AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Reluctantly placing his bagel down, he puts the car into drive and takes off.
I don’t ask where he is going; instead, I watch the world that was once mine blur past. That deep longing resonates in me, and I suppress the emotions. After another thirty minutes, he parks the car – leaving us with a view of London beneath us.
Even with sunrise approaching in a few hours, the zooming of car lights continues. Building lights are far and few, but the streets remain awake.
Xavier unbuckles his seatbelt, and I do the same. He turns so his back is against the door and facing me. “Who were the flowers from? Ray?”
My eyes dart to the flowers tossed onto the backseat instead of the bin. I scoff in amusement at the idea of Huxley buying roses. We spent the entire day together, and he didn’t even acknowledge that it was Valentine’s Day.
“No. It was my stupid ex. He won’t leave me alone.”
“The one that keeps turning up at XR Securities?”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t worry, he won’t be back again.”
“Want me to handle it?”
I squint as I observe him. Huxley uses the same phrase, and I wonder whathandling itmeans in their world.
“Are you going to have him murdered?”
Xavier’s laugh sounds like a perfect melody. “Is that what you think I do?”
“Not just you. Your entire company.”
“Because all businessmen are psychopaths?” He uses my words against me. “I was talking about giving a verbal warning and putting him on security’s radar.”
I wave off his concerns. “He’s harmless; annoying, but harmless.” Not wanting to discuss Elliot, I quiz him. “What did you do for Valentine?”
He starts on his second bagel before answering. “We had dinner at a restaurant she wanted to try.”
“It can’t have been that good from how you’re munching through these bagels,” I tease.
“Or maybe it’s because I have better company.”
My smile falters. “You can’t say things like that.”
“What? The truth? We spend all day, every day, living one lie to another that speaking some truth is intolerable. Maybe I’m tired of living a lie.”
His statement is too heavy for me to bear with all the other things on my mind.
“People lie to hide what they really feel. Most of the time, that’s the best thing to do.”
Like how I want to meet my father but know it will kill my mum inside.
“People lie to hide their ugliness,” he argues. “I’m in no business to hide who I am with you. The world will never know me, but I want you to. The good, the bad and the ugly.”
Xavier doesn’t shy away from being vulnerable with me. He speaks freely, and it’s refreshing.
“Does Mr Rivers have an ugly side?”
“Don’t we all?”
“Tell me something ugly about you.”
“Promise you won’t run?”
I offer a reassuring smile. “I’ve got your baby inside me, and you are a glorified stalker. Where would I run to?”
