Chapter Twenty-three: All Of Him

Rei’s Point of View

“Oh, okay. Um, thanks for letting me know. Yeah, I’m okay. No, really, I am. Grace is here, Sam. Here, ask her,” I said, thrusting my phone at Grace before I got up and started to pace.

I hadn’t asked for his number. He cared enough to contact his friends and ask that they let me know. That should matter, right?

Why was I so worked up over this? He wasn’t my boyfriend. We had coffee. I kissed him. I fucked him the night before too, but that was supposed to be a spontaneous never to be repeated event. It was supposed to be. It wasn’t anymore, though. Somehow, I caught feelings for Xavier Woods in the last 24 hours. Fuck.

“Yeah, no, she’s not. Rei is definitely spiralling. I’ll stay with her, don’t worry. I’ll order some pizza, we’ll watch some age appropriate comedy with the kids and then something more our speed when they go to bed. Don’t worry, Sam, I’ve got this. Have fun on your date. Tap that ass, baby,” Grace laughed as she hung up the phone.

Then she set my phone on the table, took out hers and ordered pizza. Just like that, Grace picked up the pieces for me again. What was wrong with me? There were no pieces to pick up! This was ridiculous! I was being ridiculous!

Not seeing anyone lurking in the kitchen, Grace looked around, got up, and looked out into the hallway. She held up a finger, gesturing for me to wait a minute while she went to the living room to talk to the kids. I could hear the cheers and exclamations of Auntie Grace being the best and thanking her for pizza. I could hear quick thumps on the stairs going up and quickly back down before she returned with a grin.

“Ice cream, two spoons, now,” my best friend ordered, pointing at the freezer and then at me.

I sighed. She knew me better than I knew myself, it seemed. I did as instructed while Grace ordered pizza delivered to the house. She put her credit card information into the app before I could stop her. My best friend put her phone down and held her hand out for a spoon as I opened up the small tub of ice cream I kept hidden in the back of the freezer for my meltdown moments.

“All the kids are occupied and won’t be listening in. I could tell Salem, and you were eavesdropping when I was chatting with Shiloh, just so you know,” Grace said, giving me a knowing look. “They are occupied now, so we will talk before the pizza arrives in 40 minutes, and the chaos ensues.”

“Rei, when was the last time you had sex?” Grace asked with a smirk. “Other than last night.”

“With another person?” I questioned sheepishly.

“Sorry, but your trusty vibrators and hand don’t count,” insisted my best friend.

“The day before Greg’s mother showed up with the divorce papers,” I admitted with a sigh.

Did it sound as sad as it felt? Because it felt pretty damn sad to me.

“Oh, you poor, sweet, frustrated woman,” Grace groaned sympathetically. “I knew it.”

“Maybe this isn’t a bad thing then,” she added thoughtfully.

What was she going on about?

“Greg was your first... and only until you got to fulfill one of your wild fantasies with Xavier Woods. You have a thing for him, or maybe just what he did to your body. It's been ten years since you've been with anyone else, love,” Grace said with a playful wink.

“You could use this time that he is away to play a little, finally unleash that nasty little beast you’ve been hiding away,” my best friend grinned.

“Not interested,” I declared, crossing my arms and glaring at her.

"Well, I had to give it a shot," Grace replied with a comical scrunch of her face.

"Wait, do you like like this guy now?" she inquired.

"Yeah, I like like him. He's pretty awesome," I confessed with a cheesy smile as I scooped up another spoonful of ice cream.

Grace's face shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions in seconds before she finally nodded at me.

“Listen to me, Rei. If you want Xavier Woods, you will have to take control of the situation. Wait until he's back from work, and then seduce him again. Show him that you're not afraid to go after what you want,” Grace said with fierce determination.

“He’s all hard edges, danger, and desire wrapped up in a pretty package. But Xavier Woods is also someone you don't just casually pursue; you have to truly want him for who he is, including his flaws and scars. Are you sure you want him? Or just the idea of him and how good of a fuck he was last night?” Grace asked.

Did I desire the man who fulfilled my fantasy and then comforted me in his embrace? The one man who showed tenderness and kindness towards me? Who seemed to care about not just myself but also my children genuinely? The hero who rescued me, yet kept it a secret and never sought recognition for his selflessness until years later?

“I want him. All of him,” I whispered.

“Good. Because I think this time, you've found someone who will truly treat you right, Rei. If you want to pursue things with him, don't be afraid to let him know," Grace said with a small smile and a hushed tone.

Grace’s Point of View

I had fallen for someone like Xavier Woods in the past. We were colleagues, but his darkness scared me away. I left the organization and cut ties with Lillianna, intending to run far away as fast as possible after meeting her one last time for coffee. However, she didn't show up that night. It was then that I ran into Rei again.

I had indulged in my fair share of one-night stands but never had anyone sparked enough interest for me to want them to stay. I have no regrets about leaving the organization that would have ruined my life and depleted my soul. My tasks were always small in comparison—befriending Rei and completing a few other minor assignments. But Lillianna was different; she didn't hesitate to get her hands dirty for any task assigned to her.

No one could compare to Aamon after what we had shared. The memory of his final words to me lingered, the ones he spoke as I walked away from our relationship. He told me he loved me, and it was a thought that never left my mind. Every day, I wished I had begged him to leave that dangerous lifestyle with me. Would he have been willing if I had asked? That was a question that would always haunt me. But in the end, I made the difficult choice to walk away on my own, leaving him and all the dangers of a life I didn't want a part of behind.