Page 9 of Burning Your Lies

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?”

“Toprotectthe 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 blamesmefor 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 timeyouset the board,” I add.

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