Chapter 47

A week later, I was still at Xander’s. We hadn't spoken about my return and the times I'd tried to bring it up, he hadn't allowed me. Granted, I was terrified of returning. Harper was due to come in a few days, she hadn't been able to come earlier and had to stay back because her dad had fallen ill.

I was going to have to return with her. I knew that. Xander knew that but somehow we still held on, at night, I felt him hold me a little tighter when we slept and I woke up to him watching me with a painful expression. Whatever it was that'd happened, he refused to say a word.

Victoria and I decided to not tell him about what had happened with his mother and Julia because he had enough to deal with and considering he hadn't mentioned it, I assumed his mother hadn't told him yet.

“So,” Xander said, handing me a cup of tea as he settled himself next to me. “I’ll send a dress and a car to the house by 8 pm.”

My eyes widened slightly. “Are we going somewhere?”

He nodded and turned away but I caught the flicker of happiness in his eyes.

“Come on, tell me where.”

“It's a surprise,” he said, leaning back into the sofa. “It won't be a surprise anymore if I told you.”

“Don't be smart with me. Okay, give me hints then.”

“That’ll ruin it further,” he simply said.

“That's not being fair, Xander. I'm going to be on the edge of my seat all through the day, see…” I put his hand on my chest. “My heart is already racing,”

His eyes danced with mirth. “I can tell,” he said quietly as his finger stroked the exposed skin on my chest.

“Oh!” I yelped, slapping his hand away.

Xander’s chest vibrated with deep laughter as he lifted me from my spot and placed me on his thigh, straddling him. He took my cup from my hand and set it aside on the table.

I giggled. “What are you doing?”

“We are going someplace special and I can't wait for you to see it. It's a surprise like I said and all I need is for you to look as beautiful as always. Understood?”

A surprise. My stomach clenched in anticipation—what did he have planned? The serious expression he wore didn't set my mind at ease either.

“Okay, but like I said I need hints.”

He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Hint number one is that it's a surprise, so likely something you might or might not like.”

“You're irredeemable!” I said, throwing my head back in laughter just as the telephone on the wall that connected to the lobby rang out.

“I'll get that,” I said, standing up. “But did we order food yet?”

Xander shrugged. “I didn't,”

I put the phone to my ear. “Hello,”

“Good morning, Ma’am.” The receptionist’s voice was crisp and professional. “There's a couple here requesting to see Mr. Blackwood, they claim to be the parents of his guest, Miss. Kathleen Miller. We require verification from our residents before allowing visitors to access the penthouse. If you could confirm their identity, please?”

My parents? How did they know where to find Xander? It didn't make any sense to me and I furrowed my brows in confusion. Why would my parents be here?

“They claim to be my parents?” I repeated, my mind racing.

“Yes, Miss. Miller. If it's not too much trouble, could you come down and confirm and we’ll allow them to go up but if not, we can send them away.”

“No, no,” I said. “That won't be necessary, I'll come down soon. Just give me a few minutes.”

I placed the phone back into the receiver and stopped, my heart thumping hard. Was it really my parents downstairs?

“What is wrong?” Xander asked, coming to stand behind me, one of his hands wrapping around my shoulders.

“There’s a couple that says they're my parents. They are down at the lobby asking to see you.” I said and I felt Xander stiffen immediately.

“I'll check them out, just stay here.” He said, his tone hard.

“No, Xander,” I stopped him. The memory of his last encounter with my father flashed in my head. “I'll go,”

“I won't let you. Your father is, permit me to say, a deranged bastard who shouldn't be anywhere close to you.” He said, his fury worsening by the second.

“I know but I can handle this,” I reassured him but his face only tightened.

“Fine. I'll come with you in case he tries anything.”

We rode down to the elevator in silence and I couldn't help the dread that settled at the pit of my stomach. It seemed Xander had something bothering him, the anger on his face was terrifying enough and I had to squeeze his palm to get him to calm down but still, the tension didn't ease.

The doors opened and we made our way through the halls wordlessly. He was dressed in black pants and a black shirt and I was wearing shorts and a sweater, to anyone else, we looked like a normal couple with our hands entwined but in reality, I was a nervous wreck and Xander was a furious mess.

My father and stepmother leaped up from their seats when we appeared. I couldn't help but notice the bruising in my father’s left eye, the sling in his arm, and the limp when he walked.

“What happened to him?” I asked myself quietly. From beside me, Xander scoffed.

“Uh… dad,” I called confused— the receptionist hadn't been wrong. “What are you doing here?”

My stepmother stopped in front of me. “We heard you were here and we came to see how you are doing,” she said, an eagerness echoing in her tone.

I gave her a doubtful look. “What?” I turned to my father once more. “Dad, what happened to you?”

Xander’s voice was dry. “I beat him up.”

I turned to him in horror. “What?”

“It doesn't matter,” my father said immediately. “I deserved it. How are you, my dear? I… I didn't know you'd been here all this while. We saw you on the news and well, here we are.”

“It was hard finding Mr. Blackwood,” my stepmother chipped in. “It took us some time but we did all we could just so we could get to see you.”

She took me by the hand. “I didn't know you got engaged, why didn't you tell your family? And where is your ring, dear?”

I almost choked on my saliva. In the twenty years, Miranda had been my stepmother, she’d never shown me any form of affection as she had in the last few minutes since she had been here.

“Uh, Xander and I are not…”

Xander cut me off. “You've seen Kathleen, you can leave now.”

I snapped my head toward him, questions in my eyes but he wasn't looking at me.

My father cleared his throat. “Uh, Xander. I understand we didn't start on the right foot but the past should be left in the past…”

“Don't speak to me so casually, Mr. Miller. Like I said, you can leave now. I'll say this for the last time, leave quietly with your dignity intact or I'd have security throw you out of this building. You shouldn't be here and the next time you show up here, I'll call the police on you. Do you understand?” Xander asked.

“Xander, what are you doing?” I screeched.

Miranda scowled, her eyes burning with ire. “You should visit us soon, Kathleen. Your sister misses you.”

With one last smile, they walked away and I turned to Xander. “What did you do that for?”

“I put them in their place, Kathleen. Something you have refused to do.” He snapped.

“Well, they're my parents and you should allow me to deal with them. You didn't have to step in and treat them with such condescension.”

Xander eyed me. “That man physically abused you, love, his wife watched it happen and he proceeded to sell you to the first bastard who offered him money. That asshole isn't your father and you are just too cowardly to admit that to yourself, to see that he has no love for you and is only here today because he saw you on the news. He didn't give a fuck what happened to you after leading Donovan to your home because that's just who he is and I need you to stop being too scared to see that!”

His words cut sharply into me and I felt my eyes sting with pain.

Regret instantly enveloped Xander’s features. He took a step closer. “Listen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…”

“I'd like to be on my own, please,” I said before walking out on him, headed outside the building, and with my back to Xander the tears freely began to flow.