Chapter 35

Maya and the rest were kind enough to stand outside the club with me as I waited for Xander even when I insisted they didn’t have to.

“I can’t believe some asshole would do that and ruin this night for us.” Maya cursed, observing the damage on my phone.

“What kind of a psychopath does that?” Lily huffed.

But I was too scared to give them an answer. My mind kept replaying the interaction I had with him and with each passing second, my fear returned with a force stronger than the previous minutes until I was visibly trembling.

“Are you cold?” Caleb asked, watching me carefully. “Do you need us to go back inside?”

I shook my head just as Julian shrugged off his jacket and handed it to me.

“Thanks,” I muttered, hugging it close.

“You are sure you don’t know him? Caleb said you were speaking to him, what did he say to you?” Ethan asked.

I remained silent.

“Kathleen?” He called and I jerked, feeling a throb beginning to form at the side of my head.

“I… uh, I was asking him to apologize and he was threatening me over it.” I said. It wasn’t a lie but it wasn't the truth either. I couldn’t tell them the truth.

I couldn’t tell anyone the truth.

I heard the screech of tires and the roar of an engine as a sleek black SUV swerved toward me, the door flying before it even came to a complete stop.

“What the…” Julian was saying but the rest of his words died in his mouth when Xander emerged, his strides purposeful as he made his way to me, worry and urgency creasing his expression. He was dressed in black pants and a brown cashmere sweater, his hair tangled like he'd been running his fingers through it for the last minutes.

He reached me quickly, the familiar smell of him warming me up as he placed his hands on my shoulder, his emerald eyes scanning me from head to toe.

His eyes darkened with a sense of protectiveness and an undertone of anger when he took the tear that must have fallen down my face at some point.

“What happened?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to speak but something must have snapped in me in his presence because only silent tears ran down my face instead.

Xander turned to my friends. “What happened to her?” This time there was a tornado of rage in his voice and I felt it echo so deeply, that it rattled my bones.

“Some bastard bumped into her, broke her phone, and…” Caleb shrugged, handing Xander the phone.

He took it from him and stared at the broken screen, his jaw clenched. His head snapped up and he turned to Caleb. “Where is he?”

I squeezed his hand on me gently. “Can we leave, please?” I asked softly.

Xander nodded, the look of concern returning to his eyes. We bade our goodbye and he led me to the car, helping me settle down before moving to his side and we sped off.

He took my hand in his and squeezed it as he drove. “I'm sorry about tonight, love. I promise I'll find him and I'll make the bastard pay.”

I shook my head. “It's just… You don't have to.”

He ignored my comment. “How are you feeling now? Are you worried over the phone? We’ll get you another one, I promise. We’ll get you thousands if you want.”

I opened my mouth and closed it. I couldn't tell him about Donovan. I wished I could but I couldn't.

Xander was always my first point of contact when I was in trouble, he'd saved me too many times and I was heavily indebted to him. This Donovan mess was too big for me to drag him into. He had his own worries, I knew he was struggling with his grandfather and brother, getting back the company, his overbearing mother, and the woman his family had chosen for him.

How could I still burden this man with my own troubles too? My heart broke at the thought of it. My heart broke for him because he always took care of others and there was no one who took care of him.

When he pulled the car into the driveway of his building and came to my side of the door, I pulled him to myself.

My hands wrapped around his masculine body and I leaned into him. His arms reflexively held me together and we simply stood there in the cold for a long time, neither of us saying a word as our bodies gave each other warmth, understanding, and love, and it was the best form of intimacy we'd shared so far.

“I'm sorry I keep burdening you...” I finally said.

He stiffened. “Don't you dare!” he warned in a dangerous tone.

“No, Xander, let me. I know that I'm causing so much trouble for you with your family and company and with all you have going on. It's unfair for me to not acknowledge that and I'm sorry, I want to be there for you too. I know I can't offer much but if you'd let me, I want to be there for you as much as I can.”

He pulled back, his strong palms gently cupping my face as he watched me with such tender eyes, that I felt my stomach flutter. “Your presence is enough, Kathleen. You simply being here, living in my space, wearing my clothes. The fact that when I turn in my sleep at night, my arms find your body and you fit right next to me is enough. Having you walk around barefooted, having you bounce on my bed just to piss me off.”

He bent his head, his forehead resting on me, his warm, mint breath fanning my face. “I know it's selfish that I continue to hold on to you but that's because you keep me sane, happy, fulfilled. You are the only stable thing in my life and that is enough.”

Tears burned at the back of my eyes. I wish it could be that easy; I wish we were two simple people who met and could live our lives without the pressure of our families but he wanted him to be with someone else and so did mine and here we were.

“Ahem,” someone coughed from behind us.

Xander threw a bored glance their way and I felt him hiss quietly when he saw the person, his arm wrapping protectively around me as he pulled me to his side.

I looked to see a tall, elegant woman with her arms folded across her chest watching us and she seemed to have been for a while.

Her beauty stunned me. She seemed prim and perfect like a model from the glossy magazines my sister used to enjoy fawning over.

“What are you doing here?” Xander asked, his voice void of any emotion.

But she was watching me when she spoke. “I see she's the reason you've been ignoring my calls all week.” she shook her head at me pitifully.

“Isn't it sad, little one? That you've made yourself a plaything to him but I understand Xander’s allure. He's rich, wickedly handsome in a way no man should be.” She let out a drunken laugh as she took a few steps closer to me and I felt Xander’s hold tighten. “But don't you forget, I am the one he's going to marry, me, not you!”

She yelled, her cries carrying into the wind and it was then it hit me that this was the woman Xander’s family wanted him to marry.