"Rose?"

"Theo," I said, swallowing trying to gather strength in myself, "can you just hand me the painting please?"

I felt like a huge weight had been lifted but my stomach was still churning. I wanted him to end the secrecy, but I needed to protect myself. I couldn't live with him knowing I'd been lying to his face, but I needed help.

He looked confused, but he walked across the room. I had made a mistake. I needed him away from it, even as he got closer, closer, closer...

I groaned, tucking my head between my knees.

I didn't watch as he grabbed it, but I heard it as if all sound stopped.

"Rose?"

"What?" I said, my voice cracking.

"Rose, why is there a huge hole in the wall filled with money?"

I mumbled so quietly I could barely hear myself. "Because I cut a hole in the wall. And filled it with money."

He came and sat next to me. I felt a tear run down my cheek, only to be followed by more.

"Did you..."

I didn't answer.

"Where did you even get..."

I burrowed my head into myself, willing myself to disintegrate.

"How long?"

Theo was gentle, but that didn't help how every part of myself still ached. He stopped asking questions and it was unnervingly quiet.

I opened my mouth. "Since I was sick."

He started.

"You've-"

I was sure he was going to ask where I got the money.

"I've stolen every single cent of it."

He was silent. "You've stolen it all?"

"I can't control it. I just get these impulses..."

His arms wrapped around me and the comfort made my throat feel less closed in, freeing the way for a desperate sob.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

I nodded numbly. "Why? How?"

He didn't say anything, but he must have understood what my broken words meant.

"I... This isn't going to sound good. At all."

I met his eyes. "Theo..."

"I know. You need to know." He took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to have all this happen. Leah just said that there was a magical cure for you."

"Soul sickness, right? When your soul rots in your body?" I laughed bitterly, my voice still cracking as though I was going to cry. "I wouldn't even know if Daisy hadn't told me. I would've kept on hating every part of myself without knowing why."

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he murmured softly.

"I know you are," I said, hoping my voice wasn't hostile or cruel.

"I know you probably won't forgive me, but if there's anything I can do. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not mad at you if that makes sense. I don't know how I feel. About anything."

His hand started to rub my back. "I know what you mean. You don't have to know how you feel."

"Theo, just tell me what was going on last night. Please." I felt so tired of everything.

"I was, Leah invited... Actually, I need to start back around when you were in the hospital. Remember when you'd first started having problems? Before we went to the hospital? Leah noticed I was absolutely miserable most of the time, more than usual. I guess she asked what was wrong or something because I ended up completely blowing up and ranting all about you. She said that I should take you to the hospital."

He stopped, running his hands through his hair as though trying to think of the words to say.

"The doctors had no idea what was wrong with you, and you were only getting worse. I had no idea what to do. It killed me that I still had to go to work every day and leave you. Then I'd spend all day at a stupid McDonald's while you were... were... so sick. I got into a habit of ranting to Leah... and well... one day she said she knew what was happening to you and how to fix it."

He was still rubbing my back, but now it seemed more like he needed comfort than anything else. I wrapped my arms around him instinctively.

"I was just so prepared to believe whatever anyone said. I'd have done anything. It was just sheer luck that she was telling me any fraction of the truth. I don't remember what she said, but I have no idea why I believed it."

He took a shuddering breath.

"Daisy told you about souls and that whole mess?"

"Yeah."

"Soul theives?"

"No."

He nodded again.

"You know how it feels when you unclog a drain and it makes that huge suction and then it just comes out and there's nothing?"

"I guess," I said, not sure what point he was trying to get at.

"That's how it feels to take someone's soul out of their body. I don't know. I don't know why I did it other than Leah said..."

I stiffened.

"Theo, what do you mean to take someone's soul... out of their body?"

"I mean- I mean what it sounds like. There's no way to justify it. I thought- it doesn't matter what I thought." He trailed off.

"So... I got 'better.' You didn't do it again. Did you?"

He didn't say anything.

"Theo."

"I thought it was justice at the start." He said, suddenly quick, as though it was a reflex reaction.

"How?"

"I only did it to bad people. People knocking over a store or that I caught in the act of something bad."

My stomach went cold. At any time that could've been me.

"Theo..."

"It wasn't right. Isn't right, but..."

"But," shivers went up to my spine, "Theo are you still-"

"I'm trying to get out. I don't want to."

I bit my lip.

"Why can't you stop?"

I could hear it. Why couldn't I stop stealing? Why couldn't I control myself?

"I-I don't know. Habit, I guess. I guess there's still a part of me that likes being able to offer a cure to some people. I start to get antsy when I don't. I don't know. I can't explain it, Rose. I'm so sorry."

I put my head on his shoulder.

"Let's make a deal, Theo. We both stop stealing. We help each other. We get through this."

"Okay."