Prey

Chapter 80

To my surprise, he took a step out of his room, the door closing behind him.

"Really?"

Instead of the flat tone I was expecting from him, he sounded somewhat... relieved.

Even so, It wasn't enough to make my nerves chill out.

"Well I mean you don't have to if you don't want." I clarified, my hand moving to the back of my neck. Honesty. Just tell him the truth, "I've just made a lot of stupid decisions lately and want to spend some one-on-one time with my brother. "

My eyes fell to the floor from a mix of that shame and regret again.

It was already getting difficult to contain and this hadn't even started yet.

I nearly gasped at the feeling of hands ruffling my hair, the feeling being long-forgotten, but familiar still.

The nostalgia of it nearly pushed me over the edge.

His arm set itself around my shoulder after he was done making more of a mess of my hair.

"Well, how could I say no to that?" The smile he heald finally did the trick of easing my worries, pushing that guilt up to take its place instead.

Even so, I couldn't help but mirror it, the ecstatic relief temporarily taking me over as his willing if not wanting cooperation.

"Really? Sweet! I'll pay!" I spoke, a joke we've had for nearly two centuries now.

We both got our income from the same place so...

It felt like I hadn't heard him laugh in forever once the sound of it hit me and we made our way down the hallway.

"Damn right you will," He replied, both of us taking a left into the main corridor.

The bar was on the other side of where the dining room was, so we had to go the opposite way, towards my room, to get there.

"So," He started, "What's the occasion?"

"I just uh..." That temporary boost of energy from his compliance ran down the drain.

And now the moment was here.

The moment where I needed to just rip the bandage off.

If only it were that easy.

That thought alone was hopeless and only succeeded in letting everything take me over.

My throat and chest felt tight like both were just going to implode at any minute and tears were already fighting to get onto my eyelids.

No. No, come on, not already!

We hadn't even gotten started yet!

"I-" The words alone came out strained, causing me to hold my lips together to stop any more words escaping and sounding like that.

Whether because of the way my voice sounded, or the physical tension in my body, Nico's gait slowed, forcing mine do to the same.

I couldn't choke it back, couldn't hold it off.

Now was my time to finally fix the damages I've put between us and a part of me didn't want to wait any longer.

I couldn't bear to face him yet but noticed him staring at me, before turning his head to look around.

The arm that was around me moved, taking hold of my upper arm instead before the entire world flew past me thanks to his advanced speed.

It wasn't a long trip at all.