Chapter 7 7

Xavier smiled as he walked to the door. "Right on time," he said, taking the food from the delivery guy. "Thanks, man." He shut the door and made his way to the living room, where Zara was still reeling from the shock of seeing his face.

"You!! You shit!" Zara shouted, her eyes blazing with anger and tears. Xavier feigned surprise, taking a step back. "You scared me," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Mike rushed out of the kitchen, looking between Zara and Xavier. "Who's the shit?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. But then he caught the scent of food and his expression changed. "Oh, it's here," he said, a wide smile spreading across his face as he rushed to open the containers.

Xavier looked at Zara, his eyes softening. "Calm down, Zara," he said, taking a step closer to her. But Zara was beyond reason. "You! You killed my husband, kidnapped me...and..." Her voice broke as she began to sob.

Xavier tried to hug her, but Zara pushed him away. "Don't touch me!" she spat, her eyes flashing with anger.

Just then, her stomach growled again, and Xavier's expression changed. "We have plenty of time to talk," he said. "Let's just eat first, okay?"

Mike, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up. "Fine girl, let's eat first. Come on."

Zara hesitated for a moment, but the smell of food was too tempting. She surrendered, joining Mike and Xavier at the table.

As they ate, the tension in the room was palpable. Zara's eyes never left Xavier's face, her anger and hatred simmering just below the surface.

After the meal, Xavier cleared the table, gathering the empty containers and disposable utensils. Zara remained on the floor, her legs crossed and her arms folded, watching Xavier with a mixture of anger and frustration.

As soon as Xavier finished cleaning up, Zara burst out, her voice shaking with emotion. "You! Xav! What's wrong with you?! Why are you doing this to me? Why did you kill my husband? We parted ways!"

Xavier looked at her calmly, his expression unreadable. "I'm going to take a shower," he said, his voice low and even. "When I'm done, I'll answer your questions."

Zara's eyes narrowed, but she knew she had to wait. She turned to Mike, who was sitting on the couch, watching TV. "How do you know him?" she asked, her voice still shaking with emotion.

Mike looked at her with a hint of a smile. "Xavier saved my life," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "I was going through a tough time, and I wanted to end it all. But Xavier was there for me. He helped me through that dark period, and I'll always be grateful to him."

Zara was speechless, her mind reeling with the revelation.

Mike continued, laughing. "It's all right. It was a pretty tough period for me. Xavier is a good guy, don't worry."

Zara looked back at the doorway where Xavier had disappeared, her expression softening slightly. She sighed, her mind still racing with questions and doubts.

Later, Xavier walked into the living room, looking refreshed and clean in his new clothes. Zara followed his movement as he grabbed a seat from the corner and sat down, facing her.

"Okay, Zara, ask your questions," he said, his eyes locked on hers.

Zara faced him, her anger and sadness still simmering. "Why did you kill my husband?" she spat.

Xavier's expression was calm and sincere. "I didn't kill him," he said.

Zara studied him, searching for any sign of deception. But she knew he wasn't lying.

"You were the one I saw at the wedding with the mask, right?" she asked.

Xavier nodded. "Yes."

"Why were you there?" Zara pressed.

Xavier stood up, a faraway look in his eyes. "Well, I was on my way back from a visit to... Anyways, on my way back, I needed to elevate my mood, and there it was..." He demonstrated, his hands spread wide. "A wedding celebration. I made my way in, and a few minutes later...boom, a disaster...and only for me to process what was going on, I saw the bride, who was crying, and who happened to be someone I know. And what do I do as a good person? I rescued her." He smiled wryly. "

Zara took in every word and she got up. "Rescued me?" she repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Kidnapped, you mean to say! And you pointed a gun to my head!"

Mike, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up. "I'm going to give you guys some privacy," he said, then he left the house.

Xavier watched Mike leave and smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oops, sorry about that. If I didn't do that, knowing how stubborn you are, you wouldn't have complied."

Zara's eyes narrowed. "Oh, really?" she said sweetly.

Xavier nodded, his smirk growing wider.

And then Zara blurted out, "You piece of shit! Fuck you!"

Xavier's smirk turned cocky. "Oh, I could really need one right now. It's been a while."

Zara opened her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with incredulity. "I cannot believe what I'm hearing," Zara said, her voice trembling.

"I have to leave," Zara continued, trying to compose herself. "I need to know what's going on with my husband's family. My family will be looking for me."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Which family? Last time I checked, you were an orphan."

Zara's eyes narrowed, her face pale. "How did you know that? You've been spying on me?"

Xavier spoke with sincerity in his tone. "I wouldn't say spying. I've just been checking up on you, seeing how you're faring, that's all."

Zara's expression softened slightly, a hint of gratitude on her face. But she quickly shook her head. "Okay, anyway, I have to go."

Xavier's face turned serious. "I couldn't believe you, Zara," he said.

Zara looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"When we parted ways, I told you to go find happiness, Zara. Is what you're doing the happiness?" Xavier continued.

Zara's confusion deepened. "What do you mean?"

Xavier's expression turned serious. "Don't pretend, Zara. I know all about you."

"I'm not following Xav," Zara responded.

Xavier's tone remained serious. "Okay, you want me to spell it out to you?."

"Fine, I will," Xavier said, his voice firm. "I couldn't believe you're a slut."

Zara's face crumpled, and her eyes widened in shock. "Excuse you?" she shouted.

Xavier continued, his words piercing Zara's heart. "Yes, I see you with different men every time. And what do I notice about those men? They're rich. You're doing all this for what? Money? Zara, that's your happiness? And now you're claiming my 'husband's family'. Really?" He said the last sentence with disgust on his face.

Zara's tears began to flow freely as Xavier's words tore into her soul.

She couldn't take it anymore. "Shut your mouth, Xavier!" Zara burst out, her voice trembling with rage and choked cries. "You don't know...anything! You have no idea what I go through every single day!"

With tears still streaming down her face, Zara turned and fled to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Xavier's expression softened as he realized he had gone too far. He rubbed his hands through his hair, feeling a pang of regret. He walked over to the bedroom door and knocked gently.

"Zara, I'm sorry," he said, his voice sincere. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

But there was no response. Xavier knocked again, his voice a little louder this time.

"Zara, please talk to me. I was out of line, and I'm sorry."

Still, there was only silence. Xavier let out a frustrated sigh and turned away from the door, leaving Zara alone.

As night began to fall, Xavier found himself back at the bedroom door, his ear pressed against it. He heard faint sounds of snores and let out a sigh of relief. At least she was okay. He turned away from the door, his mind racing with thoughts of how to make things right between them.