

She doesn’t look at me.

“Relieved.”

I retract my earlier thought. The sound of her voice, after all this time, brings an unrivalled sense of relief. I find myself unable to avert my eyes from her, completely mesmerised by her.

“Why relieved?”

he probes.

“It felt like someone could finally see me.”

She turns and her eyes meet mine. Overwhelmed by the pain in them, I’m filled with a devastating desperation. If falling to my knees and begging for forgiveness could change everything, I would do it. But Savannah needs more than words from me.

“I’ve always seen you,”

I counter.

“Even when I shouldn’t have.”

She blinks away her tears.

“You’re a liar. You only saw the illusion.”

“What illusion is that?” he asks.

She diverts her attention back to him.

“The one that wanted to win the game.”

“What game were you playing?”

Sitting taller, she braces her shoulders back. For a moment she’s lost in her thoughts, but it’s gone as quick as it came.

“Chess. That Savannah, the one he saw, only wanted to save the king.”

“What does this Savannah want?”

“To protect the queen.”

“And what if I told you I can help you?”

I ask.

“What if I’m willing to do anything to protect you?”

Savannah glances at me once again.

“I’d say you made that promise once and failed.”

My mouth opens, but Dr Cooper speaks first.

“What do you need protecting from? What are you afraid of?”

“My heart. I naively trusted it with the wrong hands. But I will not make that mistake once more. Love is a twisted little game. You can never predict where it will take you and who will become the victor.”

“Do you believe heartbreak was the catalyst to your ending up here?”

I watch with bated breath as she contemplates her answer. She looks at me again. “Yes.”

Savannah isn’t talking about Xavier. She blames me for her ending up here. And I can’t blame her. I told her I loved her. I told her I would protect her, only to turn my back when she needed me the most. Had I believed her, Xavier couldn’t have imprisoned her.

“Life is full of heartbreak. How do you propose avoiding having another episode?”

He nods at me.

“Maybe this is where your support can come in.”

Sitting taller, I lean towards Savannah.

“I think it’s important for Savannah to understand she isn’t alone. The people that love her aren’t fooled by the illusion. We can see her for all she is.”

“What people?” she asks.

“Me. Mia. Jordan. We’re all on the outside, getting ready for you to come home.”

“That might never happen,”

she whispers.

Dr Cooper frowns.

“Why do you believe that?”

She shrugs.

“Even if I do everything right, I’m still stuck here. I can’t even be trusted to make a decision for myself.”

He shakes his head.

“I understand that Mr Rivers is your current appointee, but that is only because it was deemed you lacked capacity at the time of your admission. If you are medically cleared, I have no worries that his role will cease.”

His eyebrows furrow at her shoulders sagging.

“Do you believe Mr Rivers would keep you here without a reason?”

She swallows hard.

“I think he is angry with me and wants to punish me.”

“Do you wish to make amends with him?”

“I think that is a good idea,”

I intervene. When she looks at me with confusion, I continue.

“A lot happened between the two of you. You are both hurt. A clean slate would be best for you all. Including Elise. I mean, don’t you wish to see her?”

She picks at her fingers.

“Yes. Of course. I miss her and want that more than anything. But Xavier—”

“Doesn’t control you,”

I finish for her.

“If you guys can put the past behind you, it will allow Elise to know both her parents.”

Her gaze falls to the floor.

“I don’t think I can sit at the same table as him.”

When he speaks again, I almost want to tell him to shut the fuck up and let us finish our conversation.

“Mr Rivers has been extremely dedicated to improving your wellbeing. I think inviting him to a future session, when you’re ready, will be helpful.”

“I used to play chess with him,”

she admits. The double meaning isn’t lost on any of us.

“And every round, just when I thought I would win, he’d snatch it from under me. It was like he could see through me.”

A solemn look crosses his face.

“Then perhaps it’s time to stop playing chess with Mr Rivers.”

“Or maybe it’s time you set the board,” I add.

Savannah closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her fingers curl into a tight fist, which unfurls when she lets out her breath. She smiles at the therapist.

“You’re right, Dr Cooper.”

When her eyes fall on me, I can see what Dr Cooper cannot. I see my Savannah.

“I think we say fuck you to chess.”

I can’t help but smile at the life in her eyes.

“What are you proposing, sweetheart?”

Her shoulders square back and her jaw sets in stone. Her golden eyes harden and determination radiates off her.

“If we can’t beat him at his game, I think it’s time we changed the game and rules. Don’t you agree, sunshine?”

The returning nickname makes me grin.

“I’m certainly in the mood to play.”

She smiles too.

“I’m in the mood to win.”