Hard truth again.
“Jia, why are you pointing a gun at me?” he asked. His gaze was fixed on mine. I’d noticed how he hadn’t looked away from me since he saw the gun.
He’d kept his eyes trained on me the whole time as silent tension gripped us.
“Who are you?” I tried to keep the quiver out of my voice. It was near impossible since I’d been crying. I’d come home crying and hadn’t stopped.
“You know who I am.”
“I know who you want people to think you are. But you are not that.” Maybe it was foolish to let him know I knew he was playing some game. Maybe it was crazy and I should pretend I didn’t know. It would be wiser, but this was my choice. I figured if anything happened, Frankie was just outside.
I had a panic alarm Pa gave me. If I pressed the button Frankie would come here first and the other knights would follow, coming from wherever they were.
Although, since I was pointing the gun at Xander, I might not need help.
One shot was all it would take. Pa taught me how to use a gun and he’d told me to aim for the head.
One shot to the head between the eyes.
The thought made more tears spill down my cheeks.
I couldn’t believe those were my thoughts.
I couldn’t believe I was thinking of shooting Xander and killing him.
Xander…
How did I get here? How did we get here?
Just yesterday I was thinking I was in love with him. I’d thought of nice the sentiment was. Me in love. I felt it and acknowledged the emotion for what it was.
I must have gotten it wrong though. He’d fooled me. What I must have felt had to be something I created. All me. I was the fool again for allowing myself to feel for him.
A man I’d barely known.
We’d only known each other for weeks. That was all. Not long enough, yet he had me at hello.
I steadied my breathing and tried to focus. I needed to cut the shit and stop crying. Stop this weakness and find strength.
“I heard you.” I spoke on the edge of a whisper, but loud enough for him to hear me. “I heard you on the phone talking to someone. I heard… everything you said. So and I followed you to that place where you met your…people.”
The minute I said that realization dawned on his handsome face. The next few seconds that passed felt like eons. Eons of silence drifting in the space between us. Prolonging my anxiety and desire to know what the hell was going on.
“And?” Was all he said after the agonizing nothingness.
It infuriated me to no end. “And? Really, that’s what you ask me? And?”
“And… what are you going to do?”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. What was I going to do indeed?
“I’m the one asking questions here.” I stood a little straighter. “I’m the one who wants answers. I want the truth. I told you the other week that I hate liars. You tell me the damn truth, Xander. So, I’ll ask again. Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m Xander Cage,” he answered, eyes tightening at the corners as he narrowed his gaze at me.
I scowled. “That’s your real name?”
“That is my real name.”
