Page 36

MINE

XANDER

August

Seeing Bella again? Oh my fucking God, it’s surreal.

The instant she appears, my body comes to life. Every muscle, every bone, every nerve is awakened by the sight of her.

She’s the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen. That fact hasn’t changed. There isn’t a soul in existence who could compete with her.

Her red dress is simple, with a modest neckline, though it hugs her curves perfectly, highlighting her thin waist, round tits, and fine as fuck hips.

She keeps her gaze trained on my face while I allow myself to enjoy the view. My heart thumps against my sternum, making it hard to breathe. My emotions are strangling me, making my mouth dry and my throat constrict.

Dammit, I miss her so much.

As if we’re nothing more than casual acquaintances, she gives me a simple nod, then saunters to the table to sit beside Josh Bowman. And just like that, my head spins.

No way . Josh fucking Bowman is flirting with my girl? Marco introduced me to him a few months ago. I thought he was a decent enough guy then.

Now? The way he’s laser focused on her lips makes hot rage roll through me.

“Xander,” Marco calls.

I swallow past the boulder in my throat, working to get my shit together.

“Xander?”

Wetting my lips, I force myself to turn. “Yeah, sorry.”

He leads me to an empty seat, and as I get settled, I recognize the blonde beside me. It’s Meg’s sister.

“Hey, Liz.”

“Alexander.” She gives me a knowing smile.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I probably look weird. Weirdly jealous .

“It’s nice to see you. Again.”

“You too.” I give her a smile, though my focus drifts back to Bella and Bowman. Gritting my teeth, I squeeze my eyes shut and shift in my seat so they’re out of sight. “How are you?”

“Good, all good.” She tilts her head to the side. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight.”

“Marco invited me.”

She chuckles. “I believe it. I couldn’t imagine Meg would—she looks pretty pissed. But honestly, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Thank you.” My muscles relax a little. At least someone other than Marco doesn’t hate my guts.

But it’s only a matter of seconds before I’m watching Bella again.

My heart sinks. She looks so full of joy, so invested in her conversation with Bowman.

Jealousy rages inside me, right alongside uncertainty.

I would’ve killed for a chance to sit beside her, to refill her glass, to make her laugh, to beg her to tell me about her time in New York, about school.

But more than anything, I want her to be happy.

And it’s time to admit she might be happier without me.

For forty minutes, I’ve tried to hold conversations, make jokes, and be present. I shoved my jealousy into a box and studiously avoided looking at Bella. Enough is enough.

In my periphery, she stands, and the air instantly escapes my lungs. I stay rooted to the spot, playing it cool, even though every cell in my body demands I follow her.

As she strolls into the house, she tosses her hair a little, an unconscious gesture, letting it spill down over her shoulders.

The cascade of hair breaks my concentration, sending my thoughts flying to all the nights I watched her brush it before bed, how she’d sit in front of the mirror, counting to a hundred.

Silky and bright, smelling like strawberries and coconut.

I clench my jaw and pretend to listen to the conversation Liz and the man beside her are having while I figure out how to follow Bella without raising suspicions.

“Xander?” Marco calls out as he steps out of the house. “I think someone scratched your car.” He throws a thumb over his shoulder.

With a grimace, I stand. It’s not a big deal, probably an easy fix, but I’ve been here for less than an hour. How the hell did that happen?

“C’mon. I’ll show you.”

“Thanks.” I follow him into the house, only to run right into him as he comes to an abrupt stop and turns around.

He gives me a lopsided grin. “I might have lied about your car.” Rocking back on his heels, he shrugs. “Meg is withholding sex—my punishment for inviting you. So, I thought, what else do I have to lose?”

I blink at him, stuffing my hands into my pockets. “I’m sorry, man. I hate that I’m causing you so much trouble.”

“Oh, please.” He huffs. “She’ll be the one to jump my bones.”

“That’s more information than I needed to know.”

He whacks me in my ribs, silencing me. “I’m trying to help you out here.”

“Sorry.” I wince, massaging my side.

“Go.” He nods at the dim hallway. “She’s in the bathroom.”

“Thank you.”

He dismisses me with a wave of his hand, and then he’s gone.

The water runs behind the closed door, like she’s washing her hands. It’s probably locked, but I have to try anyway. With a deep breath, I turn the knob and ease the door open.

I meet her gaze in the mirror and give her an awkward smile. Then I lean against the now-closed door, a terrible attempt to act casual as I clear my throat. “Sorry for the intrusion.”

She lifts her chin, pushes her shoulders back. “I knew you’d come.”

The indifference in her voice stings. A sharp pain pierces my heart. I ignore the bitter taste in my mouth and cock a brow, once again going for easy.

“Is that why you didn’t lock the door?”

She rolls her eyes. “I unlocked it when I heard you and Marco in the hallway. Figured there was no way around this.” She waggles a finger between us. “I still love my privacy, thank you very much.”

“Sorry.” I lick my lips. God, it has never been this hard between us. “Um, also, please don’t be mad at Marco. He’s trying to be a good friend, even if it means enduring Meg’s wrath. He knows how much I miss you.”

For a fraction of a second, her eyes turn soft. A tenderness so familiar to me flickers in them, filling me with hope. But then she blinks, and that curated mask slips back in place.

“I’m not angry with Marco.” Another clipped answer. Dammit.

“That’s good to know. Er… How are you?”

“I’m okay.”

“Um…any chance we can get a cup of coffee this weekend?” I cross my fingers inside my pockets. Please, Bella, give me a chance . “To talk about…stuff?”

She holds my gaze as she says, “No. We have nothing to talk about.”

A painful tightness in my throat makes my voice hoarse. “I want to explain what happened with Stacey after you left.”

Her eyebrows hit her hairline as she slowly shakes her head. “You don’t need to explain anything. I saw your statement.”

“Then why did you block me on socials?”

Grimacing, she turns off the water. She takes her time drying her hands, and when she turns to me, her expression is blank.

“When I moved to New York, I was just existing. Every day, I struggled to resist the urge to go back to you. You told me you loved me, only me. You claimed you weren’t interested in Stacey.

” She lifts a shoulder in a tiny shrug. “And once I was gone and completely on my own, I started having doubts. I started wondering if I’d made a mistake.

” She exhales loudly, her entire body sagging.

“I was this close”—she holds her thumb and index finger an inch apart—“to coming back. Coming back to you.”

The pain in my chest flares. It’s a knife to the heart, making me gasp for air.

“But then I saw the photos. You and Stacey were everywhere. Every news outlet and gossip site was speculating about our breakup. People on the internet called me names, saying I got what I deserved.” With a dark chuckle, she bows her head.

“I read your statement. I made my peace with all that. But I knew then that I couldn’t do it anymore.

I was tired of clinging to my past, and my heart was so fragile.

I knew if I risked it again, no amount of healing would ever put it back together.

I wanted to move on, and to do that, I needed to cut all ties. And so I did, and I don’t regret it.”

I swallow hard, my muscles weakening. “Bella, I?—”

“You don’t get to call me that.” Head snapping up, she narrows her eyes.

We stare at each other in silence. Her brow smooths out, and her expression once again goes calm, as if nothing in the world can shake her. Meanwhile, I’m dying inside.

Heat rushes through me, my heart pounding loudly in my ears as the anger I’ve been suppressing for so long poisons my thoughts.

I step into her, but she stands her ground, lifting her chin.

“I set boundaries with Audrey. I separated myself from Stacey. I did everything I could to make things right, and you couldn’t even bother to give me the chance to explain myself.”

She narrows her eyes. “I didn’t need your explanations. I chose to move on, and I hoped you’d move on too. I did it for you as much as I did it for myself.”

“You took away my choice, is what you did.”

Her sharp laugh echoes off the walls of the small room. “That’s rich coming from you, Alexander.” She presses her hand to her breastbone and takes a deep, controlled breath. “I want to leave. Take a step back, please.”

Her apathy is like salt in my already festering wounds. I want this mask she’s wearing to fucking drop. Instead of backing away, I take a step forward, my chest pressed to hers.

She sucks in a breath, and her gaze lowers for a second. That’s the only sign I need.

With a groan, I slam my lips to hers.

Instantly, I’m hit with a completely different kind of heat. A rush of warmth spreads from my groin outward as I kiss her, hard and demanding, savoring her.

Rather than push me away, she sighs into my mouth, granting me access. I take full advantage and slip my tongue along hers. An electric energy zips along my skin and settles in the pit of my stomach.

I bury my hand in her hair and tug, pulling a whimper from her lips.

With her head dropped back, I pepper kisses down her neck, sucking at the skin of her throat.

I missed her taste so much. When she moans, I press myself closer to her, covering her lips with mine again.

My cock strains against my jeans, desperate for her, urging me to grind against her hip.

Suddenly, her hands are on my chest, and she’s pushing me away. I stumble back, my head spinning. Her hair is messy, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her skin flushed as she presses her fingers to her lips.

“I need to go.” She storms past me.

I stay rooted to the spot, afraid to breathe.

Hope blooms slowly in my chest, the tiniest sprout. So defenseless, so fragile. I’ll do anything I can to protect it, to nurture it.

A smile splits my lips, and an energy I haven’t felt in months, not even on the field, courses through me.

My girl is here. She still loves me. My heart knows it, because it heard its other half beating in her chest. We are two pieces of one whole.

No matter what she told me…she is mine. I won’t give up.

I’ll make sure she knows I love her. I’ll remind her as often as I can that she’s the best thing to ever happen to me.

She’s my priority.

My everything .