Chapter 2: So Long, Luxury.

Xavier Kingston.

The car is silent as I drive to my cabin some miles away from the bar. I glance at Audrey, noticing the way her fingers drum nervously against her thigh, her eyes fixed on some point outside the window. She fidgets in the seat next to me, her shoulders squirming slightly as if she's trying to shake off a feeling.

I don't understand what's got her worked up and as much as I'd love to strike a conversation with her, I have a lot on my mind.

Like the fact that once I'm done with this little getaway, I'm expected to go and see Isabella Sylvester and start on the proceedings of our arranged marriage. My throat closes up and my fists clench the wheel as I think about it.

Sometimes, I hate the fact that my father still has some sort of hold on my life. The resentment simmers under my skin but I'm bound to the promise I made to my mother on her deathbed: to reconcile with him.

“Where are we going?” Audrey's voice snaps me back to reality. 

“My cabin,” I reply, not in the mood to explain. 

She nods and goes back to glancing out of the window. From the corner of my eyes, I see her massaging her wrist and guilt envelops me. 

I shrug it off, acting nonchalant. I did give her a choice to come with me and she chose the hard way. How's that my fault?

Before I can dwell on it any further, my phone rings and I answer it immediately, slipping on my air pods with my right hand. 

“Hey you!” I hear Ethan's voice boom through the pods in my ears and I hastily lower the volume on my phone.

“What's popping, man?” I ask. Faint music filters in through the phone and I know he's in a club at the moment. 

“What's popping? Imagine me getting to your office to pick you up and finding out from your assistant that you had taken an impromptu trip to a farm or something.”

Damn, he was pissed. 

“I needed a break, Ethan. And I'm not at a farm,” I reply.

From the corner of my eyes, I see Audrey lean closer to my side subconsciously as she tries to eavesdrop on my conversation. 

“You could have told me, man. I'm your best friend, damnit and you made me look like a complete fool in front of that entitled bitch,” he fumes.

I massage my forehead a little before returning my hand to the wheel, “I'm sorry but something came up with my dad. I just needed to get away from it all.”

There's a pause as he sighs before continuing, “I understand. Where are you and how long is this little getaway going to last?”

After some minutes of conversation, I wrap up the call, focusing on the winding road ahead. The darkness of the forest closes in around us as I pull up to my cabin. 

“Here we are,” I say to Audrey after killing the engine.

She takes her surroundings in with wide eyes, “I've never been to this part of Texas before.” 

The amazement in her voice amuses me and I chuckle lowly, “The purpose of having a cabin deep in the woods is to get away from the world. So I made sure it was well hidden. You can't just stumble on this place.” 

She nods and sits still, her gaze drifting out the window to take in the dense forest surrounding the cabin. The air between us turns awkward and I realize she's waiting for me to step out before she does.

Taking off my seatbelt, I step out of my Ferrari Purosangue. Breathing in the fresh night air, I smile in comfort while taking a few steps forward. 

But as the cool breeze washes over me, I feel the weight of the 14-hour drive from New York to Texas finally catching up with me. My eyelids grow heavy, and all I can think about is a warm bath and my bed.

Turning to face the front of the vehicle, I notice that Audrey is still in the car. 

“Planning on sleeping out here tonight?” My voice is sharp, and I don't bother to soften it. But when I see her flinch, I feel a pang of... something. 

Not guilt, exactly. But maybe a twinge of regret. 

I don't apologize, but I do wait for her to exit the car before I turn and walk towards the cabin. Unlocking the door, I push it open and gesture for her to enter. 

She hesitates and I can feel my patience running thin. 

“You're not going to sleep in the car, so you might as well come in.”

She enters the cabin with caution, taking small steps as her eyes dart around. I nod curtly towards the bedroom. 

“You can sleep in there,” I add, gruffly. When she makes no move to go into the bedroom, I sigh and head towards it. 

She doesn't trust me, fine. But heaven knows I'm no one's babysitter.

She follows closely behind me as I enter the bedroom. I only had one bedroom done in the cabin since I never thought I'd bring someone with me to my safe haven. 

“Well, here you go,” I gesture towards the bed before stalking to the wardrobe to take extra blankets for myself.

I also take a pillow with me before exiting the room and making my way to the couch. So long, warm bath. So long, my comfy bed.

I fall into a fitful sleep and before long, I'm thrown into a nightmare. 

The familiar darkness closes in around me, and I'm transported back to a time I'd rather forget. 

I'm a child again, cowering in the corner of the kitchen with my younger brother as my father's fists rain down on my mother. Her cries echo in my head, and I feel the same helpless fear that I felt all those years ago. 

I try to scream, but my voice is trapped in my throat. The scene shifts and distorts, but the sound of my mother's pain stays with me, haunting me even as I'm roughly shaken awake.