Chapter 5

     Three months later, Keira has forgotten about the party incident with Andre and his friends. She moved on with her life, returning to her normal cycle; work, school, and home. She avoided Shakira and her cliques like a plague, shying away from every frivolous gathering Elvira invited her to, drowning herself in her academics and her work.

Surprisingly, Xander dropped by the cafeteria where she was working two weeks later, with a copy of Tully and an apology note, apologizing for his and his friends I'll attitude towards her, during the frat party.

She did try rejecting the book, but he was assertive and threatened to cause a scene if she doesn't accept his acknowledgment.

"I just want us to be friends. Platonic friends per se." He'd fessed with her when she queried his motives behind the sudden attention on her. 

"You're different from the other girls I've been with and very special too. I just want to be your friend and nothing more attached to it." He'd reassured her. Although she couldn't bring herself to trust him, knowing the kind of person he was, on Elvira's advice, she decided to give him the benefit of doubt.

He bared himself to her afterward, telling her almost everything about himself. He told her about his parents, their divorce, and his mom's death a few months after. How he from graduated Camden with first-class honors and how he's going to take over his father's vast business empire when he turns twenty-four.

He was pretty honest with her about everything, or so she thought.

Keira barely opened up to him. She only told him about where she came from, who her parents were, and what they did for a living, however, she withheld other vital information, like her dreams, goals, and ambitions, from him. She doesn't think she trusted him that much yet, to share such deep information about herself with him.

Xander didn't mind her hesitation at all. He played his role so perfectly and did it with precision and patience, Keira finally let the guard around her heart down for him.

  It was three weeks after their first-semester resumption, in her sophomore year. Keira had returned from Witherthrow, where she'd spent the summer holidays and was getting set into her first semester in sophomore year, which was a lot more different than freshman year. She resumed work immediately after she returned, hitting it off with hours-long lecture periods. During these times, Xander stayed by her, offering all the help he could offer as a friend. 

He was an econ major too, so he offered as much help as he could, with her assignment.

However, that fated day, she was getting off her morning work shift, to catch up for the class she'd at one pm. She signed out her name in the attendance registry in the manager's office and was heading to take off her apron in the kitchen when her cell phone began to ring from her pocket.

She waited until she was outside the cafeteria, before digging her hand into her pocket and fishing it out, only to be met with a missed call from Xander. She called back almost immediately and waited for a few rings before he accepted the call.

It was very breezy outside, depicting how soon Winter was approaching and the flashing thought of that reminded her of Christmas.

"Hi, Xander and sons speaking, who's on the line?" He asked jokingly from the other end and she chuckled, playing along real quick.

"Hey there, it's Miss Logan from the Royale Cafe. I have an order with me and it's addressed to Mister Xander Williamson. Sir, would you mind confirming the order?"

"As long as it isn't one of those your mean-faced colleagues that are delivering the order, I won't mind confirming it." He replied to her and Keira half frowned, but it only lasted for a few seconds, before she replaced it with a smile.

"You and I know my colleagues aren't mean-faced, however, your friends are." She stated pointedly, in defense of the seven other students that were part-timing in the cafeteria with her.

"And your best friend, Andre, he's the worst." She added, stopping in front of the bus stop, her phone held against her ear with one hand.

"Remind me how you guys became friends again, please?" It was a rhetorical question, Xander didn't bother answering and she was glad he didn't.

Andre was the last person she wanted to have a conversation about. For some reasons, which were best untold after their first tempestuous encounter and the incident at the party, she doesn't like him one bit and luckily for her, her morbid feelings were reciprocated.

He was too arrogant, too narcissistic, and too egocentric for his good, always thinking the entire world revolves around him alone. No wonder why Shakira chose him over the other guys that must've probably wanted to date her.

It's because both of them are alike in almost every way.

Birds of the same feathers would mostly flock together.

Andre behaves like he's some superior god and is entitled to be worshiped, and highly respected. He doesn't take anyone's ideology as gospel truth and worst of it all doesn't have any modicum of respect for womanhood.

Hell knows how he was raised and heaven helps the unfortunate lady that'll end up as his wife. Except it was Shakie or someone with an attitude like her, the unfortunate lady is in for a lot of torment and torture.

Fuck! I wasn't even supposed to be thinking about that narcissistic asshole in the first place. She reprimanded herself, navigating her attention back to Xander who was still on the line.

"Whatever. Now tell me, why have you called?" She asked him, clearing off Andre from her thoughts,

"Well, an old friend of mine is throwing a bonfire party at Lake Vaquero, tonight and I was hoping my favorite wingman..." He paused, then corrected himself, "wing woman per se, would want to tag along."

"I don't think...."

"Come on Keira," he cut her off immediately, knowing she was about to give ten thousand reasons why she won't be able to make it.

"You're done with your morning shift and you only have two classes today. Plus, the party is from six pm tonight, you won't be busy by then." He inveighed pleadingly,

"Once it's eight thirty, I'll bring you back to the dormitory." He assured her, hoping to convince her to follow him to the party. 

Keira isn't the party type, thus avoiding most social gatherings, and being with her had made him start curtailing how many of these social gatherings he attends at a time.

To him, she was quite the good influence, but then, the good morals she'd instilled in him doesn't matter when he was back at home. At home, he has to prove to his father and his cohorts that he was worthy enough to be in their presence and be included in the league. 

However, he needed her to attend the party with him.

"Alright." She breathed out, knowing he wasn't going to relent until she said yes,

"I'll attend the party with you, but you've to bring me home by eight pm and not eight thirty." She renegotiated his return time with him.

"I need to be back in the hostel at most, eight pm."

"Okay. I'll bring you back by eight pm, not even a second more." He reassured her almost immediately and Keira chuckled,

"Okay then, we have a deal."

Xander won't stop thanking her, she'd to hang up the call on him, when a cab drove by. 

       That night, Xander drove Keira to the party location, which was over two miles away from the school.

Lake Vaquero was an artificial lake with lots of water, lots of sand, lots of trees, and mostly no people, except Xander's friends. He introduced Keira to them as his girlfriend to avoid a lot of questioning and she played as one, having been apprised earlier.

Unlike his other friends, these weren't snobby or made rude remarks. They treated her nicely, despite the fact she was the youngest in the group.

No one asked her where she came from or who her parents were and what they did for a living. Everyone was just having their share of fun, roasting marshmallows, eating pizza, drinking, and telling corny jokes.

Keira felt more relaxed than she's done in ages.

However, towards the time they were to go home, Xander cornered her from where she was talking to one of the girls, who was a junior year student in Camden, majoring in Software Engineering and Computer Science.

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you in private." He whispered to her hearing, then turned to the girl, Stacey, mouthing an apology to her.

Keira noticed something was off, from his terse movement, but excused herself and left with him.

They walked a far distance from the party spot, but Keira wasn't bothered about how far they'd gone, she was more bothered about what he wanted to talk to her about.

Had something bad happened?

She was agitated within herself, despite masking it with a cool demeanor.

They got to a huge rock beside the water and Xander stopped, turning to the worried Keira that'd stopped with him.

"What's the problem, Xander?" She asked her, her voice laden with worry and agitation,

"What happened?"

"I love you, Keira." He blurted and like a bombshell, his statement dropped in Keira's hearing.

"....."

"Yes Keira, I love you and I can't keep burying my feelings inside me like they don't exist. I love you and I want you to be my girlfriend."

Keira was speechless, faced with such a shocking revelation from Xander.

He took two steps towards her transfixed form and reached his arms for her face,

"I want you, Keira Logan." The moment his palms landed on her face, she shuddered and pulled away impulsively.

Yes, she likes him. He's actually the closest male friend she's ever had and she trusts and likes him too, but that was it. She doesn't love him in that way.

"C'mon Keira," he beseeched her, reaching for her face again,

"We've known each other for almost a year now. It's not like I'm some strange guy, making advances toward you.

I love you and I'm certain I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side." He professed further, caressing her face with his fingers.

God, let this be a dream. Don't let this be real.

I can't lose my closest friend because of this. Let this be a fucking dream. She prayed with her eyes closed, only to open her eyes to see Xander's head leaning towards her, his lips set to receive a kiss from her.

Keira immediately pushed him away,

"I'm sorry Xander, but I can't do this with you." She pulled away from his reach, but he grabbed her arm violently,

"Fuck what you can't, Keira." He hollered, tightening his grip around her arm,

"You can and you will." His gaze upon her was bloodshot and they sent shivers down her spine.

"Xander..."

"I'm fucking you, Keira, whether you like it or not." His terse statement made her heart drop a thousand feet into the pit of her stomach.

Keira Logan, you're doomed!