Nefarious

C31 - Alex or Alexander?

I left Alex, as he wished, but it was mostly because I wanted to, not to please him. At least now that I was walking down the corridor, I was alone. He hadn't sent anyone with me or anything. Well, I was alone until the cat belonging to Xavier showed up. He was making weird noises that reminded me of small growls, and it was kinda freaking me out. «What do you want?» I scoffed at the cat. «Speaking with a cat? Cool,» Jace said as he casually walked by. «I wasn't-» I started in defense. «Right,» he shook his head, continuing his walk. «Whatever,» I murmured.

I realized after a while that the cat was following me, so I guess I was wrong, I was being followed by a freaking cat. However, the chances of Alex sending a cat aren't too realistic.

Whenever I stopped walking, the cat stopped. I didn't notice just how much of my attention was on the cat until I jumped at a door opening. «Valerie?» Xavier frowned at me. My mouth dropped at the sight of Xavier, shocked to see him out of Alex's room unbruised. «How are you here? You were inside Alex's room with me!» I gasped. He let out a weak, almost nervous, chuckle before he eventually dragged me with him inside.        

                                                                                                                       

«Can you please explain?» I stuttered. «I heard that your audacity caused you to step out to look for me?» he said, clearing his throat. «Well, obviously! You didn't answer me, and now I see why." «I freaked out, okay?» he sighed. «A simple sorry would've done okay.» «I don't apologize for my mistakes,» he said as he placed a bag on the bed. «I wouldn't call that a good habit.» I turned around so that I could see what he was doing, he was packing. I asked him where he was going, but of course, he wouldn't answer. I understood now just how secretive people are in here, and it was driving me crazy. «Your cat's back,» I informed him as I eyed the cat. He told the cat that he was leaving. Yup, he just felt the need to inform his little black cat that he was going somewhere, completely normal. «Have you got all your stuff?» he asked. I nodded, even though I didn't.

Out in the corridor, we were walking for what felt like the hundredth time. This time we walked through a new corridor though, it had more lighting which made it much brighter and nicer. In addition, it looked much fancier than the other part, if I'm being honest. «This isn't a long corridor, don't get too fascinated,» Xavier said. I ignored his speaking because I was already doing exactly what he told me not to - I was fascinated.

There was a long carpet that followed down the entire corridor, and chandeliers that were hanging in a row from the ceiling. «Has any of the chandeliers ever fallen down?» I asked curiously. «They've hung there for centuries, of course, some are bound to fall.» Centuries? Wow, yet this place looks rather new. «And how long have you lived here?» I asked. He smiled, still looking forward: «Not too long, but it sure feels like it.»

A cold breeze made me shiver, but I tried not to. I noticed that Xavier stepped closer to me the second we stepped out the main entrance. «Walking this close won't make me warm?» I pointed out. «Making you warm isn't my intention either,» he answered, looking nothing but focused. «Then what is?» I questioned. He suddenly stopped walking to look around. I asked him several times whether something was wrong, but as usual, he wouldn't freaking answer. «This way,» he said, walking up to me so quickly that I almost fell. His close-up walking caused me to stagger, so he just gave up and picked me up instead. Must've looked quite interesting...

One of Xavier's hands was placed on the steering wheel, and the other was resting on the handbrake. He hadn't started the engine yet, he was just staring out into the air with an empty look.

«I still don't know why we're in this car, nor why the two of us are together,» I said. «I'm just following commands.» «Why though? You shouldn't have to." His eyebrows slightly narrowed, and I could see that he wasn't in a good mood. He suddenly stopped staring and started the engine as if he was in a hurry. «May I at least get to know where we're going?» I sat up properly. Now he actually acted like I didn't exist, he paid no attention to me, nor did he look at me... not once. I could see by his facial expression that he was focused and that the focus had to come from some kind of fear. His hands weren't steady, they were trembling to a certain degree.

After a while, I couldn't take the silence anymore. «I'm basically a stranger to you, so why are you doing this?» I blurted out. He increased the speed before taking a sharp turn. «You're more important than you're aware of. You're not just Alex's girlfriend, you're in some way a part of him. I'm doing this for Alex, not you.» Xavier seemed like the caring type when I met him, but now I'm having second thoughts about him. I guess I've created an image of him of what I wanted him to be and not what he was really like. «Are you doing it for Alex...  or Alexander?» I asked.