Chapter Eighteen
Juliette knocked on Xavion's door and went inside. She looked at him sitting at his desk and froze with horror. What was that deep gash on his forehead? It wasn't there the last time he saw him. It looked like the skin had been stitched together from one end to the other.
Xavion stared at her quietly. His eyes looked melancholy. His face was covered with maybe months-long unshaven facial hair. He got up quietly from his seat and walked up to her with a little limp.
A sob escaped her seeing his condition. It seemed like a truck had run over him. She couldn't help herself as she flung herself into his arms and held his face tenderly.
"W what happened to you, Xavi?" She sobbed as her fingers gently traced the scar on his forehead.
He just stared at her quietly without a word. She lowered his head and kissed his scar. She kissed his cheek and then claimed his lips in a gentle, yet hungry kiss. She missed him so much.
Xavion groaned in pleasure and pulled her close to his body. He took control of the kiss and deepened it to the next level. All his pent up feelings poured into that one single kiss.
They just couldn't leave one another. The feeling of being in one another's arms was so overwhelming that they forgot everything except one another and their feelings.
At last, they broke apart, breathing heavily. "What happened Xavi?" She whispered.
"I had an accident. Was in the hospital for the last seven months," he informed and Juliette froze. He was in the hospital and no one informed her? Damian and Angela too didn't inform her. Gordon Spencer too didn't mention anything to her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, puzzled at his behavior.
"Your dad wasn't well. I didn't want to disturb you. The day they released me, I went to Travis Springs but you weren't there," he said, looking at her with the same melancholy eyes.
"Yeah, I went to Jayson's house, " she informed him and he nodded looking at his hands.
"Why did you leave me?" He asked her, too softly but she heard him.
"You know why. Go through Candice's room in your house, you'll know," she answered.
"Why did you call me?" She asked him.
"I missed you. I wanted to see you that's why," Xavion answered. "You too missed me, I know. "
Juliette stood quietly looking down. She did miss him but she wouldn't say it.
"I'll see you later. I've got to drive down to Travis Springs," she said, turning and going to the door. Xavion didn't budge an inch. He just stood there watching her sadly. She couldn't just open the door and leave. What was wrong with her Xavion? He was always so full of life? Why was he so quiet? Did he give up on her and move on?
She nevertheless had to leave. She had a 30-minute drive ahead of her. Reaching home, she had her dinner and retired to her room. She lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Visions of Xavion's sad face and melancholy eyes clouded her mind. She just wanted to forget everything and hug him to herself.
The next few days went by. Xavion didn't call her, so she didn't visit him in his office. Did he find a girlfriend?
She went shopping after an extra class at the university to buy some work clothes at a nearby shopping mall in Austin when she saw Jayson standing in front of a lingerie shop. Her eyes popped out in shock. Jayson was at a shopping mall and that too in front of a lingerie shop? It was too difficult to believe.
She approached Jayson and chatted with him. It seemed that he had come with his fiancée to shop for his wedding stuff. Juliette happily chatted with him. She had to inform their dad that Jayson is finally in love and getting married, something which he always wanted.
That was the cause of all their fights. Their dad wanted him to get married and settle down while he wasn't interested in any girl. They all thought that he wasn't straight since at 31, he was still married to his work.
His fiancée came out of the shop and dragged him back to choose the lingerie for her. It was so cute that she simply stood and waited for them to come out of the shop. She wanted to get introduced to Jayson's fiancée.
They finally came out of the shop and Jayson drew his fiancée forward.
"Karen, meet my sister, Juliette Meyers. She's studying architecture at Austin," said Jayson. Then looking at Juliette he added, "Jules, this is my fiancée, Karen Richardson."
His fiancée shyly said, "Hi," but Juliette just jumped towards her and hugged her tightly. Jayson separated them, "Hey, don't crush her, Jules." He said.
Juliette squealed with happiness, "Jas, you're marrying? Oh my gosh, I can't believe it," she gushed. "When's the wedding?" She asked.
"Coming Monday," he declared and Juliette's jaw dropped.
"Isn't that too soon? How will I get my dress ready at such short notice?" She grumbled.
"You wear anything and come," he said as she glared at him. "It'll be a church wedding only."
"What's the hurry bro? I can't be ready and neither can Jaden and Jade," she wailed.
Karen smiled at their cuteness. Jayson glared at her. "Who's going to look at you anyway. Just come in anything. I can't postpone," he told her.
"What's the hurry bro?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
"Isn't it obvious, baby sis?" He winked and Karen rolled her eyes.
"No wonder you bought her a year's supply of lingerie. Who buys so many? " grumbled Juliette and Karen blushed more.
"Wait till dad hears it. He always thought that you weren't straight. He'd go crazy with happiness." Juliette said and Jayson made a face. Then she looked at Karen,"Are you expecting?" She asked, in a whisper.
"No, we didn't do it, " she said truthfully.
"Oh ok ok, no wonder he's in a rush to get married," said Juliette, grinning.
Juliette left after promising to visit them at Jayson's house. She hurried home and straight to her dad's room. He was lying on the bed with a book.
"Dad, I've got the best news of the decade," she said, pouring out everything that she saw to her dad excitedly.
Her dad had tears in his eyes at the happy news. "I've got to go visit the girl who's stolen my Jayson's heart. She must be special if she could drag Jayson to a lingerie shop," he said, chuckling. Juliette laughed too.
So the next day her dad paid a visit to Jayson and his fiancée at their house in the evening. When he returned home, he was ecstatic with happiness.
"That girl is a gem. She cooks so well. I'm inviting them here to dinner tomorrow," he announced and all the siblings jumped with joy. Finally, the differences between their dad and Jayson would be cleared.
So the next day, Jayson came with his fiancée. All the siblings bonded well with Karen. She was very sweet and down to earth. They discussed their wedding plans. Juliette and Jade would be Karen's bridesmaids and Jaden would be his best man.
"Can you get your dresses at such short notice?" Asked Karen.
"Oh, don't worry about that. We'll go to Austin tomorrow and buy." Said Juliette.
"I'll need two more dresses similar to yours, for my friends Scarlett who'll be matron of honor, and Valentina who'll be another bridesmaid. They both have small children and couldn't go shopping. I'll give you their measurements," said Karen, and Juliette agreed excitedly.
Their dad was hosting a gala reception party in their backyard immediately after the church wedding ceremony was over. Everyone was excited that the first wedding of the family was taking place.
Their dad hired wedding planners to take care of the entire preparations and decorations as they had no idea what was to be done.
The next day a very excited Juliette and Jade went with Karen to a shopping mall in Austin. After all the purchases had been done, Juliette went to the parking lot to drop the shopping bags in the car trunk, and then to return to eat lunch. The others were ordering the food, so she hurriedly locked the car after keeping the bags. As she turned to leave, a hand covered her mouth and the other picked her up and walked effortlessly to a vacant storeroom nearby.
Xavion put her down and locked the door, holding her to himself. "How did you find me here Xavion?" She asked, perplexed. How did he know that she took leave from work and came to this mall?
"I have my ways," he said, pulling her close.
After that day at the office, she hadn't heard from him. She had seriously thought that he had moved on. Maybe he was busy having an affair with another girl. The thought made her very angry and frustrated with him.
"Please let me go. I don't want to be here with you," she said, struggling to break free.
"Just tell me again that you love me. Tell me you'll be mine, I'll go, " he insisted. Her eyes went round. Again? When did she ever tell him that she loves him?
"I never told you that before and I won't say it ever," she said stubbornly.
"You told me you loved me on that drunken night. I know you do," he said, remembering the night at the camping trip when she was drunk and when she confessed her love for him.
"Why don't you go to your Candice?" She asked, avoiding his eyes.
"She doesn't mean a thing to me," He said.
"I don't care. Then go back to your drugs, forget me," she said, again struggling to break free.
"I've left everything, Julie. You know it. Just say you're mine. I have only one addiction. That's you," he said, seriously.
"That can never happen, I don't trust you," she said.
"That's because you don't know me. There's only one way left for me. I'll abduct you to my island and make you know me better," he threatened.
"You're impossible. Please let me go. I'll never be yours." she said, vehemently.
"I won't let you be anyone else's also. I'll kill him if you even think about another man. Then I'll abduct you. You cannot escape me, Julie," he said, meaning every word he spoke.
"You're won't do that," she accused.
"You leave me no choice, " he said, shrugging. "Despite everything, I know you still love me as much as I love you,," he said and she shook her head vigorously.
"I don't," she said. He put his hand into his pocket and, leaving her, took out a pocket knife. Juliette's eyes widened in horror.
He slashed his palm with the knife in his hand, leaving a bleeding gash, exposed. Juliette gasped and picked up his hand, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh, what have you done, Xavi?" She cried as she tore a piece of her dress lining and cleaned his wound. Tearing another piece of her inner lining, she pressed it to the wound and bandaged it tightly to stop the bleeding. Xavion just stood like a statue and watched her, his eyes taking her tear-stricken face, her worried expression and the way she didn't care about her dress, the way she held his hand like it was a treasured thing, the way she blew over his wound, the way she kissed his wound after bandaging it.
When done, he just pulled her flush against him and smashed his lips to hers. He kissed her hungrily, trying to show her all the love that he felt for her. It was a deep deep kiss. A kiss that leaves one starry-eyed and dazed with desire, like a tornado of love had passed over them. His tongue tasted her sweet mouth lingeringly, making her cling to him to support her jelly-like legs.
His mouth left hers abruptly, "Tell me again that you don't love me?" He said, briefly caressing her cheek.
Turning around he left without waiting for her reply. Juliette stood there like a statue. Sighing heavily, she went out. Dragging her feet she went to her sister and Karen and slumped into the chair next to them.
"Hey Jules, what happened? What took you so long?" Asked a concerned Jade.
"Guess what?" She asked her.
"Don't tell me. Did Xavion the tornado sweep over you again?" Asked Jade, her eyes wide with shock.
"Yeah, how did he know where I am?" Said Juliette.
"Maybe, he followed you?" Said Jade.
"Wait a minute, girls. Who's Xavion?" Asked a confused Karen.
"Oh, Xavion Alexander is Juliette's batchmate at college. He loves her. He's been pursuing her for the last five years. He's bad news, so Jules ignores him although she loves him," explained Jade.
"I don't love him, ok," said Juliette, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
"Oh yes, you do. You're just in denial," said Jade with conviction.
"Ok girls, relax. Let's eat please. Our food's turning cold. I need to get back to the office before your brother comes hunting down here for me," said Karen as they all giggled.
They left the mall and went back home.