Inner Predator: Unleashed

Chapter 12

Authors Note: Hey lovlies! Sorry I've been MIA for a bit and this update is so late. I'm sure most of you don't care all that much, but I'll explain the reasoning breifly. I found out last month that I'm having another baby (YAY! We are super excited!) unfortunately this means I'm constantly sick and naseuous and completely exhausted (BOO!) So it's hard for me to find time to write when all I want is to sleep! But I promise to do my best to be back on schedule! 

This Chapter is pretty long (YAY!) and completely unedited, so please forgive any mistakes :] I hope you all like it. For those of you ready for action, rest assured it will pick up in the next few chapters. 

Chapter 12

She doesn’t want to see me? The words loop through my mind several times before I can make understand them. And even then, it doesn’t make any sense. I’ve been gone for so long and she doesn’t want to see me. It feels like my heart is breaking. Jess was there for me, even when it meant leaving the man she thought she was in love with. But suddenly, that’s gone?

Unable to think of any possible response to such news, I stand quietly staring at the ground and willing myself not to cry. This is certainly the last thing I expected. I need to talk to her. Find a way to make her see me and explain.

“I…um,” I start, but don’t know what I really want to say. Chase is looking at me with the saddest, puppy dog eyes I think I’ve ever seen. He pities me right now and I’m not sure what to make of that because I don’t think he’s ever pitied me before. Swallowing the frog in my throat, I meet Chase’s sad eyes.

“I should go, um, check on Penny. I told her I would,” I say nodding my head along as if to convince us both that I’m completely fine. Chase isn’t so convinced. But I really should go check on Penny, I did promise.

“Ror—“

“I’m ok,” I tell him and force a big grin. “But…um, your parents?”

“They’ll understand,” he promises and moves closer to me. Chase’s hand moves to cup my cheek while he studies my face, looking for evidence that I’m not ok. I know he finds it. If he couldn’t see the aching in my eyes then he can certainly feel the emotions radiating from me, poisoning any chance of a pleasant meeting with his family. Not that he’s upset about that.

He didn’t want to have to tell me that my best friend doesn’t want anything to do with me. I know it kills him to see me in pain and know there’s nothing he can do. I can tell it’s hurting him. Chase feels things deeply, this is something I’ve known since the day he took me to see the woman that used to be my mother. I think that day that feels like centuries ago; the one where he yelled at me for not seeing how much he cares and was hurt by my assumption that he was heartless to my pain, I think that may be the day I fell in love with him. Not that I knew it at the time. Of course I didn’t know it, I still mostly hated him and it’s not easy to admit you’re in love when you’re still in hate.

“Jess will come around,” he lies.

A bitter, sad smile curves my lips. “She’s had months.” If knowing that I was held captive for so long wasn’t enough to get her to forgive me, why would my sudden escape be the thing to convince her to see me again?

“I love you,” Chase whispers shortly before his lips brush against mine softly.

“I love you too,” I tell him and then force a more cheerful demeanor and do my best to push all thoughts of Jess from my mind. “Now, go before your parents think we’ve completely ditched them.”

“You’ll have to meet…” he says teasingly as he pulls away. The smile playing on his lips is contagious, but I do my best to refrain and look irritated with his amusement over my fear of meeting his parents.