~AOIFE~It’s been a week, and I was back to my regular routine at work. And not to forget, I still didn’t know who wanted to kill me, so I tried my best to lie low from Xander and his friends' radar.Out of the blue, I got a card, and it was from none other than Xander. He apologized for his actions, but as I promised Matt, I was done with him. I threw that card in the trash and pretended I had never seen it. For the last two days, he’s tried to talk to me and even showed up at the library, but I was lucky to hide myself with Miss Agnes help. Watching him made me feel vulnerable, and I wouldn’t say I liked the feeling of giving him a chance to clear the air. I hoped he would stop trying to reach me, but I was wrong.It’s Friday, and Luka, Clara, and I planned a movie night. Aunt Agnes needed to see her doctor, so she left early, leaving me responsible for closing the library. I dropped a message to meet my friends in an hour and wrapped up my work quickly. No one was there in the libr
~Xander~I wanted to kill the bastard who slapped her. I didn’t know why she protected him, even after he hit her. Don’t tell me he’s her eternal love. I rolled my eyes at the thought. My anger burst inside me like a volcano when I saw her hugging his unconscious body in the car. If I would have acted like him, beaten and unconscious, maybe she would have shown concern for me, too.How could she love a junkie? Can’t she see he is not good enough for her? My blood was boiling, and I totally forgot about my hand, which was hurting like hell. That idiot hit me with a knuckle duster. Didn’t she see her lover hit me?I slammed the door as Matt tried to help him get into the car. Give me another chance, and I will break him in two.We reached the hospital, and the staff took Caleb on the stretcher. No doubt she would follow him to the emergency room, so I sat on his car hood just watching her gush over him.Matt came out as I was nursing my hand. “Come, let’s go,” he said, waving me toward
~Aoife~How innocent those glossy brown eyes looked when they were calm, but how did I forget how much pain they have given me in the last few days? I was angry at him for ruining everything I loved, but the way he blamed me for sleeping with others and making assumptions about Caleb hurt me. It broke me more when he knew he was hurting me, but he didn’t stop himself.Why did he want to hurt me? Why did he act like I was responsible for answering him for everything in my life?His words cut into my heart like a knife, but I could feel the pain in his eyes. There is a lot more going on in our minds. I was unsure about him, but his constant apologies for continuous ill-tempered actions didn’t justify it. All I knew was everything he offered shattered me, and when he dragged my mom’s name into this, I slapped him.Yes, I slapped him to make him stop assuming things about me. I wanted to run away from all this. I can’t understand what was going on between Xander and me. The more I tried to
~Xander~There was peace in my heart after going through an emotional upheaval between Aoife and me. Her words echoed in my ears again and again. And there was nothing I could think of to fix the situation. Why did I behave like a selfish brat?What was happening to me? I didn’t have a clue.It could be the first time I was getting constant rejection from a single girl who kept me around her finger, and I was not too fond of the thought of her arrogance affecting me so intensely. Maybe I was not ready to accept the change her presence made in me.I didn’t want to accept that I was falling for her, either. Is this even real because I am not a man that falls in love?A bully who never falls in love. Love binds freedom, and I am a free spirit.Shut it down... I screamed at myself in the hospital and punched the picture on the wall. After the influence of sedatives came down, I woke up.Raph was sitting next to my bed, working on his laptop.“Hey,” I said in a raspy voice.“This time you b
~Aoife~“Aoife, come out,” Clara screamed.“How do I look?” I answered with a nervous tone in my voice.“Super hot, babe. I hope we will find some hotties at the party.” She winked at me.We had tried dozens of dresses and it took four hours to choose the two for us. After shopping, we took our bags and went to grab a quick lunch.After I came home from the hospital, unnecessary stress consumed me. I can’t control things like Caleb’s health and Xander’s unpredictable nature, but when she popped up at my door with a piece of good news, I was excited to get out of the dorm room for a while. She told me about her sister’s engagement with her love of life. She invited me to her sister’s engagement party, and I found this opportunity could be my rescue from my current situation. I accepted her invitation, and here we are shopping around. She insisted I come shopping with her as her sister and mother were busy with ceremony arrangements.According to her, she has a large family, and most mem
~Xander~I am happy for my brother, but the ceremony and the meeting of the families drive me crazy. How could you expect to greet an unknown person with a broad smile and ask them, is everything okay in your life? Is your baby fine? What happened to your son? When are you going to join the family business?Well, let’s see. I don’t have any future plans and I’m sick of all these questions. How’s that for an answer?I am not a social person like my mom and Raphael. They can talk to strangers, but I keep my circle limited to a select group of people. She wanted me to attend the ceremony, otherwise, I would have run from here. I rather enjoy my day with my PlayStation, food, rest, movies, and swimming as I always do.Before the party, my mother opened the invitation for family members to crash at our house while in town for the party. I don’t have a massive family like Zoey’s, but big enough to bug me. Mom was going on and on to me about her whole family and how happy they were to meet ou
~Aoife~It’s hard to know exactly who Xander is to me. One moment he’s the worst, and the next, he behaves like a perfect gentleman. He made me cry, and today he made me blush with just a gaze, telling some hidden story behind those eyes. That was the first time I was not scared of him, and I saw a glimpse of his genuine emotions. Or should I say, the first time I looked closely enough into his glossy brown eyes to see it. Matt was right about him. When he wants to, he can behave like a gentleman. I loved the way he tried to hide my back with my hair. He is protective of his unique way, and I genuinely enjoyed dancing with him. There was something in his touch that gave me chills. Whether I’m willing to accept it, something is going on between us. His protective nature or possessiveness always surprises me.He rolled his eyes when we were disturbed by Zareena, and I felt like she peeled him from my hand. I needed to control these emotions. After all, he’s not mine.With a deep breath,
~Xander~How can I allow her to go out with that guy when she’s drunk?Not possible. I have been watching Zach since the time they first danced together. He was trying to get cozy with her and thought making her drunk would help him get with her quickly. But guess what? I was watching his every move.I followed Aoife and was happy to see her headed towards my room. When she tried to leave to meet back up with him, brought her right back to my room and locked the door behind us. She was screaming and hitting me, but her punches were like a massage on my back.I delicately placed her on the ground. She glared at me and tried to run, but I slipped her again into my arms.“Why did you bring me back in here?” “I want you to stay here with me?” I answered while fixing her hair. She blinked heavy eyes at me.“Why would I want to stay here? I want to go with Zach. Besides, you’re angry at me for something, and I don’t know why.” I cornered her, placing my arms on both sides. “Aoife...”“Are