The Perfect Deceit by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blake Pierce
Published: 2021-05-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Hannah moved quickly, not even thinking consciously about what she was doing.

She was almost done parboiling the potatoes. The salmon was herbed up and ready to go. She’d left the broccolini for Ryan, remembering that for some inexplicable reason, he found rubbing minced garlic into vegetable stalks relaxing.

As she worked, her thoughts drifted back to the events of the day, including the revelation about Edward Wexler’s Holocaust foundation which had ultimately led her to visit Dr. Lemmon this morning. The memory of his hand squeezing hers tight, of him not wanting to let go, still burned bright in her mind.

Once the psychiatrist had coaxed her up to her office and brewed the tea, Hannah initially held back, refusing to tell Dr. Lemmon why she was there. But then the doctor stopped asking questions and just sipped her tea, happy to sit in silence.

Sometime during the stillness, Hannah had an epiphany. There was no point in holding out. Lemmon wasn’t pressing her. She had come to the office of her own accord. It was incumbent on her to explain why. So she did, explaining everything she’d done since last summer. When she was done, Dr. Lemmon sat unmoving for a good thirty seconds.

“So what happens next?” she finally asked.

“What do you mean?” Jessie replied, perplexed.

“Well, you’ve just told me that for the last half year, if not longer, you’ve been putting yourself in dangerous situations, mostly so that you can feel something. I assume you’re here because you’ve decided to either change that behavior or embrace it.”

“Obviously, if I wanted to embrace it, I wouldn’t be here,” Hannah said crossly.

“Is it obvious?” Dr. Lemmon asked. “Are you sure this visit isn’t just an excuse, so you can say you tried to stop one last time? So you can claim that not even the fancy therapist could help you, and you might as well continue with what you’re doing?”

“You’re just trying to push my buttons,” Hannah replied.

“Not ‘just,’ Hannah. I’m pushing them for a reason. I need to know whether this is worth my time or if, when I say something you don’t like, you’ll shut down or storm out.”

Hannah started to reply but the doctor held up her hand.

“We’re at an inflection point here, my dear. You can’t straddle this line any longer. From this moment forward you can either give into the urges that are putting your safety and emotional well-being at risk, or you can try to find a way out. The choice is yours. It always has been. Either way, I need to know what you want out of this get-together, because if you’re here to get justification to continue on that darker path, nothing I can say or do will stop you.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Hannah retorted, trying to keep control.

There was another long pause before the doctor replied.

“Then I need a commitment from you,” Lemmon said.

“What kind of commitment?”

Dr. Lemmon smiled. Her eyes twinkled.

“Most people pay me money. That usually works because it gives them incentive to keep coming.

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