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She held his face firmly as if asking him to get it together. "Why would I leave you?"
He looked at her and shook his head.
She sighed. "Xavier, you left the gang for me. You're coming to Phoenix. Why would I leave someone who's done so much for me?"
"Promise me you won't leave." A tear fell on his cheek, and he rubbed his face against her hand to wipe it off.
"I promise," she whispered.
"No matter what?"
She gulped. "No matter what." Silence followed for a moment. She stared at him and then said, "Why are you crying? Do you miss your family?"
It must've been something she'd said, for Xavier broke into fresh tears. "I'm so sorry, Giselle..."
She shook her head. "For what?"
He sniffed, his face scrunched in agony. "I couldn't save him."
Her heart stopped beating for a second. "I don't understand."
"I'm sorry..."
"What are you talking about?" Giselle removed her hand from his grasp and stood up. She'd heard enough "I'm sorrys" at her mother's funeral to understand that his words meant a loss.
Xavier got up, too, in an attempt to reach her. "I'm sorry."
His hand reached up to hold her face. She let go of the fear that Abbott might walk in on them at any moment, and let him hold her. She stared into his teary eyes, her own burning. "You're killing me. Please tell me what's wrong?"
"Giselle," he whispered, "your father..."
All blood drained from her face. Her breaths quickened. "No, no," she said. Abbott was her only family.
Xavier continued. "Abbott is—"
"—gone to Phoenix?" Giselle forced a smile. "He's mad at me, isn't he? Did you two have a meeting?" She gulped. "I'm sure you did. Or else, how could he have left me here all alone?" She grinned and shook her head. "That man!"
Xavier stared at her in horror. She ignored him, grabbed her phone from the table, and searched for Chris's number. Xavier reached behind her and slipped the phone out of her grasp.
She glared at him. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Giselle, listen to me..."
She couldn't control the outburst, "I was calling Chris! I was going to talk to daddy! Does he not know how sick worried I am? Does he not care about me anymore? What kind of a father is he? He left me here! All alone! He didn't even leave me a message! Just like my mother! Just like when she died." She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand for a second before saying, "I didn't say that."
He stared at her.
"Xavier..." The tears that she'd been holding back, fell. "I didn't say..."
"You have to—"
"No!" she cut him short, afraid of what he might've said if she hadn't intervened. "He's selfish! He doesn't care about his daughter! I'm going to be so mad! I'm never gonna talk to him again!"
He gulped. "He wouldn't be able to talk to you anymore, Giselle..."
"Why?" she squeaked, shaking with fear. "Is he that mad?"
"Giselle, he's—"
