Chapter 52

Chapter 52
I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. I was in our room, lying on the bed. I batted my eyelashes as I opened my eyes.

I felt a soft kiss on my cheek. I turned my head, and my eyes met Xavier's warm smile.

"Good morning," he whispered, his voice low and husky.

I smiled back, my heart racing. "Good morning."

Xavier was holding a tray of breakfast - pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. My stomach growled in anticipation.

"I brought you breakfast," he said, setting the tray down in front of me. "I thought you might be hungry after yesterday."

I tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through my elbow, making me wince. I gasped, my hand instinctively reaching for my elbow to rub away the hurt.

Xavier's concerned voice broke through my discomfort. "Babe, what's wrong? How did you injure your elbow?"

I didn't answer, my eyes fixed on my elbow as I continued to rub it. I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't want to relive the memory of how Xavier pushed me yesterday.

Xavier's eyes narrowed, his expression turning serious. "Lilith, tell me what happened. Was it Marco? Who did this? Did he hurt you?"

I still didn't answer, my silence a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the pain and fear that lingered within me. Xavier's eyes softened, and he reached out to gently take my hand away from my elbow.

"Let me see," he said, his voice gentle. "I'll take care of it."

I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to let him in, but his warm touch and caring eyes put me at ease. I slowly nodded, allowing him to examine my elbow. His fingers probed gently, and I winced again, but this time, it was more of a gentle ache than a sharp pain.

Xavier's expression turned grim, and he looked up at me, his eyes searching. "I'll take care of you, babe. I promise."

Xavier's expression turned grim as he stood up and walked away, returning with a first aid box. He sat back down beside me and opened the box, pulling out antiseptic wipes and bandages.

"Okay, let me take a look," he said, his voice soft and gentle.

As he touched my elbow, I flinched, and he paused, looking up at me with concern. "What happened, babe? How did you get injured?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "You pushed me yesterday," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Xavier's eyes widened, and he looked at me with shock and guilt. "What? How? When?"

"Oh, Lilith, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I know. I fell and landed on my elbow."

Xavier's face contorted in anguish as he gently cleaned and bandaged my elbow. I could feel his remorse and regret radiating from him, and it touched my heart.

As he worked, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Pain, fear, and vulnerability swirled inside me, but Xavier's gentle touch and apologetic eyes soothed my frazzled nerves. I felt safe with him, even though he was the one who had caused my injury.

Xavier's hands trembled slightly as he secured the bandage, his eyes locked on mine. "Lilith, I'm so sorry. I promise to be more careful in the future."

I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. "I know, Xavier. It's okay."

Xavier's face relaxed slightly, but his eyes still held a deep concern. "Are you sure you're okay? I feel terrible about this."

I smiled weakly, trying to reassure him. "I'll be fine, Xavier. Really."

As Xavier tended to my wound, his eyes filled with remorse. "Lilith, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I was so stupid to push you. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I felt a pang in my chest as I looked at him, his eyes brimming with regret. "Xavier, it's okay," I said softly, trying to reassure him.

But he shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears. "No, babe, it's not okay. I was so careless. I could have really hurt you."

I reached out and touched his hand, feeling a surge of compassion. "Xavier, stop. You're making me feel worse."

He looked up at me, his eyes searching. "How can I make it right, Lilith? I feel so terrible."

I smiled weakly. "Just take care of me, okay?"

Xavier nodded, his eyes filling with determination. "I will, babe. I promise. I'll take care of you, and I'll make sure this never happens again."

As he continued to tend to my wound, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. Xavier's apology and concern soothed my hurt and fear, and I knew that everything would be okay.

I nodded, my eyes widening at the spread. "I'm starving."

Xavier chuckled and handed me a fork. "Dig in."

As I took my first bite, I felt a sense of contentment wash over me. This was what I needed - a quiet morning with Xavier, good food, and warm company.

We ate in comfortable silence, the only sound the clinking of silverware on plates. I glanced at Xavier, his eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at me.

"Thank you for this," I said, my voice soft. "I needed it."

Xavier's smile faltered for a moment, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. "You deserve it," he said, his voice low and gentle. "You deserve so much more."

My heart skipped a beat at his touch, and I felt my cheeks flush. I looked away, focusing on my breakfast, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that Xavier's words had awakened something deep within me.

My phone rang, shrill in the silence of the room. I stood up abruptly, my heart racing, as Marco's photo popped up on the screen. I felt a surge of anxiety and tried to leave the room, but Xavier caught my arm, his eyes questioning.

"Babe, why are you leaving all of a sudden?" he asked, his voice firm but gentle.

I didn't answer, my eyes fixed on the phone as it continued to ring. I tried to pull my arm free, but Xavier held tight.

"Who is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

I still didn't answer, my silence a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the truth. Xavier's grip on my arm tightened, his eyes flashing with concern.

"Babe, talk to me," he said, his voice low and urgent. "What's going on?"

But I remained silent, my eyes fixed on the phone as Marco's face stared back at me, his eyes seeming to bore into my soul.

Xavier's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. "Babe, you're shutting me out again!" he exclaimed, his voice rising. "You're not telling me anything! Who was on the phone? What's going on?"

I tried to placate him, my voice soft. "Xavier, calm down..."

But he cut me off, his anger boiling over. "Don't tell me to calm down!" he yelled, his face red with rage. "You're the one who's always hiding things from me! You're the one who's always pushing me away!"

I took a step back, my heart racing, as Xavier's words hit me like a slap. I felt a surge of defensiveness, but I tried to remain calm.

"Xavier, please..." I started, but he talked over me.

"No, Lilith! I'm sick of this! You're always secrets and lies and half-truths! I can't take it anymore!"

His words hung in the air, a challenge, a accusation. I felt my own anger rise, but I tried to keep it in check. I knew Xavier was hurt, and I didn't want to make it worse. But I couldn't help feeling a little hurt myself. Didn't he trust me at all? Didn't he know I was trying to protect him?

My phone rang again, and I hesitated for a moment before answering it. But before I could even say hello, Xavier snatched the phone from my hand.

"Who is it?" he demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.

I tried to grab the phone back, but he held it out of my reach. "Xavier, give me that!" I exclaimed.

But he just glared at me and answered the phone. "Hello?"

I heard my dad's voice on the other end, screaming at the top of his lungs. "WHERE IS XAVIER? HE WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OVER AN HOUR AGO!"

Xavier's face went pale, and he looked at me with a mixture of shock and guilt. "Uh, Father, I...I can explain..."

But my dad just kept yelling. "EXPLAIN? YOU'D BETTER EXPLAIN! YOU'RE ALWAYS RUNNING AROUND WITH MY DAUGHTER, AND NOW YOU CAN'T EVEN BOTHER TO SHOW UP WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL!"

I felt my face burning with embarrassment and anger. How dare Xavier answer my phone! And how dare my dad yell at him like that!

"Xavier, give me the phone!" I demanded, trying to grab it back.

But he just shook his head and kept listening to my dad's tirade. I could see the guilt written all over his face, and I knew he was realizing he had made a big mistake.

Xavier's face was red with embarrassment and guilt as he listened to my dad's yelling. He looked at me with a pleading expression, and I could see the apology in his eyes before he even spoke.

"Mr. Mills, I'm so sorry. I'll come over as soon as I can," he said, his voice calm and contrite.

But my dad just kept yelling, his voice getting louder and more angry by the second. Xavier winced, and I could see the discomfort written all over his face.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "I'll come over soon, Mr. Mills. I promise," he said, and then he dropped the call.

I glared at him, my arms crossed. "Thanks for answering my phone," I said, my voice sarcastic. "And thanks for getting yelled at by my dad."

Xavier sighed and rubbed his temples. "Babe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things worse."

I shook my head. "Just let me go, Xavier."

He nodded.

Xavier grabbed his car keys and turned to me. "I'm going to your father's place," he said, his voice still tense from the earlier argument.

I nodded, still feeling a bit upset. Xavier turned to me and said, "We'll continue this discussion when I get back, okay?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Get back from where?"

Xavier sighed. "I have to go to your dad's house. I promised him I'd come over."

I nodded, understanding. "Okay. But Xavier?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, okay? My dad can be... intense."

Xavier nodded, his expression serious. "I'll be fine, Lilith. I can handle it."

I hoped so. I really didn't want things to get any worse than they already were. I didn't want him to go over to my father's place. My father would squeeze money out of him again and again.

"Xavier, are you sure you want to go to my dad's house?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

He nodded, his jaw set in determination. "Yes, Lilith, I'm sure. I need to fix this."

I felt a surge of panic. "But Xavier, please don't go. He's going to yell at you and make you feel awful."

Xavier's expression softened, and he reached out to take my hand. "Lilith, I'll be okay. I promise. I need to do this."

I begged him, my eyes welling up with tears. "Please, Xavier, don't go. Let's stay at home together. We can work through this together."

But he shook his head, his eyes filled with a resolve I couldn't understand. "I can't, Lilith. I need to face your dad and make things right."

I felt a lump form in my throat as I realized he was determined to go through with this. I knew my dad could be cruel and hurtful, and the thought of Xavier facing that alone was unbearable. But Xavier was resolute, and knew I couldn't change his mind.