Chapter 9 MATTERS OF THE HEART

Jenny's POV

Money isn't everything, pfft! That's easy for someone without money to say, I thought to myself while standing in the patio. Everything Xavier said apart from the very used cliche statement about money was true. Now that Liam knows my truth, my social life hanged poorly by a thin thread. Amelia approached me with tenderness and nothing but goodwill so I couldn't be mean to her anymore. I cried on her welcoming shoulders as she embraced me.

"There there now Jenny, everything's gonna be alright."

I saw dad watching us from a distance with a heartfelt smile in his face, Amelia was somewhat the only motherly figure in that house.

After dinner, I went straight up to bed and after getting cozy, I heard a knock on my door. "Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me, dad."

Xavier's POV

After the encounter with Jenny in the patio I felt the dire need to stay away from her toxicity and daddy issues. I was good at that, I've always been good at that so it wasn't going to be hard. Throughout diner I was silent, oddly silent compared to the last diner we had. It was evident that something was wrong, but I couldn't care less. When I was done, I thanked Amelia and Mr. Parker then I headed straight to bed. Just when I got really comfortable in bed, I heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked indifferently.

"It's me, Amelia."

Jenny's POV

My dad sat next to me on my bed while we talked, "It's been a long while since we both had this father-daughter bonding talks." My dad said to me.

"You've always been busy, even now that you're unemployed you're still busy." I sadly jeered.

"I'm here now, and I'm sorry if I hadn't been a good father these past few days." He apologized.

"I understand," I said underneath my breath.

"I saw you and Amelia out back not long ago. Care to tell me why you were crying?" My dad asked as he brushed his hands through my hair.

I chuckled and then I asked, "Before you and mom started dating and all that, did you guys ever have any trouble?"

"Of course honey, before I got your mom to be my girlfriend I suffered. She was from a wealthy home so she was used to wealth, no money in the world could impress her." He exhaled sharply and then continued, "She was genuine about love, she had no interest in mere material things. Her simplicity attracted me and there was no way I could let Elizabeth pass me by. She was beautiful, smart and stunning, she knew her worth and that's what made me hungry for her."

"So to mom...money wasn't everything?" I asked.

"Exactly, she was more concerned about true love, real love, for better for worse. Now that I lost my job, Elizabeth would've stuck with me, supported through troubled times."

I paused for a while and then I asked, "So how did you get mom to fall in love with you?"

"I had to see life from her point of view, it killed me but it shaped me into the man I am today." He continued, "You're yet to tell me why you were crying though."

"It's nothing serious, just overwhelmed by our current condition that's all."

"You sure?" My dad asked unconvinced by my response.

"Yeah," I said then he hugged me softly. "So Xavier's Mr. Pedro's nephew?" I asked my dad.

"Yeah he never told you?"

"He did, just found it hard to believe." I jeered.

"That's not a very nice thing to say." He cautioned while I chuckled.

Xavier's POV

"You shouldn't be in here this late, what if someone sees us." I said worriedly to Amelia.

"We're just talking not fucking, so chill and tell me why you've been moody lately." Amelia responded as she sat next to me on the edge of my bed.

"Oh, so you noticed to," I responded.

"It was evident so it's not that hard not to notice." She chuckled afterwards.

I took a minute to process my thoughts and then I asked Amelia, "Have you ever loved someone so dearly but been in denial about it?"

She cleared her throat before speaking, "Yeah, but I won't discuss that with you."

"Why?" Curious to know I asked.

"Matters of the heart is a delicate issue to discuss. But, I will give you one advice."

"And that is?" I asked.

"If you love someone, don't wait. Being in denial is a defense mechanism and whatever it is that you're afraid of, trust me it's not worth missing an opportunity that could change your life forever."

"Crazy," I responded under my breath.

"I know, sometimes I wish I took my own advice." She teased herself as she chuckled. "Now get some rest, tomorrow's school."

She bid me good night as she walked out the door.

Amelia's POV

As walked out Xavier's bedroom door, I bumped into Mr. Parker. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry." I apologized immediately.

"It's okay, might I ask what you were doing in Xavier's room?" He asked curiously.

"Pep talks, he seemed moody all day so I decided to enlighten his mood." I replied.

"Enlighten?" He seemed confused.

"No, not in that way sir." I chuckled in between at Mr. Parker's misconception of what I meant by enlightening Xavier's mood. "I just talked to him about matters of the heart, he seemed to be in denial and I just told him not to wait, follow his heart and fuck whatever it is he was afraid of."

"And have you done that?" He asked me.

"Done what?" I asked faintly.

"Your advice to Xavier, have you done it?" He repeated himself.

"I'm sorry sir but respectfully I do not need that advice as I am currently not in love with anyone." I cleared my throat when I was done.

"Okay," Mr. Parker said. Then he bid me good night and I bid him good night as well.