ABDUCTED: HOW THEY MET (bwwm)(completed)(EDITING)

CHAPTER 32 * Failed proposal

           

XERIS' POV

She hadn't said a word to me since the announcement. I still held her hand and led her back to the apartment. Once we entered our chambers, I led her to the sitting area. She stood still not moving. She was facing ahead of her, but I could tell she wasn't really looking. I tried squeezing her hand to get her attention.

She turned to look at me. I sighed.

Maybe revealing my status that way wasn't the best idea.

I moved closer to her and was glad she didn't recoil. I pushed her down by the shoulders and made her sit. I then walked around the table and sat down as well. I looked at her, waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

For a long while she didn't say anything at all.

What are you thinking?

It didn't matter how long it took, I would wait for her to speak up first. I continued looking at her as the minutes passed. I shifted my leg a little and this seemed to bring her out of her daze.

Her eyes focussed on me. She mouthed something but I didn't quite catch it. She was still looking at me and I continued waiting. She whispered this time.

"Princess?"

She said it even louder the third time, confusion clear on her face.

"How can I be a princess? This isn't a Disney movie. I know it's not every day a girl gets kidnapped by aliens, but princess?" she started to laugh, "that's too much of a stretch, even for my imagination." She continued mumbling to herself, "wow, I never knew I could get this creative. I know for sure now that I'm dreaming," her eyes darted back and forth as she looked down, "I mean, first I lose all the weight in a few months, and then my hair grows so long in such a short period of time. Let's not forget the fact that I'm almost kind of maybe pretty now. I'm so stupid, how could I think any of this was real," I decided to approach her as she continued mumbling to herself. I crouched before her and took her hands in mine. Her gaze drifted to me.

"Not to mention this Greek god in front of me. How could I possibly think someone like him existed? Even if he did, why would he waste his time on someone like me? I must be in a mental institution right now. That's the only explanation. I must be tied down to a bed and high off on meds because..."

"Victoria," I interrupted her rant.

She paused at my interruption, but soon continued, "even the way he says my name sounds too good. Was I that deprived of affection that I conjured up my own sham of a world? I mean I guess I was a little lonely, but this is..."

"Victoria," I said more forcefully. She looked like she was about to continue. I took her face in my hands and said her name once more, "Victoria, look at me."

Her eyes drifted to my face, but I knew that she wasn't really looking at me.

"Please, look at me." I pleaded. Her eyes seemed to come into focus a little. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was going to tell you, but it never was the right moment. And all this time had already passed, I didn't know how to say it." My emerald eyes kept darting between her honey toned ones.

"How about, 'hey, my name is Xeris, I like long walks on the beach and reading to my cats at night. Oh, and by the way, I'm a prince'?" she retorted.

I smiled a little, she was back.

With my hands still holding her face I said, "I didn't want you to treat me like a prince. I wanted you to treat me like a normal person."

"Normal? You thought a human from another planet was a normal person to me? There was nothing normal about you from the beginning, you might as well have added royalty to the pile."