Page 21

CHAPTER 21

TWO SIDES OF THE STORY

XANDER

October

“Seriously, I don’t understand why you’re so worried about me.” With my phone pressed to my ear, I watch Milo roll on the grass. At least one of us is having fun.

“Alex,” my sister says, “every time I call, you’re at home. You don’t go out; you don’t spend time with your friends. All you do is practice and sit around that big, empty house.”

“And?”

“And who are you and what did you do with my brother? Because the Alexander Walker I know is the life of the party.”

My chest tightens a fraction. “Maybe I’m growing up?”

“No, I don’t think you are. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’ll find out.”

“Whatever, Audrey.” I laugh and tug on Milo’s leash, getting his attention. “Let’s go home, buddy.”

“I’m gonna visit you soon, so be ready to answer a ton of questions.”

I huff another laugh as I head around the house to the front door. “Whatever?—”

All my breath escapes me at what I find on the porch, and my heart pounds in my ears.

“Alex?” Audrey asks, breaking my trance.

I clear my throat. “Y-yeah, I’m here. I gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“But—”

I hit End then quickly pocket my phone, my palms starting to sweat.

I can’t believe she’s here. Is my imagination playing tricks on me?

Why is she here?

She hasn’t seen me yet, so I stay where I am and take her in. She’s sitting on the steps, the porch light illuminating her white dress, a small suitcase at her side.

Unwilling to wait any longer for an answer, I tug gently on Milo’s leash. “Do you see who’s here?” I point at the house, and his head instantly snaps in her direction. The fast wagging of his small tail makes me chuckle.

I crouch and unclip his leash. Once he’s free, he takes off, running straight to Bella. He barks and yips, and a moment later the air fills with her laughter. The sound causes warmth to spread in my chest.

“Goodness, Milo, stop,” she giggles. Despite her command, she holds him close.

“He’s happy to see you,” I say as I approach.

She looks up, and a smile brightens her expression. “Hey.”

“I’m surprised you’re here. Wasn’t Miller’s mom’s thing tonight?”

“Yeah.” She stands slowly, keeping Milo in her arms.

I drink her in, and when I notice stains from Milo’s paws on her white dress, I reach out. “Put him down. He’s ruining your dress.”

“It’s fine. I don’t care.”

“Why are you here?”

With her lip caught between her teeth, she shrugs. “I don’t know.”

Thrown off by her answer, I ask the first thing that comes to mind. “Did something happen at the party?”

She focuses on Milo, avoiding looking at me. “I just… I have nowhere else to go, so I thought… Never mind. It’s stupid. I’ll call another Uber.”

My whole body feels weighed down, and a sickening sensation washes over me. “Bella, you can stay as long as you need, but please, tell me what happened.”

Shoulders slumping, she sighs and peers down at Milo. “Jake’s mom invited my parents…after I made it clear I didn’t want them there. And J-Jake knew about it.”

Stepping closer, I take Milo from her and set him on the ground. She doesn’t put up a fight. When I straighten again, her arms hang awkwardly at her sides.

I hover close, studying her gorgeous sapphire eyes. “C’mon. Let’s get you inside. I bet you want a cup of coffee.”

Her lips tilt up in the tiniest of smiles. God, she’s cute.

“Thank you, Xander,” she whispers.

I grab her suitcase on my way to the front door, surprised by how heavy it is. This is definitely more than a couple days’ worth of necessities.

Did she break up with Miller?

“Let me wash Milo’s paws, and then I’ll make a pot.”

Ahead of me, she wrings her hands and scans the entryway like she’s never been here before.

“Why don’t you wait in the living room?” I put her suitcase in the hallway and head to the bathroom. Fuck, I wish I could turn off my mind—the number of crazy theories in my brain is insane.

I need to talk to her.

* * *

Ten minutes later, I find Bella in the living room, her eyes closed and her head resting on the back of the couch. The sheer exhaustion radiating from her makes my heart squeeze painfully. The more time I spend with her, the easier she is to read, but right now, she’s a closed book.

“Coffee’s ready. Let’s go to the kitchen,” I suggest, lowering myself onto the couch beside her.

She opens her eyes and rolls her head to the side until her gaze is fixed on me. “I don’t have the strength to move, honestly.”

“Okay.” I turn to face her and take her in again. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” She gives me a tired smile and sits up straighter. “So,” she says, “do you really like your bathroom, or did you just say that to make me feel good?”

“I never say things I don’t mean. I love the pieces you picked, and I was bummed when you didn’t want to see the final result.”

“I’m sorry.” She sighs. “My life has been a mess lately, and I didn’t want to drag you down too.”

I swallow thickly. “Talk to me. You can trust me with any of it. All of it. It’ll stay between us.”

Knee bouncing, she looks away from me.

Desperate to help her but at a loss, I put a gentle hand on her thigh to stop the movement.

With an audible exhale, she turns back to me.

“Remember how I brought you home after Miller was an ass? You can trust me,” I reassure her, meaning every word I say. “I’m here for you, Bella.”

A barely-there smile tugs at her lips, her eyes softening. Taking a deep breath, she covers my hand with hers and laces our fingers together. A jolt of electricity runs through me, spreading all over my skin and down to my toes. One simple touch, and this girl brings me to my knees.

She’s my friend.

But fuck, am I attracted to her.

I was a fool to think I could use her to make Jake pay for what he did.

“My mother…” She lets out a shaky breath. “In her eyes, I’m not good enough. She hates everything about me. She can’t help but make comments about my body, my hair, my choice of clothes, my makeup. Today, she made a snide comment about how some other woman might steal Jake from me if I don’t keep my appearance up…as if who I am on the inside isn’t enough for him.”

She bows her head and takes several breaths before she looks at me again, her expression flat.

“She treated me horribly when I was a kid. She intentionally left me at a theater in New York when I was thirteen, then told my stepfather I was the one to blame. Kevin stopped trying to be a father to me after that. When I was fifteen, they took an extended vacation to Europe, and I stayed with my aunt for two months.”

She falls silent, chewing on the inside of her cheek. This time, though, her eyes are glossy.

“Was your stepfather at the party?”

Muscles tensing, she nods. “My mom never goes anywhere without him. He’s her accessory.” Her lip curls on the last word. “Image is everything to them. He takes good care of himself; he wears his fake smile and his designer clothes. He practically lives at the gym after my mother said she would divorce him if he gained weight. His colleagues admire him, our neighbors adore him. Everyone thinks he’s a great man. They don’t know who he really is.”

Her chest rises and falls rapidly as she wets her lips.

In response, my lungs constrict, making it hard to breathe.

“What did he do to you?” I move closer, trying to catch her attention.

Rather than look at me, she focuses on the black screen of the TV. “There are two sides of the story.”

“What’s yours?”

“Mine?” Finally, she peers at me, the anguish in her eyes making her irises a stormy blue.

I hold my breath, gaze trained on her, cataloging every detail of her expression, the pain roiling in her eyes. I pinch the skin between my thumb and forefinger, an itch forming in my limbs. I need to get up, move, do something, because I have a feeling what I’m about to hear will send me spiraling.

“When I was seventeen, I came home from a party. Kevin came into my room while I was getting ready for bed. He…” She takes a deep, shaky breath.

My vision blurs, and a flashback hits me: a bloody scene. I shut my eyes tight. When all I see are black dots, I let myself open them again. My muscles and veins strain against my skin. It’s like I’m reliving my old nightmare…even though Bella’s circumstances are totally different.

“He was drunk and pissed off because my mother had berated him for something she didn’t like. He said he wanted to punish her. I guess he thought the best way to do that was by using me.”

She blinks at me, her face drawn. All I can do is squeeze her hand to let her know I’m here.

When she clears her throat and straightens her spine, I know she’s about to break my heart. “He decided…the best way to get back at her was by forcing himself on her daughter. My stepfather raped me. I only told one person, and when I told her, sh-she didn’t believe me.” Every word is quieter than the last, as though they’re hard to get out. “My own mother called me a pathetic liar. She said a man like Kevin would never look at me…let alone touch me. My stepfather is a rapist, and no one knows.” Her voice cracks at the end, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.

I’m speechless at first, the pounding in my ears too intense to talk over. Pure rage courses through me. Her fucking mother and stepfather don’t deserve to even breathe the same air as her. They should rot in hell, without any chance at redemption.

“Bella…” When I finally find my voice, it’s hoarse. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. No one should ever experience something like that. I understand why you want to stay away from them.” I clear my throat. “You didn’t tell anyone else? Your aunt? Your cousin?”

“I told you, this story has two sides. His is completely different.” She bows her head again and picks at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt. “I stayed at my aunt’s as often as I could. I only went home when I was certain my mother would be there too. None of it mattered. It didn’t stop him. It was killing me, Xander. I was living a nightmare. He once said he was teaching me how to please a man, that I should be thankful for him…for all his lessons. He told me if I ever told a soul, he’d say I was the one who seduced him. It didn’t stop until I left for college.”

“What a sick fuck. I want to beat the hell out of him for everything he put you through.” Teeth gritted, I release her hand. My rage is so strong, it takes everything I have not to get in the car, drive over to Miller’s parents’ place, and kick her stepfather’s teeth in.

Instead, I get up and pace, hands trembling and anger flowing through me. When I stop, I realize I also have tears in my eyes. I rush back to the couch and drop to my knees in front of her, taking her hands in mine.

“You’ve endured so much. You deserve nothing but happiness and love, maybe more than anyone I’ve ever met.”

She gives me a sad smile. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

My heart clenches. “You’re wrong.” I inch closer and press my palm to her cheek.

She leans into my touch, sighing deeply.

“Your mother thinks you aren’t good enough for Miller? Truth be told, he isn’t good enough for you.”

“Xander.” A lone tear rolls down her cheek.

“Since the day I met you, I’ve been asking myself: What is a girl like her doing with Jake Miller? You’re stunning and kind, and despite all the shit you’ve been through, your soul is pure.” I brush my fingers down her jaw and gently cuff the nape of her neck. “You’re amazing, and it fucking pains me that you don’t see it. You deserve so much more than Miller could ever give you.”

Eyes glistening with tears, she smiles faintly. “I told him I needed a break.”

My heart stutters. “You broke up with him?”

“Not yet. I told him I needed to think. Really, though, I need time to find an apartment.” She swipes her tongue along her bottom lip. “That’s why I came here. He won’t think to look for me at your place. If I went to Meg’s, or my aunt’s, he’d be on the porch tomorrow, demanding I talk to him. I don’t want that. I’m never going back to him.”

I pinch my eyebrows together. “Why do you?—”

I scrutinize her quietly, my fingers rapping on my thigh. There’s a question burning on the tip of my tongue, and the longer I keep it to myself, the hotter it turns my blood. So, I force it out.

“Are you afraid of him? Is that why you don’t want him to know where you are?”

Her gaze flickers to me then darts away. “It’s complicated.”

“There’s nothing complicated about this. Yes or no, Bella? Are you afraid of him?”

“He’ll be angry when I break up with him. He recently started hinting about marriage…” She presses her trembling lips together. “But I’m afraid of who I am when he’s around. I’m?—”

I haul her to my chest and hold her close. “Don’t ever talk bad about yourself. You’re nothing but amazing, do you hear me?”

When I release her, she nods. I’ll take the win, regardless of how small it is, because changing how she talks about herself is one of the first steps to changing how she views herself.

Hugging her tight, I hide my face in her hair and inhale her sweet scent. Coconut and strawberry, and something stronger that makes me a little dizzy. An overwhelming wave of warmth crashes into me and seeps into my bones.

She’s here because she trusts me to keep her safe.