He doesn't want to talk

The car drove to the city with a bearable silence as the two did not say anything.

Riya was thinking about the boutique they were headed to right now the boutique is owned by her bestfriends elder sister she is really close with the Bradford family because she was friends with Nelson since she was 5 and he had been a very strong shoulder to cry on a good listener and great at giving her advice, Riya had had a crush on him since she became a teenager as he was 3 years older than she was, he was everything she ever wanted but he doesn't seem to notice her in that aspect as he saw her as his junior sister and treated her like one and it's really infuriating, yes she appreciates his love in that sense but she wanted more she wanted to be greedy .

He is rich, handsome, nice, and is caring why wouldn't she trip but the problem now was that he has a spitfire girlfriend 'Lucy Gabriel' who wouldn't wait a minute to tell out all of Riya's secrets, she was their classmate in highschool until after college she got a job at a bank and later met with Nelson now they are dating and she feels really sick and wishes she could just crush all the feeling but it wasn't that easy.

Xander noticed Riya was very quiet this time around and only focused on the road but he could tell she had a lot on her mind and he was looking up to the day she can open up to him and he will be her knight .

*****

Both walking in the double glass boutique after dropping the car in the parking lot, they made their way into the boutique.

"Xander!! ahhhhh" a shrill voice of a very tall and slender girl interrupted their step and thought and brought out anger and anxiousness in Xander that he cooled down before she got to him.

"O.M.G Xander...." she ran to him and crashed on to Xander for a tight hug like a girlfriend who's boyfriend just came back from the military. Xander took some necessary steps back before he got his balance and the tall girl released him.

"it's been so long, how have you been" hmmmm Sera Swift the one and only, bestfriend to Maria Millard, a chronic gossip monger, a cheat in every relationship Xander is starting to wonder if she finally succeeded in influencing Mara into leaving him for a more better guy.

Sera has been Maria's bestfriend since the day they met at Maria's mother remarriage, Maria lost her dad at 6 and she became bestfriends with Sera ever since

"Yes it's been Sera" Xander answered coldly then he shifted his gaze to Riya who just stood watching the interaction earlier and couldn't fathom what was happening.

"Pretty..., this is Sera, Sera, My Pretty Riya." Xander did a brief introduction as his palm settled at Riya's lower back, Riya was delighted he didn't just forget her and she couldn't deny the butterflies that tickled her when he called her pretty in front of an obviously annoying human girl.

" Oh hello nice meeting you" she answered looking oh so nice and for second Riya felt bad for thinking bad of her but Sera knew how to destroy her image.

"Likewise" Riya answered with a little smile.

"I'm so happy you are finally moving on from Maria, Xander, when she told me she broke up with you I was so shocked I could not believe it, she didn't even talk to me before about you guys having issues..., the love you have her is so much but sh -"

"Enough Sera, as you can see I'm busy here with Riya and if you do not have anything important to tell I will go ahead" Xander cut her off from her obvious slander and excess false pity and it was clear she wanted to provoke Riya thinking they are now together which is indeed Xander's plan and he did not want pests right now.

"Oh right, I was just trying to sympatise with you because I knew how your love story started what you could do fo - " she was cut short of her speech again

"Sera you would not like the results for what you are brewing right now if I am to give it" Xander gave her another cold warning and gulped Xander had always had this aura and ability to make people shiver even if he was a pauper she thought and just smiled .

"Well I understand it hard for you to talk about but I feel you need someone you can just talk to about Maria and I am here, so that you can get through the heartbreak that -"

"Miss Sera he said he does not want to talk and we have something way more important that we are doing, why are you still going back and forth on this same topic ?" Riya finally lost it she could not believe the nerve if this crazy wig head girl, she was carrying too much lipstick and her foundation didn't she look in the mirror?, who is she by the way ?

"Please, if you don't mind we are going in" Riya was really pissed she moved a bit forward and Xander followed her majestically, he is so happy she got riled up with the ex issue this is a good sign, he didn't think this would happen this early but it is happening and he would relish in it .

Sera was tongue-tied as she just stared at their backs leaving her standing by the door with her bags in her hands, she really wanted to sabotage this relationship she wanted to make Xander know his place and that he was a sucker for Maria and can never move on but here he was holding another girl just days after their break up, she is going right now to tell Maria they was never love between she and this pauper Xander.

*****

"Welcome to Stella's B and C" one of the boutique attendant greeted them " What would like to get here in our store" The girl talks like a robot and Riya had always wondered if it's because of her teeth's that were too long just thinking.

"Thank you we would like to be shown to the male section please" Xander replied his hands still placed behind Riya protectively.

"Follow me sir and ma" the attendant told and walked ahead .

"Riya I didn't think you would come to my store and not ask of me, it's good to have gossip workers news get to you really fast" Stella Bradford an elegantly dressed woman who looked in her early 30's drew the attention of Xander and Riya from the section they were going and Riya smiled brightly as she walk to Stella who was clad in a royal blue collared short gown.

"I'm so sorry I was just so eager to get to the male section" Riya said eyeing Xander as he moved closer to them and Stella's eyes widen a bit but Xander quickly shock his head lifting his fingers to her mouth gesturing her to keep shot.

"Hello I'm Xander " he stretched his hands for Stella to take which she just stared at for a brief second before finally raising her hand and taking the handshake

"Stella Bradford" and she smiled her gaze meeting Xander's.