Chapter Three
Juliette sat down in her next class and waited for Angela to return from the cafeteria. Wesley came up and apologised to her and she forgave him. After she tended to Xavion, she ran away from the medical emergency room out of embarrassment.
Although Xavion was a jerk, she realised that she liked him. His dark eyes full of desire as he helplessly stared at her stirred her soul. She wanted to kiss the lips that he got busted fighting because of her. Scared of her own feelings for him, she ran away and hid in the empty classroom to calm her nerves.
Angela walked in with swollen lips, trying to cover her neck. "What happened to you?" Juliette asked her in concern.
"Damian kissed me," she said shyly.
Juliette's jaws fell to the floor. She pulled aside her top a little and saw the vivid love bite that Damian gave her on her neck. Her eyes widened and she looked at Angela who looked dazed too.
"Oh," said Juliette. She didn't have any idea how it felt to be kissed by a man. In her eighteen years of life, she never had a boyfriend and no guy had ever kissed her. She had always led a sheltered and protected life.
Damian walked in with a shit eating grin on his face and winked at Angela as he passed by. Angela's face coloured and she peered into her book on the table.
Xavion walked in dazed with a stupid grin on his face too. The moment he saw Juliette his grin widened and he went and sat beside Damian, both of them staring at their own sources of desire.
The classes went back to back and they just didn't get the time to interact with one another. After they were done for the day, Angela took Juliette to her house.
Her house was located a ten minutes drive away from the university. Angela pointed out Damian's house which was huge, nearly three times in size. Her eyes widened at the sheer magnificence of his house. How can someone live alone in such a huge place?
Angela's dad was a professor of Physics at the University of Texas. He was due to come home anytime. Her oldest brother Arnold was an orthopaedic surgeon. Her next brother, Alex was a Special Educator. He had his own educational institution for differently-abled children. Her youngest brother, Adam was a flight engineer and since he finished a morning shift, he had just come home.
He opened the door for them and smiled at the two of them, "Hey Angie, how was college?" He asked her as he bit into an apple. He looked from Angela to her friend and back. "Won't you introduce your friend?" He asked.
"This is my best friend, Juliette Meyers and Jules, meet my brother Adam," she introduced in a bored tone. Juliette smiled at Adam,"Hi," she said.
"Hi, I'll get something to eat for all of us," he said.
"Thanks," they chorused and Adam smiled and walked off to the kitchen.
"Let's go to my room," said Angela and they climbed up the stairs and went inside. Angela's room was very cozily done up in a combination of white and plum shades. It had a huge TV mounted on the wall opposite a queen-sized bed. A small desk in one corner and a loveseat with a coffee table near the door. A walk-in closet near the en-suite and a small balcony attached too.
She dragged Juliette to the balcony and they saw two cars screeching to a stop in front of Damian's house. Damian got down and looked up, winking at Angela as he disappeared into the house.
Xavion got down and froze when he looked up. He couldn't believe that Juliette was here. After classes he searched for her frantically. He even went to her house. It was locked. So he came to Damian's house in a foul mood. He hated his empty house and only went home if Damian accompanied him there. He couldn't stare at the empty house as his uncle was hardly at home. Even if he were at home, he would only shout at Xavion and tell him how worthless he was.
His uncle Dave was a successful author. Writing books and journals was his forte. He hated having to manage his brother's architectural firm after his death. So he was perpetually pissed off at Xavion and waited for the day when he could finish his studies and take over the business.
Xavion bumped into the doorway as he walked in blindly, staring at Juliette. Juliette giggled and he smiled mesmerised by her dimples. He went inside too and the two girls breathed in the fresh smell of the pine trees lining the compound. Adam brought them two plates of delicious bruschettas. They thanked him and devoured the yummy food, chatting about college and homework.
Juliette had to go home to do her homework. She didn't have a car, so Angela went down with her to drop her home. As they chatted outside the door, Damian's door flew open and Xavion rushed out. He strode towards them and opening Angela's gate came inside. "I was going home Julie. Can I drop you home too?" He asked hopefully.
"Ok," said Juliette as she waved at Angela and went with Xavion to his car. Like a true gentleman, he opened the door for her. She went into the luxurious BMW and fixed her seat belt. He started the car and drove away.
Juliette was acutely aware of his nearness in the small confines of the car. His fresh citrus smell combined with a woody fragrance filled the car and tingled her every nerve cell.
"Why do you live all alone?" He asked curiously.
"My family lives in Travis Springs and I go there every weekend, " she confessed and he nodded. He would have to follow her this weekend and find out whether she had any boyfriend back at her hometown.
"How's your nose? Is it hurting still?" She asked.
"Yes, it's broken, " he said, glancing briefly at her.
She rolled her eyes at him, "Why do you have to fight then?" She asked.
"Be mine and I'll stop everything, " he said as he stopped the car at the side of a park. She looked around at the unknown surroundings, her eyes widening in panic. She didn't know where they were and it was getting dark. He got down and opened her door.
"Take a walk with me? Don't worry, your apartment is just a block away. It's walking distance actually, " he said and she relaxed and got out of the car. He was surprised at himself. Walking wasn't his cup of tea. He had never walked in a park in his entire eighteen years of life. How he suddenly wished to walk with Juliette, he didn't know. He never enjoyed such things with any girl ever. He never wished to also.
He led her to the park and they walked together slowly. He wanted to hold her hand but didn't know how she would react. By some miracle he had got the opportunity to spend some time with her. He didn't want to make her upset. He watched her cascading golden hair shining in the evening light. Her long long lashes cast a shadow on her cheekbones. Her creamy complexion glowing and pulling him like a magnet.
Suddenly loud barks filled the air as two golden retrievers came hounding towards them. Juliette's eyes widened in horror and she clutched Xavion's hand in fright. When they neared she just hid her face in his chest and clung to him tightly with fright.
Xavion froze at what was happening. He then slowly came to his senses and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her flush against himself with not an inch of space between them. The dogs raced away chased by their masters. Xavion loved the feel of her soft body against his. He tightened his hold.
Juliette came to her senses and blushed at their position. "I I'm s sorry," she said, trying to put some distance but couldn't. Xavion didn't leave her, with his eyes dark and his breath hitched, he stared at her, at her pink, full lips. His stare made Juliette tremble. What would it feel like to be kissed by Xavion?
"Xavi, let me go," she whispered but he shook his head. Everytime she called her that his heart swelled with love for her and he went crazy with the desire to kiss her. Did he fall in love with her? Yes, maybe he did.
"Never," he said as he lost all his control and leaned down to crash his lips to hers. His tongue probed and prised open her mouth and plunged in deepening the already passionate kiss to a new level altogether. His warm mouth and tongue tasted and savoured her sweet mouth. The kiss seemed to stretch and time stood still for them as they tasted each other for the first time. Juliette kissed him back with equal passion. She never knew that a mere kiss could turn her legs to jelly and her body into a throbbing mass. She clung to him, feeling his muscles rippling under her palm.
He broke the kiss and they both tried to steady their breaths. He didn't leave her still. Xavion was lost. He had never experienced such an earth shattering kiss in his entire life. Sure he kissed many girls but this was a whole new experience. It seemed that he couldn't get enough of her. He wanted to kiss her again and again. He didn't want to stop, he didn't want to let her go.
It started drizzling and they both walked back to the car. Xavion reluctantly started the engine and drove off towards her apartment. He dropped her at the gate and turned and drove off. It would be a long night for him at his huge house all alone. He drove towards his house half heartedly.
The next few days Xavion didn't come to attend his classes and Juliette missed him a lot. On the fourth day of his absence, she went to Damian and asked him shyly,"Is your friend unwell?"
Damian's eyebrows shot up as he smirked at her,"Which friend?" He asked knowing fully well that she was asking about Xavion.
"Xavion," she said as her cheeks coloured. Amusement danced in Damian's eyes.
"Why? Are you missing him?" He asked, softly.
"Noooo, I just wondered if he was unwell. That's all. It's ok if you don't want to tell me," she said, embarrassed that she even asked him.
She turned to go but Damian said,"I was just pulling your leg Juliette. Xavion's in the hospital. The day he dropped you and went home, he injected drugs when he couldn't sleep at night," he informed. Juliette's eyes widened and she stood shocked at the news. Xavion was in the hospital? She had to see him. So she took the address from Damian and after her classes took a cab to see Xavion.
She found his room on the second floor of the posh, clean hospital. It was the best hospital in the city and was quite expensive. She opened the door and peeped in. The executive room was reserved for special guests only. Xavion lay on the bed, surfing through the channels on TV with a bored and pained expression on his face.
He looked up and saw her as she went inside and sat beside his bedside. Xavion couldn't believe his eyes. Was she really here or was he hallucinating?
"Why do you do such things to harm yourself, Xavi?" She asked, her voice trembling with suppressed tears.
Xavion stared at her, his eyes taking her in, memorising her every detail. "Love me like I love you and I will leave everything, " he said quietly.
Tears fell from her eyes. "I can't love you if you take such things," she said. His hand stretched forward and wiped her tears away.
"I will only stop if you accept me as yours. I want to belong to you. I want your love, Julie," he said with such seriousness that Juliette was scared of the depth of his feelings.
"You're going too fast for me Xavion. Please don't rush me. I'm confused. Give me time," she said as Xavion's face fell.
"I will wait for you," he said. "But till then, if I can't take it anymore, I will do what soothes me," he said.
"Do what you want. You are really stubborn. You won't stop," she said and ran out of the hospital. Why was he like this? There had to be some other way to control himself and soothe his nerves? Why did he have to take drugs?