chapter 24

"Xavier?"

Ailee closed the door behind her and removed her coat.

She went in, searching for her boyfriend who has been ghosting her for the past one week.

He was not there in the kitchen, not in the living room, not at the poolside, so she quietly moved to his bedroom.

He wasn't there either.

She was about to have a panic attack. Opening the door to his office slowly she breathed in relief.

There he was in the balcony talking on the phone.

She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his torso from behind. He was startled from the sudden intrusion and was about to inflict some serious harm on the culprit but then she spoke.

"I was so worried." her voice came out shaky.

He quickly turned around and cupped her face, his heart clenched looking at her teary eyes.

While she gasped catching the sight of his badly bruised face. Her tears now streaming down on their own accord.

"Coco why are you crying?" he asked wiping her running tears with the pad of his thumbs.

" I-I thou-ght- I thought" she said between her hiccups, unable to continue her sentance.

"Shhhh baby calm down. I am here alright?" he embraced her gently.

After 10 more minutes of crying, consoling and back rubs she finally calmed down, just sniffling occasionally.

He took her inside, made her sit on the couch and gave her a glass of water which she drank slowly.

"Now tell me what happened. Did somebody say something to you?"

"N-No. You were gone" she said looking up at him. Tears threatening to fall again from her big shining eyes. He was here, not perfectly alright but he was. Why didn't he call her or replied to her texts then?

He understood what it was about and guilt struck him harder than he thought it would when he will confront her. Someone crying for him is a foreign concept to him.

How will he tell her that he was out of the city planting bullets in people's head?

After whatever went down with Igor he visited the places where he knew he would get some answers from and didn't get time to inform her anything. Heck he didn't even sleep for two whole fucking days.

But he realised his mistake. She should've been informed. She holds a part of his heart and he deeply cares for her and vice versa, it was her right to know. He will make sure it is not repeated ever again.

"I am sorry Coco. I really am. I know there's no excuse for what I've done but just know that I am not used to telling people about my whereabouts. I've never really had anyone who would wait for my return, well except for Luka ofcourse but he's always with me so it doesn't makes any difference. But I-"

He stopped himself from speaking further, not sure of his own words that are about to come out of his mouth.

"I promise it won't happen again. You'll never have to worry about me like this. I will not leave you in the dark, ever."

She was shocked. He isn't someone who believes in promises yet here he is going against his order to assure her as best as he could.

"So...... Forgive me?" he asked holding her hands.

"You won't do it again?" she asked in a feeble voice.

"Mhmm never" he replied shaking his head.

"And you'll answer my questions?" she asked biting her bottom lip.

"I will if I'll have answers to them" he said freeing her lip from the torture with his hand.

Ailee nodded and held his face, scooting closer to inspect his wounds.

"Where is your first aid kit? It looks like you don't excel in nursing"

"It's somewhere in my bathroom and I don't do delicate stuff well."

She smiled a little and nodded. She took him to his room.

He sat down on the bed on the strict orders from a very adorable and sassy looking babe.

"How did you get these?" she asked removing his old and messy bandages.

"A fight."

"Someone defeated YOU?" she asked wide eyed.

"It was Intentional" he replied looking at her intensely.

She flushed under his scrutinising gaze.

"Whom did you fight?"

(Silence)

She looked at him to find his jaw clenched and eyes averted from her.

She hurriedly added "Its absolutely okay if you don't wanna say. I und-"

"My brother. Well half brother" She gasped at the revelation.

"You have a brother" she stated in a whisper.

"I am sorry to hear that. You don't get along with him or was it just today?"

"There has been bad blood between us for all our lives. I don't have a jovial family, you see."

"Oh Zaii I am so sorry" she hugged him putting away the box on her lap.

He stayed quiet.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head from her neck. He isn't ready yet, for the grand disclosure of his fucked up family history.

They stayed in the same position for few more minutes then Ailee ushered him into the bathroom so that he could freshen up while she she went down to cook dinner for them.

Finally she was in the kitchen for the purpose of her favourite activity.

She hummed and swayed to the soft background music from Taylor Swift's songs while smoothly working between different dishes.

Little does she know that someone was watching her from the doorstep with pure adoration and love in his eyes.

When she turned around she jumped in fright holding her hand upto her chest.

"You scared me" she said blushing in embarassment. He caught her dancing in his kitchen.

"I am sorry that was not my intention but I couldn't help but stare at the beauty who is making my house feel like a home, filling it with her never ending warmth and goodness."

She blushed scarlet.

"I didn't know you could talk sweet like that. Hmmm sugar does suits you best" she said grinning widely.

He grimaced at the nickname.

"No thanks ma'am"

"Yes sugar" she said moving towards him and pinched his cheeks.

He gently removed her hands and sat down on the chair.

"Don't call me that Coco and what's for dinner?"

She smiled mischievously knowing he will never hear the end of it now.

"Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti, Tex Mex salad and some Mac and cheese because I was craving some." she said placing everything one by one on the counter.

"That smells heavenly" he didn't wait for her and dug in. She laughed at his behaviour and joined him.

She likes this side of him, carefree and a little bit of childish, which he shows very rarely even to her.

He ate most of it and the couple then lied down on the couch in the living room.

Ailee read them a tragic romance novel while he rested his head on her lap enjoying the luxury of head massages and an angelic voice.

Their day might have started on a bad note but it surely ended in a bliss.

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