Page 58 of Eternal

“Fa—”

“Don’t.” He squeezes my jaw harder. “You need to stop lying to yourself, Teal.”

“Who said I am?”

Declan releases me. “I’ve listened to your sessions. Dr. Parish might be too much of an egotistical tool to realize you’re just telling him what he wants to hear, but I’m not. You need to actually open up to someone, or you’ll never get it out.”

“Get what out? My secrets?” After last night, I know that’s what Declan is really after, whether I understand it or not.

“Everything.”

“So you expect me to open up to you?” My eyebrow hitches. “The person who hacked my medicalrecords, listened to my therapy sessions, and strong-armed me into dating him?”

“Exactly.” Declan sounds proud of himself.

I shouldn’t be surprised. He considers being a puppeteer one of his greatest accomplishments.

“You’re sick.”

“It might help.”

“Are you trying to fix me now?”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “Do you need fixing, Teal?”

“According to my shrink.”

“I’m not asking your shrink. I’m asking your opinion.”

“Well then,in my opinion, it’s none of your business.” I straighten my spine.

Declan drops his chin, shaking his head. I swear he gets off on the challenge of making my life more difficult.

“All I’m saying”—he looks up at me—“is that if you need to vent something, or if you’re having an off day,your boyfriendis a text away.”

“Myfakeboyfriend. Last night, we agreed nothing about it changed ourrealfeelings.” And the last thing I need is one more person checking in on me because they’re worried that I’m suicidal or losing my mind.

My whole life, I’ve been on a short leash. I’ve been on and off medical conservatorship. Even now, at nineteen, I’m still not clear on what ismydecision and what’s my father’s, legally speaking. I’m too terrified to ask, knowing that if he really is the one with all the power, I’ll have to face the fact that I’ll never have it myself.

But for Declan to sit here pretending to care because he’s my boyfriend for the time being has my patience snapping. Especially when I realize why that is.

Declan doesn’t care about my well-being; he cares how it will make him look now that we’re fake dating. It’s why he dug into my medical records in the first place. It’s okay for him to date the insane girl so long as she keeps it together.

“Wow, you almost had me.” I breathe out a laugh. “Pretending to care, just like you’re pretending to be my boyfriend, so I don’t embarrass you in front of your friends. Last night was a lapse in judgment. Thanks for the reminder.”

“A lapse in judgment?” His eyebrows lift as he looks around the room. “Who are you lying to right now, Teal? Because it’s just me and you here, and I already know you’re full of shit.”

“I am not.” I grind my teeth.

Declan grabs the sheet, ripping it off me.

“Dec—”

I’m cut off by him climbing on the bed, pulling me up so we’re both standing on it. He grabs me by the back of the neck and spins me so I’m facing the wall.

Facing my painting.

“Lick.”

---