Page 40
Chapter 40 of "Tempting Venom" starts unveiling mysteries: That, of course, included calling his favorite pal, Regis CallahanâJudeâs dadâwho dedicated his pharmaceutical empire... Keep reading!
That, of course, included calling his favorite pal, Regis CallahanâJudeâs dadâwho dedicated his pharmaceutical empire to âmake me better.â And thatâs where Julian came inâyou know, the power-hungry dude whoâs now taking over for Regis and overseeing Operation How Many Drugs Can We Pump into Preston Before He Shrivels and Dies?
Anyway, Dr. Vivienne Duret strolled into the picture around that time. Sheâs not my main psychotherapistâthatâs Dr. Fenwick with his eccentric methods, drug-testing habits, and Dadâs stamp of approval.
Dr. Duret is mytalktherapist. The one I yap to about all the shit I want, and sheâs paid to listen.
The first day we met, she asked me if there was anything I wanted, so I said, âI want to kill you,â then I lunged at her. It was a blur I barely remember, but nurses and other doctors rushed in and pulled me away as I kicked and screamed, âIâll kill you! Iâll kill you all!â
Not my brightest moment. But then again, I was only eleven, so I forgive myself.
Just kidding. I murdered that me from back then.
Iâve murdered a lot of mes in my lifetime.
Anyway, after said episode, any other doctor wouldâve been like âHell no. I donât get paid enough for this shit,â then quit. Not Dr. Duret. Dad must be paying her a shit ton of money if sheâs stayed for over a decade.
Dr. Duret is eccentric in her own way. Otherwise, why else would she put up with a nutjob like me?
Though she doesnât look the part. Of an eccentric, I mean. But then again, have youseenme? I blend too well with my surroundings.
Maybe sheâs the same.
Dr. Duret doesnât seem like someone who belongs in Graystone Ridge or Vencorâyup, sheâs a member, judging by her serpent necklace.
Sheâs too calm for this place, too soft around the edges. Her short brown hair is always smooth, and her eyes are that strange pale-green you see in old paintings, somewhere between glass and seafoam.
Sheâs slim, graceful in a rehearsed way. Every movement she makes is quiet and measured.
Today, sheâs dressed in a cream blouse with a black bow, a neat dark skirt, and a navy-blue cardigan that looks freshlypressed. She smells faintly of jasmine and clean soap that tickles my senses.
Thereâs also a jasmine diffuser in the corner of the room, releasing the scent all around me until itâs a cocoon.
Sometimes, when I sit across from her, it feels like being inside a bubble. Everything outside the room fadesâthe static, the noise, the world.
If only she werenât Dadâs watchdog, we would get along perfectly.
Well, at least she lets me visit her in the suburbs, where she lives on her own with a fuck ton of houseplants. I first started showing up here when I was around fifteen, just to antagonize her.
I wanted to relay the message that I could find out where she lives and kill her, but then she said that if I felt more comfortable coming to her house instead of the Callahansâ clinic, I was welcome to.
That was a no-brainer. No need to ask me twice.
Her house is perched on a hill at the very edge of Graystone Ridge. Not Ravenswood Hillâlevel fancy, but through the giant French doors, you can see part of the town and the river that heroically protects us from the absolute dumpster fire that is Stantonville.
And just like that, my mood takes a nosedive straight into last weekâs bullshit.
âIs there anything else youâd like to talk about aside from the online game you played?â Her words land gently, her voice soft but unwavering.
I rest my hands behind my head as I lie on the sofa. âNo, why would you think that?â
âTo my knowledge, you lost a game against the Wolves, and that affected the Vipersâ winning streak.â She pauses,both physically and with her pen. âHow do you feel about that, Preston?â
âGrand, thanks for asking.â I stare at the few stars on the ceiling. What is this, kindergarten?
âIs that all?â
âI donât feel guilty about it, if thatâs what you want to know. Donât have those feelings, remember?â
âYes. I was just wondering if youâd like to share anything further.â