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"Now," said Giselle, "why don't you tell me the real reason?"
He sighed, finding it increasingly painful to look at her. He looked out and saw Chris leaning against his car, texting on his phone. The street was illuminated by the house lamps and everything beyond his car was engulfed in darkness.
He looked back at her and said, "If I come with you, the gang would know where I am. I don't know how but Sean has a way of tracking us. I have to figure out how to, you know, separate myself completely from them. Only then will I be able to come to Phoenix. I don't want to put you in danger." He shrugged.
She nodded. "We can give you protection."
"I don't need protection."
She closed her eyes as if trying to find the strength to argue. "I know. I just mean that we can help. We can go to the police or hire you a bodyguard."
He reached for her and held her cheek. "My love..."
She sighed in defeat.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'll be in Phoenix before you can say my name."
"Xavier..." she whispered.
The sound of his name on her lips sounded like the solution to all his problems.
He chuckled. "Now, you're just cheating."
She looked at him but didn't return the smile. She shook her head. "Xavier."
He stared. "I love you."
She gulped. "And I, you."
He smiled. "Go..."Before I hide you from the world.
Giselle exhaled. "Take care."
He nodded.
Blinking the tears away, she walked out of the house, hand in hand with Xavier. The housekeeper gave her a hug and asked her to take care of herself. Giselle, then, turned to him, and he held her in his arms longer than they'd ever hugged.
Chris opened the door of his car for her, and she climbed in. As they drove away, she stared at the house she grew up in, not Xavier. He didn't mind. It was a goodbye to her childhood for he knew she had no intentions of ever coming back to Petrichor.
Chapter 19
Chris glanced sideways at Giselle in the courtesy light as he drove his car toward Phoenix. She stared out the window into the darkness, her hands in her lap. The road ahead was deserted, illuminated only by the headlights of his car.
Chris said nothing. He mirrored Giselle's silence from seven years ago when his parents had died. He remembered sitting in her room against the wall, Giselle by his side, her head resting on his shoulder. He remembered the moment she'd snaked her arm around his bicep and held it close to her chest as she hugged him. He remembered feeling at peace with her.
He extended his arm toward her and softly took her hand in his. She intertwined her fingers with his without glancing back and he rested them behind the gearshift, the other hand on the steering wheel.
Her hand felt small in his, and he resisted the urge to squeeze it. He resisted the desire to bring their embracing hands to his lips and kiss the part where their fingers met. He resisted the need to press her hand against his chest till she was aware of the way his heart beat for her.
Chris looked at her at the same time Giselle turned and glanced down at their hands. She looked up at him in surprise as if she didn't know she'd been holding his hand. Chris smiled and focused his attention back on the road, giving her a soft, reassuring squeeze. She gasped a little, and his heart did a double flip. Had she felt something? From the corner of his eye, he saw her quickly shifting back into her previous position.
They held hands the entire ride home, and his terrain of thoughts continued by the time they reached their destination a couple of hours before midnight. Chris got out of the car, grabbed her bag, and led her into his home. She followed silently.
Soon, Giselle sat in his living room, playing with her hands when Chris brought two mugs of coffee. He sat beside her, handing her the mug. Automatically, she leaned in, rested her head on his shoulder, and sighed.
"I wanna go home, Chris," she said.
He knew she'd argue. "Just stay here for a few days, Elle."
