*Harley's POV"Okay, how's this? I think it would look fantastic on you." Rose flaunts a red dress in front of me.It is a short dress with laces and a low-cut neckline. Not something I would usually choose to wear."Nope." I shake my head and she pouts, disappointed.Shopping with her is fun. The only other person I enjoy shopping with is Nina since she has a great fashion sense. But Rose has good fashion sense too. A little different from mine but good enough to make her look presentable always. She is wearing a maroon blouse today paired with boyfriend jeans and knee-length boots. She has kept her hair down today and opted for a simple red lipstick, making her look cute.She drops the dress and picks up a blue one. Holding it in front of her body, she studies her appearance in the floor-length mirror.We have been at the mall for two hours now, trying on different items and even checking out some of the new stores that opened up. I bought a jewelry set, a pair of ankle-high boots,
*Xavier's POV The man grunts when I press my knee over his chest as I reach for his mask. Behind us, Harley stands as quiet as stone. The moment Rose told me she couldn't find Harley, I rushed here only to see my sister crying as she held Harley's bag tightly in her shivering hands. I asked her to go to the car while David and I started searching at different ends. Fortunately, I found her just in time. The man tries to reach for his knife but I shove it away from within the reach of his hand. When I face him again, he uses my momentary distraction to pick up a stone from the ground and hurl it towards my face. A shearing pain grapples me and he pushes me off him, toppling me to the ground. I groan in pain and when I open my eyes, he has disappeared. Fucking bastard! I get up, intending to follow his muddy footsteps but then decide against it. I turn around quickly and my eyes fall on Harley. She is looking at me with a terrified look in her eyes. She trembles as the rain drenc
*Harley's POV"Someone attacked you?" Jesse shrieks as we Facetime early in the morning.She is in her bed, still dressed in her pajamas with her hair in a messy bun above her head. She looks sleepy but better than me at least who is still reeling from yesterday's events.I am lying on my stomach in Xavier's bed while he is in the bathroom taking a shower. After what happened between us last night, I can't find the courage to face him. It is worse than the times we fight.I let him touch me.How could I have been so stupid?"Yeah," I mutter, stealing a glance at the bathroom door where the sound of the shower running is clear.I imagine Xavier standing under the shower — naked — drops of water cascading down his body, from his hard chest to the V of his belly, his abs glistening with the moisture. He was so incredible with me last night. He actually made me sleep like the dead after the trauma I had been through.I avert my eyes, ashamed of myself. Last night was a great slip on my par
*Xavier's POV Muggers. Damn it! "Oh my God! Xavier, go and see what's wrong with him." Harley directs towards me, making me look at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" I grip the steering wheel tighter to stop myself from shouting. "He's a mugger. You get out of the car and he will rob you." She widens her eyes like I have spoken something unholy. "How can you be so cruel, Everest?" She points towards the body on the road. "That person could be injured and in need of our help. Where's all your 'charity' now?" I squeeze my eyes shut. "He's not injured, Harley. That's just a trick." "You're unbelievable, Everest!" she grunts. "I was about to die yesterday. That body could have been me. That man must be in need of us." "Yes, he needs us to rob for sure," I grumble, the center of my forehead ticking in pain. I hear the sound of the car door opening and turn to find her getting out of the car. Bloody Hell! "Harley..." I stretch a hand to grab her wrist to pull her back but she is a
*Harley’s POVShame. Fear. Confusion.I feel all when I withdraw from Xavier. He folds his arms over his chest, gifting me with a stony glare. I feel so small under his gaze that I have no choice but to look at the road while clutching the hem of my dress.If stupidity was personified, it would be me. After my monologue on how I wasn't a damsel in distress but a knight, I ended up getting us robbed due to my ego. If only I had listened to Xavier, we wouldn't be having this trouble.When I lift my eyes to look at him, he still has the same expression on his face as he stands there, watching me. I am microscopic for those eyes; he has shown me that he is the bigger one of us — and not just physically."Okay, fine." I break the silence when it starts to get uncomfortable. "I'm a damsel in distress."Xavier remains unfazed."Say something please..." I beg him, making pleading eyes. "What do we do now?"I hear him inhale a deep breath and then his eyes are on the road, searching for someth
*Xavier's POVI don't carry Harley for long. Not because I wasn't enjoying the feel of her skin against my hand or her nails grazing the nape of my neck but because when we got out of the woods, a very busy street greeted us, making me realize that the woods we trespassed through were the private property of someone.I can only hope that no one saw us. I don't want a jail record right after being mugged.I put her down on the pavement when I see people stopping to stare at us. Ignoring their questionable looks, I grab her hand and pull her with me across the street. She tiptoes when her feet hurt as she hits the road.My watch — the only thing the goons didn't take from us — reads close to 7 pm and the hustle-bustle of LA is already at its peak. We are about 10 miles from Beverly Hills and somewhere close to Hollywood. We look out of place with our tattered clothes among the others on the road.The building we head towards is tall and magnificent. It reads 'Hotel McClarke' above the g
*Harley's POVI hear the creak of the bathroom door opening and my heart skips a beat. The shower above my head is pouring hot but the sound of my heartbeat is the one that drums in my ears. There is the rustle of clothes and I inhale a breath, knowing that he is undressed when his footsteps head towards the shower curtain, the only barrier between us."Stop!" I let out and he halts."Changed your mind, nemesis?" His deep voice greets my ears. It sounds hotter inside the bathroom, echoing in the quietness."No," I answer. "Turn around first and then step in."A disgruntled groan leaves him and I turn my neck slightly to find him following my orders. His sturdy back enters the shower as he steps inside. It takes all of my self-control to not move my eyes down his body when the water from the shower hits him, making a deep sigh of relief leave his lips.We stand under the shower in silence and I reach for the body wash kept on a little shelf. I put some liquid over my palm before handin
*Xavier’s POV"No, Mom, we're fine." I rub my forehead as I hear Mom's frantic voice over the phone. Ever since she heard that we got mugged, she has been freaking out. "We were robbed and all but we're still fine.""But how did this happen?" she asks in a worried tone. "I thought you were smart enough to not stop your car on an empty road. Times are rough, sweetie."I feel the inclination to tell her that it was in fact not my fault at all. If it wasn't for Harley, I would have been sleeping in my bed right now instead of being dressed in borrowed clothes from a hotel's staff.But then again, I would have missed the chance to bury my face between her legs. Turns out, everything does happen for good."It was a mistake. I told Jake to trace the car. We should be getting our stuff back soon.""Come back home soon," Mom sighs. "The event went smoothly but all my plans to introduce Harley as an Everest went downhill. We need to throw a party for her soon to welcome her to our family. I'll