Chapter Fourteen
Xavion banged on her door for five minutes and then muttering curses at his bad luck left eventually.
Juliette had some leftover soup from last night's dinner. She buttered some bread rolls and ate with it hungrily. Then she sat down and completed her assignments and went to bed.
The next day after classes in the morning she freshened up and went to work.
"Hi, you're Juliette, right? I'm Hailey Bennett," the pretty receptionist introduced herself.
"Hi, Hailey, nice to meet you," she said. The girl was around twenty-two and looked friendly. She liked Hailey immensely.
"So, how was your first day?" She asked.
"Good, so far," Juliette answered.
"Felix Robson is so handsome, how did you get any work done sitting in the same room with him?" She asked and Juliette smiled. Her Xavion was way more gorgeous. Her Xavion? No correction needed there. He wasn't hers anymore. She sighed suddenly looking gloomy.
"I've got to go," she said, going to Mr Robson's chamber and knocking softly.
"Come in," said Mr Robson and Juliette went inside.
"Good afternoon, sir," she greeted him.
Good afternoon. Please come here, Ms Meyers, " he said and Juliette's eyes widened. Was he dismissing her already?
"Yes sir," she said going towards his desk.
"Are you Xavion Alexander's girlfriend?" He asked and Juliette froze. Did Xavion threaten him? How did he know?
"Not anymore, sir," she said and Mr Robson nodded.
"You may start today's work. I've sent you a contact list with designs to be sent to each. You have to mail them the designs for approval. Then file them up client wise and send me in zipped format. Understood?"
"Yes sir, " she said and went to her desk to complete the task given to her. Felix Robson breathed a sigh of relief. So she wasn't Xavion Alexander's girlfriend.
Last night when his ex-employer called him to stay away from his girlfriend, he was scared. He knew Xavion. He had heard about him from his colleagues. He was ruthless and dangerously possessive.
Juliette completed all the work given to her by 9 o'clock and Mr Robson gave her permission to leave. She went home dreading that she would meet Xavion at her doorstep. Thankfully he wasn't there and she rushed into her apartment and locked the door.
The whole week she went to university and worked at her new office. She was too busy to think about Xavion and Candice.
When the weekend arrived she took her books and drove to Travis Springs. She completed her assignments at home and went out shopping with her siblings. They went to fetch Jayson from his house. Jayson lived alone in his own house. Their dad and he had a serious fight since he wouldn't marry the girl her father chose for him. He used to live separately because of their differences but six months back he stopped coming over to the mansion too. They forced the stingy Jayson to buy them stuff. He was loaded and they were his only sisters. Surely he could spare some dollars for them. Jaden too splurged. Jayson wasn't happy to go shopping. He hated it. He never had the time to go shopping so it was actually a once in a lifetime offer that he took them.
After a fun weekend, Juliette returned to Austin. The next day she attended her classes as usual and went to work as usual.
Hailey greeted her with a smile. They were recruiting more employees, two more designers and a manager. The interviews were being held inside Mr Robson's office. Juliette was summoned after the interviews were over and she went in and worked on whatever he asked her to work on. She even called up the selected candidates and informed them their date of joining and mailed them other details.
She was done for the day and picking up her handbag, she left to go to the parking lot. Her eyes widened at the sight of Xavion leaning against her car and waiting for her.
"Move Xavion, I need to go home, " she said.
He didn't budge an inch. " Why are you working for him?" He asked, grasping her wrist.
She struggled against his hold.,"Why won't I?" She asked angrily. Who was he to dictate her now? He was the one who had betrayed her, shattering her love, her trust.
"Because you belong to me Julie. When I asked you to join me, you weren't interested. What happened now?" He asked, angrily.
"I don't belong to anyone. Why are you after me Xavion? You have destroyed what we had. I can't trust you anymore in this life. You have Candice working for you at your office, sitting on your lap. Don't deny it. I saw it with my own eyes. So drop the act and leave me alone, " she said, going around to the passenger side and getting into her car and driving away.
Juliette was irritated by Xavion's high handed attitude. He had Candice to give him what he wanted yet he pursued her relentlessly. She was tired of this life. She wished she could leave her studies and Austin forever.
Months went by and her term end exams were near. She studied hard during the weekends and also at night after work. Most of the days she fell asleep over her books from exhaustion. Xavion didn't bother her the last one month and she was thankful.
Her exams got over and she sailed into her third semester. She was ecstatic. She didn't go home during her term break. She had her job to handle. Hailey had become good friends with her.
That weekend, she went to a small cafe with Hailey. She wanted a pre-birthday treat from Juliette as she wouldn't be able to attend Juliette's party that was being held tomorrow. It was her 20th birthday and her father was throwing a party at their house in Travis Springs. Discussing the party, the two friends ordered two Caffè lattes, plum cake with whipped cream and cherry topping, puff pastry and cheese poppers.
"This is too good," said Hailey.
"Yeah, it really is," said Juliette. As she drank her Caffè latte a few drops fell on her blouse.
"Oh no, I look a mess. I'll just clean this up," she said, getting up to go to the washroom.
She rushed to the washroom and collided with a wall. Looking up she froze. What was Xavion doing here?
"Are you following me Xavion?" She asked, irritatedly as his arm went round her waist.
"Yes, you don't leave me a choice, do you?" He asked, pulling her close.
She rolled her eyes and tried to free herself. "Keep your dirty hands to yourself. You used them on Candice. So just stay away from me," she said pushing him.
He looked hurt. "I didn't do it with Candice. What are you talking about?" He and Juliette just made a face. Why was he acting innocent?
"I'm not a fool," she said, pushing him away.
"Yes, you are. She's fooling you and you're believing her. She forced herself on me that day when you came to the office. I swear on my dead mom, I didn't do anything with her. I hate her Goddammit," he said as he just left her and walked away angrily leaving her confused as ever.
Xavion never lied and when he swore on his dead mom, he was telling the truth. But the photographs? And the fact that Candice was staying with him? She was more confused than ever. She went to the washroom, cleaned the mess on her dress and returned to her seat. They ate and went back to the office.
The next day she drove to Travis Springs to celebrate her birthday with her family. Angela had called to wish her. She was due next month. Her father didn't keep any relationship with her and Damian. Angela was waiting for the baby to arrive. Damian and her aunt gave her all the support she needed.
Her siblings already gave her their birthday gifts and her dad gave her a brand new laptop which she needed very badly. Her old laptop wasn't functioning well and the screen would flicker every now and then. It would hang and shut down in the middle of working and she would lose unsaved data.
By evening, all guests had gathered and the cake was to be cut. Juliette wore an off shoulder black dress and blew out all the candles as everyone clapped for her. She cut her cake and everyone cheered. Her dad fed her a piece and she fed him a piece, Jaden had brought Jayson forcefully to attend her birthday party and he came forward and fed her a piece of cake. She fed him back too. Same with Jaden and Jade. Xavion came forward and fed her a piece. Wait a minute! Who called Xavion? With her dad and all the guests looking at them, she couldn't create a scene. She fed Xavion a piece too and everyone clapped. The cake was taken away to be served to the others.
She stood beside Jade and tasted the mocktails and appetizers when Xavion came up to her. Jade excused herself and disappeared much to her dismay leaving her alone with Xavion.
"Happy birthday Julie," he said, softly.
"Thank you," she said.
"I brought you a gift," he said, unfastening a small silver heart shaped pendant from his neck and placing it into her palm. "This belonged to my mom. She used to wear it always. Six months before her death she gave it to me and told me that I should give it only to someone whom I loved more than my own life. So I give it to you Julie. If you love me and want us to clear all our misunderstandings and get back together like before please wear it," he said as a teardrop fell from his eye. He turned and left the party just as suddenly as he had appeared.
Juliette stood stunned by his words. Was he telling the truth? She didn't see Candice after that encounter at the office that fateful day. Candice however did send her a few pictures of her and Xavion two days later. But after that for the last seven months Juliette didn't have any connection with her. Was it a one time trick to separate them?
Confused, she went upstairs to her room and kept the pendant in her closet. She went downstairs to her party mingling with the guests who were her father's and brother's friends as well as her old school friends.
After the party was over she kissed her dad and her siblings, "Thanks dad, that was the best party ever, " she said.
"I'm glad, princess," he said kissing her forehead.
They all retired to their rooms. Tomorrow was Sunday and they could stay in bed late. She would visit Jayson at his house. He had left immediately after the cake cutting.
She sat on the bed and thought about Xavion's words. She took out the pendant and sat down staring at it as Xavion's words played with her feelings.
I should give it only to someone whom I loved more than my own life. So I give it to you Julie.
If you love me and want us to clear all our misunderstandings and get back together like before please wear it.
She clasped the pendant and put it around her neck fastening it securely. She loved him and his mom's precious gift for him held a lot of meaning for her too. She smelled the pendant which touched his soul every second of his life for the last six months. It had his wonderful intoxicating smell and all the memories of them together came rushing back to her. She couldn't stop the tears at the memory of the love that they shared. When she drifted off to sleep with dried tears on her face she didn't know.