Xander's Girl

Prologue

Sometimes life has a way of wearing you down. You realize no-one is coming to rescue you and you're tired of being strong.

-Nicole Young.

Hayley

I keep dialing his number like a mad woman. It goes straight to voicemail. Despite the overwhelming evidence, my heart cannot comprehend what my mind is telling me to be true. That I've been played. That the last year of my life has been a lie. That the person that I thought loved me....doesn't.

An hour earlier....

"Hayley, I don't know how to tell you this but if it where me I would want to know." Says Callie, my work colleague.

"The guys have been talking about Keith, they say he's engaged to someone else".

"What?" I say uncomprehending.

Keith is my boyfriend of twelve months, we work for the same company in different departments. Work is where we met. We see each other almost everyday. Speak on the phone constantly when we're apart. How could what she's saying be true?

"Some of the guys have met her" she continues, "Look, I feel bad for you. We love you and you don't deserve to be treated like this. No women does and I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but I just had to. I couldn't stand it anymore."

My heart has stopped. As if it's on pause. Like it needs a timeout.

"No, I'm glad you came to me...please tell me everything you know." I say with a calmness I am far from feeling.

"Well...apparently they live together and ....and she's pregnant."

You can't be serious.

Knowing this conversation cannot wait, I ask Callie to cover for me while I try to find a quiet place to phone Keith. I end up in the store room and wedge myself between two rows of stacked boxes before I dial his number. "Hey babe" he answers.

"Hi" I reply

"What are you doing?"

"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about. Do you think you can stop by today? It's important".

He must hear something in my voice because he answers apprehensively "I can't today babe. Can't you just tell me over the phone?"

"I would rather speak to you in person"

"Well I just said I can't make it Hayley so tell me what the matter is now?"

I'm feeling so emotional. I know I should wait until I see him but instead I burst out "Are you seeing someone else?"

The line goes silent for a minute. A minute too long.

"No. What are you talking about?"

"The guys at work say you're engaged to someone else, that you're living with her and she's pregnant" I say as the first tears make their trail down my face. "Why would they say that Keith?"

"I don't know, maybe they want to get into your pants" he says arrogantly. "Are you crying? Stop it. You're crying for no reason, I can't talk to you when you're like this. I'm hanging up now. I'll talk to you when you're calmer. Bye.

Before I can utter a response, the line goes dead.

Two years later...

Hayley

Sweltering heat comes of the tarmac in waves as I pace alongside my car trying to get a signal to call a pick-up truck. My 2007 hatchback blows black smoke from its engine as motorists drive by without giving me a backwards glance. Everyone rushing with somewhere else to be.

Its times like this I wish I had a boyfriend. Someone I could call to take over while I play the part of damsel in distress. It's a part I don't get to play... who would come to my rescue?

I finally get signal for long enough to call to my mechanic and a tow truck, before I bend at the knees and sit my ass on the sidewalk, yelping as I make contact with the heated cement. My mind is elsewhere. This is yet another expense I haven't budgeted for. How will I pay for this.

As I sit and wait, its hard not to be sad. In this moment I feel so alone. In times like this I wish I could call my ex, but that door closed when I found out he was engaged and living with another women while "dating" me. It sucks to find out the guy you introduced to your family and thought you would build a life with, thought of you as nothing but a side chick. It's been years, and it still hurts. He still tries to call and message on birthdays or randomly to convince me that he cares, but he wouldn't be married to someone else right now if he did, would he? I know I had a lucky escape from that "relationship" but it doesn't always feel like it. Most of the time I feel alone, unable to let my guard down. Unable to move on.

"Ok Hayley, enough doom and gloom. Happy thoughts now everything's going to work out. Don't stress it always does", I try to give myself a pep talk, just as a yellow tow truck with black logo approaches, it's lights flashing.

Xander

I grin to myself as I look at my latest acquisition, the Brabus rocket 900. Another beauty to add to my collection. It's one of only ten cars made in the world and can go from zero to 330km/hr in just 23.9 seconds.

This is my life. Fast cars. Fast women. More money than I know what to do with and on most days not a care in the world. I've worked hard to be where I am. When I made it big, I took my best friends along for the ride. They are now each CEO's of their own companies but you wouldn't say looking at them gushing at a car they could each afford on their own. I guess it's true what they say about boys and their toys.

Tyler, is already fiddling with the buttons inside the car and Kyle is testing the sound. "Fuck Xander, now this was so worth the wait, if you want I can drive the Brabus back and you take the range" grins Henry besides me.

"Nice try my friend", I laugh as I turn to the sales guy, "ready to finish the paperwork?"

"I'll meet you guys at home. Get some burgers on the way, I'm starving" I say as I throw my keys to Kyle.

"Want me to stick around with you?" says Tyler as he presses a button that opens the sunroof.

"Nah I'm cool, got to stop by the office to pick up some paperwork that needs signing. I will see you guys at home".

Home is party central, the guys are there almost twenty-four seven. Playing PlayStation, fiddling with the cars, gyming...my life is pretty sweet but I've earned it.

Chapter 2

Hayley

The paperwork is signed and I'm waiting outside the car hire place in Quarry road for the keys to my courtesy car.

That's when I see him...the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. All I can do is stare. Tall and muscular with spiky black hair. In his black jeans, black t-shirt, oatmeal winter jacket and timberlands, he is a sight to behold. He turns slightly and even at this distance I can see his eyes are a piercing green. Wow. Just wow.

He's in the exclusive showroom next door with a few guys I'm guessing are with him.

"Mam, your courtesy car is ready"

"Thanks" I say as I turn away from the view next door and take the keys the salesperson is offering me.

I wish someone like Mr green eyes would notice me, fall in love me, want to have babies with me. I chuckle to myself, lost in my own dream world. I get enough attention to know I'm not ugly, but I'm also not in the same league as Mr green eyes next door. I would love to be all put together and model perfect with that fragile air, like the type of women he probably dates but I'm not, oh well, a girl can dream...

Mr green eyes is forgotten as I drive past middle class suburban houses on my way home, worrying about the additional expenses I've just racked up and how I am going to pay for them.

"Dear God, please make a way", I pray as I pull up into my driveway. The familiar calm that finds me when I reach home begins to descend. This is where I hide from the world and all it's drama. I am usually the first one here, but after my car drama, my aunt and mum have beat me home. As the gate opens, my dogs are already bounding out of the house to greet me as usual

"Zola! Stella! Hello my babies" I great them while receiving wet kisses and puppy hugs.

"Sebastian I see you there my boy", I say to my cat as he patiently waits for his turn. I gently scoop him up as I make my way into the house, followed by my dogs. My animals are my life line. I know their love is genuine and until you have been broken by someone you love, you will never know how hard it is to trust in love by anyone other than those that cannot lie.

My mum is over the stove preparing supper and my aunt is watching some police series on the television as I enter the house. I fill them in on the day's events and my car troubles. My family is close knit and even though it's just my mum, aunt and myself at home, our home is always filled with my cousins, aunts and uncles on the weekends.

I don't get to see them as often as I'd like because of work. Although tomorrow is a Saturday and I'm working. A 7am to 7pm shift. I work in a laboratory as a medical technician so working weekends, shifts and public holidays are what my life looks like. That is why I make sure I take my dogs to the beach at least once a week so we can spend quality time together. They love walking on the boardwalk and I love the ocean, all 3 of us get exercise so it's a win-win.

I grab the dog's leashes, Zola hears the sound of the leashes moving and she's already wagging her tail and whimpering because she's so happy. She definitely knows where she's going!

"I have to rush now if I want to make it to the beach and back before it gets dark" I say to my mum as I pass her in the kitchen.

"You're still going? Aren't you going to eat first." mum asks

"Yip, I have to. I don't want the girls to miss their walk", I say walking back out the door, this time with two boisterous dogs in tow.