We've been hiding out in this cabin for a week and I'm already about to loose my mind.

I've hardly seen Xander since our talk. We follow the same routine, everyday, like clockwork.

I woke up just at sunrise for breakfast, the same microwaveable oatmeal every morning.
Xander usually wakes up at the same time to walk the property's perimeter. I leave a bowl out before heading to my room to work on class assignments. At noon, I get up for lunch while Xander leaves to go to some unknown location for practically the rest of the day. After eating, I call Adam so he can give me updates on classes, and then I study until I hear Xander come back, usually around eight. When I hear the shower start, I head the the kitchen to get another sandwich, for dinner this time.

The same thing, over and over, day in and day out. I haven't talked to my family since the first day here and there's no other way to say this, but I'm lonely.  One hour phone calls aren't enough to keep me from going insane, especially when Adam misses the call.

Turning up the volume to a classical music I have playing my eyes focus back on my notes.

Freud. Erickson. Piaget.

"Who the fuck is Adam?" The door to my room slams against the wall. Xander is tense, his white t-shirt is soaked, his hair is matted to his forehead, and the black basketball shorts hang low on his waist. "Audrey!" He growls, breaking my trance as the side his fist hits the door.

"A friend." I turn the volume to the music down. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" He yells my question back at me. "You're under police protection. MY protection!"

"But you're never here at this time." I can't wrap my head around why he's here, I'm also confused as to why he's yelling.

"I come back every hour to check on you, Audrey! Now, let's go back to the original topic, do you know what it means when I say 'don't use that phone; it's for emergencies'?"

"Yes," I took my eyes at his tone. Who is he to speak to me like I'm a child.

"Then, you should damn well act like it and quit being a fucking child."

"It's a phone call, Xander, chill out."

"No," he steps into the room. "It's for your safety, this is my job."

"Adam is a friend from school, Xander, not a threat." It's almost comical picturing the blonde pre-med student in a ski-mask. I mean the guy has a pet goldfish, he's completely harmless.

"I don't care who he is, how did he get the number?" He steps more to the center of the room.

"I called him." I stand from the seat I was sitting in. "I had a question about class notes and I was lonely so we've been talking."

"Oh, boo-hoo, Audrey, grow up. This is serious," The photos of me from the file he had are slammed onto the desk. "Don't forget, someone was in your apartment while you were sleeping. But yeah, call your little boyfriend if you're that lonely."

Then, he storms out, not to be seen again for the rest of the day.

-
The next morning, my feet immediately halt their journey to the kitchen when I see Xander sitting at the counter, with two glass bowls. When he sees me, he pushes one of to where to other chair is.

"Good morning." He mutters, looking back out the sliding glass door. The world seems to be tilted off its axis as I approach the table. "I thought it would be less lonely for you if I did the perimeter walk early and then we could sit together for breakfast."

I'm at a loss for words. Sure, I'm lonely but I don't know if I'll be able to survive spending more time with Xander.

"Okay." My voice is like that of a small child's as a sit in the seat next to him. "Can we talk to each other?" I ask him, taking the mug he's holding for me.

"That's not what we're doing right now?" He questions with a heart fluttering smirk. He's changed so much but that damned smile is still the same. I want to ask what he's done for the past three years. How his siblings are; does Zoey's birth father still come by? How is his mother? News headlines flash through my mind.

Amelia James on Death's Door

Wife of Billionaire in Drunk Accident

Billionaire, Cameron James, on Rampage After Wife's Accident.

"How'd you end up studying in Paris?" He suddenly asks and I swallow the bite of oatmeal.

"I applied." I tell him with a shrug. "It wasn't the plan but then I guess I just wanted to get away."

"The guilt become too much?" He asks, darkly and I look at him.

"I thought we were restarting." His eyes narrow but I ignore it. "I enjoyed it my first year and just decided to stay." I finish with a small shrug and see him nod from the corner of my eye. The truth was I was too heartbroken to function and, for the sake of my sanity, I needed to get away.

"Have you figured out a specialty yet?" He suddenly asks and I shake my head no, as I lie straight to his face.

A blood-curdling scream like I've never heard before rings through the James house.

Xander's voice stops mid-sentence, his eyes are wide, then he's gone.

'Please be okay.' I pray, racing after Xander, towards his sister's room. The screaming becomes louder, it's a ear-piercing like screech.

The scene when I reach the room is heart-shattering.

Xander is shaking the twelve year old girl, in an attempt to get her stop screaming.

"You're safe," he yells at her, over her screams that don't stop. "I protected you then and I'll do it as long as I live Zo. Please."

Zoey's eyes are open but glazed over as they remain fixed on the same spot on the wall. Suddenly, I'm hit with the overwhelming urge to try to calm the screaming girl.

Amelia isn't here. Her brother can't get her awake. She can hardly breathe.

Quickly, and silently, I sit down on the bed and pull the stiff body to mine. It takes me a minute to pull her from Xander's grasp and to get her settled in my lap but once I do, I start slowly rocking her. "Shh." I whisper into her ear. "You're safe. You're safe." I repeat over and over while rocking her until the scream stop minutes later. She was still crying though, so I quietly started singing the French song my grand-mama sang when I was little.

It took five minutes for the tears to stop and another five for her breathing to even back out. When I finally look away from the sleeping girl, and to Xander, he's staring at me in awe.

"You handled that.. wow.. thank you." He whispers to me as he gently takes his sleeping sister from my aching arm. "You're amazing."

I knew then and there that a child psychologist was my calling.

***
I'm so sorry this took so long to update!! It was just one thing after another! 😭

A special thanks to dmcawardsandcovers  for the new cover! I love it!

To make up for the update being so late, should the next one be in Xander's POV? Let me know!!

Finally, if you haven't already, check out the other book I posted a few weeks ago called "Cowboy, Take Me Away"

❤️❤️❤️