25 Something Changed

"Are you girls planning on killing me or what?"

"Can you please shut up for a while? I am working here."

"Working? More like buckling me up against my will."

"You came here willingly."

"But I never thought you would use me as a bait for God knows what."

"Don't you trust us?"

"I do but this is giving me second thoughts."

"Both of you shut up." I interrupted Sandi and Alex's ongoing argument.

We convinced Alex that we had a surprise for him so we blindfolded him and brought him here in some abandoned wreck as per our plan because no regular Cafe or hotel would allow us to do this kind of activity.

He was accusing us of kidnapping and murdering him the whole way and we were convincing him more like convincing the taxi driver the whole way who was giving us suspicious glances.

Sandi tied him with a chair while I was calling Raven. I sent him a message after Alex acceded to come but they were not here yet.

I was calling him again when I saw Xavier's car coming towards the building. I was suddenly nervous and regretting all this. It seemed really adventurous until I was finally experiencing it.

I bit my lip when I saw Xavier coming out of the car with Raven and Dylan. A part of me was not expecting him to be here. I wonder how Raven convinced him.

Soon they were in front of us, Xavier's eyes finding mine and interlocking with them. I didn't look away and maintained my calm posture. I will not show him that I am weak.

Again!

"I think we should leave them alone for a while." Dylan spoke looking at me and Sandi, motioning us to move outside.

"What is going on?" Alex was suddenly alert and trying to free himself, "I swear Bella if this is.." he spoke but was cut off by Xavier.

"Yes it's me." his voice was husky and cold. 

"Hey! This is not fair, why didn't you tie him up too? It was part of the plan." I looked at Xavier and then at the boys. I was not willing to leave Alex with him alone.

"What plan? Will someone answer me?" Alex said through clenched. He was looking really angry now.

"Because unlike him I can control myself." Xavier answered me.

"Oh really? I don't remember him breaking your bones." I said sarcastically folding my arms on my chest.

"Right and that happened because he doesn't know how to control his mouth." he shot back, also folding his arms on his chest like me.

"Huh, more like you don't know how to control your temper." I was not going to back off easily. 

So ladies and gentlemen, Xavier Millers was speechless for a few moments and I had a victorious smile.

"Bells please," Raven dragged me and Sandi out with Dylan following us.

"Just call my name Alex if he tries something." I shouted but didn't hear what he replied.

It's been almost fifteen minutes since I left my innocent friend with a professional murderer. I was pacing back and forth in the area outside the room. Sandi was busy chatting with Raven while Dylan was imitating me. At first I was annoyed at him but now I was purposely doing weird things which he was following.

I started dancing with stupid moves singing 'I am stupid' and he did that too. Raven and Sandi spared us a glance and started talking again, ignoring us. I would definitely have been eavesdropping if the situation was different.

"Okay enough, I am going to check on them. Maybe they have killed each other and we don't even know. I don't hear anything." I tried hearing something by placing my ear on the wall.

"Yeah she is right, let's go." Dylan seconded me and we walked towards the room.

The sight in front of me gave me a hundred volt shock.

Alex was still tied up but his blindfold was removed. His head was hanging low tears streaming down his face and Xavier was sitting down on his knees in front of him, looking at his face. That was a capture worthy moment. I don't think anyone would ever have seen the most feared Xavier Millers like that. 

"Someone pinch me," I said in disbelief and felt a sharp pain on my arm right the next moment. 

"Ouch!" I rubbed my arm and glared at Dylan.

"You asked for it," he made an innocent face.

"I wanna do this for Charlotte. I promised to protect her but I failed...I never wanted to hurt her little brother. She loved you but your behavior reminded me of your father. I never thought about other reasons. I..." Xavier paused for a second and we held our breaths waiting for his next words.

"Let's finish this, just like she wanted us to. Maybe that will lessen my guilt." I could see the sincerity in his tone. 

It was going far better than I expected. So Xavier actually has a soft side to him which he doesn't let anyone see. After all he has a heart too.

No matter how heartless we pretend we are but all of us do have some melting point. I smiled at him. He was being the bigger person here for the sake of his late friend. Now I get why he agreed to come. I felt so much respect towards him all of a sudden.

Alex was not moving. I knew how hard this was for him to accept all of this against his own father from someone who he had hated even if it was just a misunderstanding. I moved towards them and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Everyone deserves a second chance Alexi. Charlotte would never have wanted you to-" my voice was cut off by a sharp voice of gunshot.

I heard a girly scream and some other noises but my eyes and senses were glued to Xavier's arm from which a pool of blood was rushing out. Images of that night came to my mind and I felt my hands shaking again.

What if those people were following him for revenge? They must have seen me with him too...

I saw Xavier untie Alex with one hand and pushed him towards the exit while someone pulled me along with them. He was acting like he wasn't shot and was shouting for us to run without caring about his bleeding arm which was soaking his teal shirt.

I don't know how a sudden courage took over my body and I ran towards him pulling my arm from Raven's hold who was pulling me with him. Xavier looked at me like I had lost my mind. I ignored him and held his hand tightly pulling him with me and running towards his car. Others were already settled in. I heard several other gunshots but I was running as fast as I could, holding his hand in mine. 

We reached his car and he pushed me in getting in himself at last and told us to lower our heads.

We did as he told and Raven drove off fast. I was sitting almost on Xavier's lap and I felt his arm around my waist which he didn't take back.

"Are you alright?" Sandi asked me. She was sitting beside me and looked pale with teary eyes. Alex was also looking scared and he held my hand along with Sandi's which he was previously holding.

I was about to answer when I remembered Xavier was shot. I tried to turn back to look at him. His head was resting on the seat, his eyes clenched together tightly. I immediately took off my little scarf and wrapped it around his arm while I felt his burning gaze on my face.

None of us spoke afterwards. Soon we were at the hospital. They took Xavier with them while all of us sat there waiting.

I looked over at Alex who was visibly worried and was sitting with Raven while Dylan and Sandi were gone to use the washroom. I can't sit in worry so I was pacing in the waiting room.

It was strange how everything changed suddenly. Not a long time ago they couldn't even stand each other's presence and now all of us were sitting together worried and praying for him.

Doctors came out and told us that he had lost a lot of blood so he will need blood. Alex was willing to give his blood because his blood type matched with him and for the second time that night, I was standing there with my mouth hung open.

I don't know how but something certainly changed that night!