Page 63 of Beautiful Prey

“He was getting sick because of the anxiety,” I said in defense. “Dr. Langley, I swear I never meant to harm him. Not physically.”

“Ha! There, you see?” Dr. Hannah waved her hand at me. “So, you wanted to harm him emotionally? Mentally? He’s unstable as it is, and now, he’s practically catatonic so I’d say you’ve succeeded.”

I closed my eyes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I said quietly. I opened my eyes and gave Dr. Langley a serious look. “In the end, I wanted him to get better but…”

“But?” Dr. Langley raised his brows.

“I…I admit I had planned to tell him who I was. At least in the beginning. But things changed. And I really did want him to get better. I chose in the end to not tell him. I came yesterday to end it on my own terms, but then Ethan—”

“Ethan found her confessing to him,” Dr. Hannah interrupted. “He said Emery was on his knees before her. Clearly, she was already there to do some mental harm.”

“He was upset that I was leaving, that’s all,” I explained.

“That’s not what Ethan heard.”

I glanced over at her. “Whatever Ethan said, he’s lying.”

Dr. Hannah made a dismissive sound, turning toward the window. “Emery is back to square one. Actually, more like zero. He won’t respond to me or anyone, he won’t move, won’t eat, won’t sleep. You’ve damaged him in more ways than you know.”

That stung, a lot. I felt the jabbing pain in my chest, making me feel queasy. Knowing Emery was just down the hall sitting in his room in silence, that he might stay that way forever because of me, made me feel worse than I had ever felt in years. I had wished for revenge. Now, it was too late to take it back.

I wanted to rush to Emery’s room and pound on the door, see him through the narrow window and beg him to look at me to see how sorry I was. Instead, I had to sit there with my head bowed, maybe on the verge of tears again as I waited for Dr. Langley’s verdict.

“This is very disappointing, Eve, very,” he said. “There was so much promise, we were so close.” He shook his head. “Your sessions are done. You will not be allowed to return again. If the guards find you near the property, we’ll call the police, you understand?”

It took all my will to say “yes” without my voice breaking.

“The police will need to be notified, but I will not call them on you now out of the little respect I still have. And because you came here today and told us your intentions, whether true or not, I’m choosing to believe they were,” he said, his tone growing softer, graver. “I will call and file my report later today. Emery will also need blood drawn so that we can make sure there’s nothing foreign in his system. As a precaution. Understand that if we do…”

“I understand,” I said. Thankfully, I knew Emery would be clean. I didn’t want to know how John and the others were going to get the needle in him.

Dr. Langley nodded. “Assuming there’s nothing, we will say you weren’t meaning to harm him, at least not in that way. As for the mental damage…expect that there may be charges.”

I couldn’t have expected otherwise. I rose from my seat, ready to have John and his crew escort me out. “I’m sorry. I really am,” I said. I went to leave, and Dr. Hannah called to me,“You’ve ruined his best chances, all for your petty revenge,” she said. “If I can’t get through to him, I can’t help him. If anything, you should apologize to him, but there’s no way you’ll be allowed near him so...I’ll tell him for you. I’ll be talking to the police myself as well. Hope he comes around, Eve, or this could be seen as patient negligence and abuse.”

I had no response for that. “Goodbye,” I said without faltering, following John out into the hall.

When we got to the main landing, I glanced around and saw Agnes's portrait staring at me, the little smirk appearing more wicked somehow. Then I remembered my dream where I saw her covered in blood. A chill ran down me as I looked away.

“You take care, Eve,” John said as we passed the security desk.

I offered my hand, and he took it. “Thank you for your help, John.”

He let my hand go. “I believe you meant well,” he murmured in a low voice so Kyle couldn’t hear. “I saw you with him. You cared. I don’t know or understand your motives for helping him, but I believe you. Best of luck to you.”

I gave him a half-hearted smile. “If you do talk to him…please, tell him that I want him to be…”

John frowned but nodded as if understanding even when I couldn’t speak. “I’ll try.”

I glanced around one last time, then turned for the door.

The rain fell in streaks down the glass. Rain flooded the streets in a slow downpour, soaking up dried earth and forcing trees to lose leaves already waiting to fall. Sammy purred softly onmy lap where I sat by the window, impervious to anything and happy to be home.

I was back in my apartment full time, back to working on my thesis which sat open on my laptop before me.

Except all I could seem to do now was sit there and stare at it.

The last week had been a sort of hell. The police got a hold of me, and I was called down to the Bayville station so they could question me.

---