Prey

Chapter 49 (Doe's POV)

A/N: If this is the first 'chapter 49' you clicked on, I highly HIGHLY recommend that you go back and read this from Xander's POV first.

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Doe's POV:

The second that I could get my body to budge, I took a step back.

Raw fear wasted no time flowing down my body and gathering as a tight lump in my throat.

Every reaction she had no trouble getting from me appeared as if on command at her very presence.

I didn't have time. I didn't have any time to prepare for this!

That showed even more as the tips of my fingers began to tremble, one question popping out the most out of the countless running through my brain.

Why did she still have access to this room?

How could he have fed her such a huge lie and yet not done even that?!

The thought of it didn't even occur to me, I just assumed that he took her out of the system.

Why... Why didn't he!?

I guess though these days where she was out of my life, I'd somehow let myself be convinced that she was out of his as well.

No... I knew that, I guess I was just ignoring it.

For my own sake, I ignored how badly he pined for her in exchange for a chance at relaxation.

That thoughts that he may have been slipping away from her were just hopes and nothing more.

The fact that her access was still in the door only proved that further.

I should have known better.

I chewed on my bottom lip, refusing to look away from her as if she would strike the second I looked away.

The sight of her here causing the worst case of internal whiplash that I've ever experienced.

When just seconds ago I was mindlessly enjoying myself.

I couldn't remember what we were just talking about.

It felt like I couldn't breathe.

With my body instantly preparing for her to have me stirring messily together with the anxiety I was failing to suppress as I normally did, I didn't have time to.

"Ah Layla," Xander began.

His words didn't have the same cheery, boyish excitement they usually did whenever she'd stop by.

"It's...been a minute."

He was nervous, given that his lie just got blown into pieces.

What the hell was he going to try to come up with now?

Was he going to try to save this? Or just admit defeat?

I allowed myself a quick look at him to try to figure it out myself but got almost nothing to help me.

Figuring him out in a time like this was difficult.

Especially when my step back made it so that I couldn't see the looks on his face through his hair.

I couldn't tell what was an act or what was really him.

Layla kept her gaze on him, and I could feel the agitation rolling off of her.

"It has," her aggravation was crystal clear through her voice, "The reason for that being because you told me it was dead!"

I flinched at the word, mind racing with a hundred different outcomes that could come from this.