TWENTY-THREE: THE PARTY III

TWENTY-THREE: THE PARTY III
  Juliet watched Xavier leave the hall, her eyes on him until he became out of sight.

Immediately setting her empty glass on a nearby tray, she followed the trail he left behind and quickly went in search of him. It wasn't difficult to figure out where he was headed. She was soon met with a staircase leading to a balcony.

She took careful steps, her heels clicking softly against the floor, and in no time found herself on the balcony, Xavier standing a few meters away by the railing.

The night air was cold, sending shivers down her spine as she took it in. Xavier barely moved though, his gaze fixed on whatever he was looking at across the road.

She took in another deep breath and began walking towards him, careful not to make a sound. Her attempts were useless though, Xavier immediately turning sharply the second he realize he had company.

Xavier didn’t speak up or try to stop her. He simply watched her walk up to him, hands on her dress like she was afraid of tripping over it if she allowed it fall freely. Her gaze shifted between him and the floor and when she was finally by his side, fixed on him.

“Sorry, I followed you,” she said almost in a whisper. He still didn’t respond, his eyes on her like he was trying to decipher something about her. “I just saw you leave and—”

Realizing Xavier had no intention of replying, Juliet pressed her lips together. The cold wind swept through the balcony again, making her immediately wrap her arms around herself.

Xavier watched her shiver before immediately looking away, refusing to allow whatever foreign emotions flooded his veins whenever she was around him to win.

For a split second, he considered taking off his jacket. The thought irritated him enough that he shoved both hands deeper into his pockets instead.

He gazed into the starless sky, a small huff of frustration escaping his lips.

“Can I ask you a question?”

He didn’t reply. Simply turned to return his gaze to her.

“You and your father aren’t on good terms, right?”

Xavier raised a brow. It was a bold question. One people rarely asked him probably because the answer was clear or cause they were certain he wouldn’t respond.

“No,” he found himself responding though, his fingers curling in his pocket. “We aren’t.”

“Then,” she parted her lips to speak again, Xavier genuinely intrigued she still had more to say, “why did you come to the party?”

“Do you do everything you do simply because you want to do it?” Xavier frowned at her. “Do you even want to be here with me tonight?”

“I—”

“Are you close with your mum?”

“My mum is in the hospital,” Juliet replied softly. “In a coma. She has been in that coma for months so even if I want to be close with her, the choice isn’t really in my hands.”

“Oh,” Xavier clicked his tongue. He didn’t do well with sympathy and tonight wasn’t going to be an exception. “I see.”

“Didn’t you already know that though?” she raised her brows. “You paid off her hospital bills, didn’t you?”

“I asked Carlos to handle it. I never asked for the details.”

“Oh,” Juliet nodded her head slowly. He really was cold and getting through him was clearly an impossible task. “Can I ask another question then?”

Silence took over again, Juliet taking it as another cue.

“What exactly is your relationship with Damon?” she did her best to steady her voice as she asked. “Are you two friends?”

Xavier didn’t laugh. Or frown. He just replied with a plain expression.

“There are three people I hate the most in this world,” he answered. “My father, my step-mother.”

“And Damon.”

Juliet was immediately speechless. She knew there was something off about the way Damon had said they were friends but she definitely wasn’t expecting a relationship like that.

Hate? He hated him? Just after his father and his stepmother?

His answer only birthed more questions in her head. And just as she parted her lips in preparation for a new question, he beat her to it.

“You’ve asked enough questions. My turn.”

Juliet swallowed. Juliet swallowed.

His expression hadn't changed, but there was something different about the way he looked at her now. Like he was studying her just as carefully as she'd been studying him.

And just like him, she didn’t reply before he asked his question.

“Why are you still a virgin?”

Her eyes widened instantly, his choice of question taking her by surprise. She had expected him to probably ask about her mother or maybe how she had gotten herself into such debt in the first place. Or if he at least wanted to make it about him, ask why she was curious about all the questions she asked him.

“Why am I—” she swallowed, trying to think of the best response. She didn’t have one though, only one response in her mind.

“Cause my life has been too problematic for me to have enough time to think about getting laid.”

“I refuse to believe there weren’t numerous times you could have gotten fucked for money.”

“What?” her mouth fell open but she quickly closed it. “Why haven’t you fucked me then? For the money.”

“Because I don’t fuck virgins.”

Before she could voice out her confusion, he added, “If you weren’t a virgin, I’d have fucked you right here and right now to clear my head.”

Juliet’s stomach immediately heated up, the feeling quickly spreading to her entire body. Her lips parted but no words came out, her imaginations running wild so quickly it made her mouth dry.

She searched his face for even the slightest hint that he was joking. There wasn't one.

“Why is it such a big deal to you?” she managed to ask.

“I do not fuck virgins.”

"But if I wasn't a virgin,” She took another small step closer. "You’d fuck me right now?"

"To clear your head?"

Xavier turned to look at her. He could hear the change in her breathing, see her chest rising and falling just a little faster than before. “Does it turn you on to make me repeat myself?”

“No,” she swallowed, taking another step closer towards him. “But it turns me on to hear you admit you’ve imagined fucking me.”

He tilted his head, taking his hands out of his pocket to cross his arms over his chest. He bit his lip and watched her lips part even further, her eyes glistening as she stared at him.

“Is there anything I can do,” her voice came out lower now, her eyes travelling from his face to his lower body. “To help you clear your head? Besides you fucking me?”

His restraint immediately snapped. “Anything?”

“Anything,” she nodded.

“Right here?”

“Right now.”

He nodded before taking a slow step backwards until his back rested against the railing. He looked straight into her eyes, watched her immediately catch her breath, then said,

"Get down on your knees."