*Harley’s POVHe looks familiar. A little too familiar.My eyes focus on the mirror to study Jake Gallagher's face as he drives the car. Xavier wanted to drop me off, but after hearing how much work he was loaded with, I asked him to send in a driver. He ended up sending his PA because he can't trust anyone else to drop me off safely.Sweet? Yes.Possessive? Hell ya!Annoying? Even more yes.As Jake maneuvers the car into a free parking slot on campus, I quickly grab my bag and am about to open the door when I see him undoing his seatbelt and getting down the car. He comes around and opens the door for me. I mouth him a'thank you' as I get down and he shuts the door.We stand there in silence. My legs are rooted to the spot, my eyes on him. He is tall with a good build but his face is completely shadowed by his thick brown bread. His hair is slicked back to a bun at the back of his head and his professional suit keeps him out of place among the students around us hanging about in thei
*Harley’s POVI flip around, my fingers clutching my phone tight as he stands before me. In the daylight, his appearance is more menacing and duplicitous with the strange mask on."No, no, no..."My foot falls on the pile of mud, twisting at the toes and gravity pulls me down to the ground, my one hand falling on the burner phone and Nina's voice stops when the thing crashes under my palm."C'mon, darling." The man takes steps towards me while I drag my body backward, the pain in my toes making it hard to make my legs work. "Stop playing around and get this over with."His voice. How can someone have such a harsh voice? It sounds like he has something in his mouth, making the sound unrecognizable. But there is a hint of something known. I must have heard him before. I know I have heard him before."What do you want from me?" I ask him. My hands hurt as my palms drag through the gravel, slicing a layer of skin. "I don't have anything. Please leave me alone.""Oh, honey, you do have som
*Xavier’s POVI'm at theWhat the fuck comes after that? She sent me half a text, knowing that it will make me ridiculously worried about her.The second I got it, my possessiveness took the best of me. I fucking called her and she didn't pick up. I called the driver myself who said that he was a little late to reach the college. I asked him which car did he take and he said he took Jake's because the latter had errands to run and was coming along with him.No wonder Harley couldn't find her ride.I haven't seen Jake after he dashed out to meet the Russo brothers to get their signatures on some important documents. He hasn't returned yet and the last time I checked, he said he was still with them.I tap my fingers on my elbows as I lean with my arms crossed, waiting for Harley by the car with the idiot driver. The students are dispersing and it is nearing sundown. All come and go but there is no sign of Harley."You are not suited for this job anymore, Rick. You're fired," I say to th
*Harley’s POVMemories are scary. They have the power to haunt you every time you close your eyes. I have my share of bad memories too.The recall starts in simple ways — like the moment in first grade when Kevin Lewinsky dropped noodles on my head, or the time in secondary school when Nina and Jesse got their first boyfriends while no one asked me out, or the time when I had to change myself completely in high school only to find out that I was a victim for stalkers to follow me home, or the day when I came home from prom with my Dad only to find out that my sister was gone forever.But worst of all, the memory of that day is the one that chills me to my bone. I close my eyes, I see the masked man. I open my eyes and find him still there. My skin crawls when I remember being pressed under him, the glint of the steel knife when it cut my face, leaving me with two viciously ugly lines on my cheek which the doctor said would take a lifetime to vanish for the cut was so deep. I remember
*Xavier’s POV"Right foot forward and block with your forearm," Rose instructs Harley as the latter lifts herself from the floor after being thrown back hard twice. She gathers her strength, positioning herself just like Rose.Rose chose to teach Harley the basics of preventing an attack today. So far, Harley has only learned to block a blow to her face. Not a surprise considering she got scared after seeing her face in the mirror this morning and spent an hour crying in the bathroom. I tried to tell her that it didn't matter because she looks gorgeous but she didn't listen to a word."I'm tired," Harley grunts when she misses stopping a punch on her arm.Rose narrows her eyes, glaring at Harley. My sister takes her job very seriously and looks clearly in no mood for excuses.Scary monster"You can never be tired when defending yourself, Harley. Now, fight back!"She holds Harley's arms, positioning them to reduce the gap between her hands so the enemy doesn't use the space between th
*Xaveir’s POVGlasses clink, a champagne fountain fills them, and people dance in their expensive dresses under the roof of the exquisite ballroom of the manor. We meet the guests who approach us and some we approach ourselves with glasses of red wine in our hands which neither of us cares to drink. Music plays loud yet the song is soft music. We admire the elegant decorations until our sights fall on the host of the party.Senator Julius Campbell"You're so dead, Everest," Harley mutters under her breath as she watches Senator Campbell approaching us with a grin on his face."I'm sorry, love, but I need you to be here," I whisper in her ear, my hand on her waist squeezing tight as we both force a smile at the Senator.It is his sixth engagement party. After Harley and I got married, he secured the warmth of a rich heiress who was more than excited to jump into his arms at the consideration of his background which would make her an important public figure. He sent me the invitation tw
*Haley’s POVThea Willows. Thea. Thea. TheaThe end of my pencil makes a clipping sound as I tap it on the desk agitatedly. The pop quiz in front of me is already filled up, with all the right answers marked among the multiple-choice questions. The quiz came as a necessary escape to me just at the right time because I haven't been able to stop thinking about the name on Xavier's phone screen last night.I have avoided talking to him since and pretended to be asleep when he came to our room from his study. It seems stupid to act this way. This Thea maybe anyone, yet, my heart doesn't want to believe that.It's her. It's definitely her.The piercing sound of our professor's timer causes the classroom to erupt in chaos as he collects the sheets. I hand it to him and rush out, a baseball cap shadowing my face to hide the marks on my face. I push past people until I collide with someone who holds my arm to steady my hurried steps."Hey, what's wrong?"I look up to find Nina's concerned eye
*Xavier’s POVThe bathroom door opens with a creak as I enter after knocking twice and getting no response. Harley is in the bathtub, covered in bubbles with her head tilted backward and her eyes closed. Her bare arms press on both sides of the tub, skin paler than usual.I stalk towards her, untying my tie and throwing it on the floor. When I reach her, she doesn't react to my presence and her ignorance disturbs me. I have been trying to talk to her since last night but she has avoided me. She didn't even pick up my calls today, leaving me worried until I tracked her number to her college. I rest my arms around the edge of the tub as I crouch beside her."Harley?"She opens her eyes and her sight turns to me. A slow tilt of her lips curves them into a smile."Hey, you..." she murmurs drowsily.That smile widens, turning to something sly, different from what I have usually seen her with. Before I can say anything, her wet arms wrap around my neck and she kisses me.Never have I been t