AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Giving you a fair warning." Sean smiled.
"Keep it to yourself. The job can wait a few days."
And with the tone of “That's-final,” he walked away.
~*~
That night, Xavier tossed and turned in his bed, his chest aching from the pain he refused to take over him. How had everything fallen apart again? Giselle had been the only good thing in his life, and he'd lost her. Wondering if she'd ever listen to his explanations, he contemplated sending her a message, but then stopped himself.
Two days. She'd asked for two days, and he had it in him to endure for that long. The pain wasn't unfamiliar—he'd just forgotten how it felt to be truly alone after Giselle entered his life.
He wasn't proud of who he was or the things he'd done, though he always had his reasons. He had to save them. He had to avenge. He had to survive. All were valid reasons for him. Then why couldn't he forget the look of extreme disappointment in Giselle's eyes?
Xavier sat up straight on his bed, roughly rubbing his face, and took in a deep breath. He stared at the painting hung on his wall; the woman, the eagle, the wolves, and the deer were still there, none of them free. And then his eyes fell upon the picture hanging on the opposite wall; the blonde, the baby in her hand, and a younger Xavier behind the borrowed camera.
With a growl, Xavier threw his legs off the bed which creaked with his movements. His shoulders were slumped as he walked toward his lavatory. Pain, he'd realized, was the only thing that numbed the pain. Poison cured poison. Torture defeated torture. Torment healed torment.
He halted as his phone rang and made a run toward it. Disappointment washed over him when he saw that it wasn't Giselle.
It was from Amara Orphanage. He picked up the call, "Yes?"
An urgent, small voice spoke, "Sir, it's Alice here. The electricity is out. We tried to call you earlier but you didn't pick up. I'm sorry to disturb you at this moment, but can you please look into it? It's getting chaotic with the children."
"Since when?"
"This morning."
"I'll do something," said Xavier.
"Thank you, sir!"
He cut the call off, contemplating to ignore it, but then sighed and dialed Stewart's number.
"Hello!" chirped Stewart. A girl giggled behind him.
Xavier asked calmly, "Did you pay the bills?"
"What bills?"
He cleared his throat. "You tell me."
"What are you—oh! Amara Orphanage? Shit! I forgot."
"How long till it gets fixed?"
He laughed at something the girl behind him purred, then distractedly said, "Uh, I don't know..."
Xavier couldn't stop himself from roaring, "Stewart!"
"You don't have to yell, mate." Stewart chuckled, then said to the girl, "Give me a few moments, baby."
Xavier resisted the temptation to throw his phone across his room. "How long?"
"I'll go pay the bill right now."
"And make sure the electricity is supplied instantly."
"Fine," said Stewart, sounding annoyed.
