Gravitating : Book 1 (The Defying Series)

Chapter Seventeen

Sebastian had called for Nick cutting out their conversation midway about the trip. Nick left her with his phone to go through the pictures and asked her to wait for him in his room. Scrolling through the pictures Nick had clicked throughout the trip Mia started climbing the stairs. She had debated the thought before in her head that stairs and her had an age old rivalry, however she had forgotten her vow to not focus anywhere else while climbing the stairs. The fall was unavoidable, but her ending up in Xander's arms was not.

"Where did you come from? I thought you were in the Garden" Mia blurted out, straightening herself. She didn't need to step away from Xander as he had already taken a step back as she spoke.

He raised a brow at her. "I was in the garden ten minutes ago" He answered.

"You were not anywhere near the staircase when I got here. I'd have known if you were near me" Mia wanted to smack her mouth shut after blurting out the last part but she couldn't. She had to think of some explanation for the weird statement she had spoken not even seconds ago but her brain wasn't working fast enough. "I mean..." She started, seeing Xander's perplexed expression. "I'd have seen you when I entered"

Xander let out a sigh. "Can't you just thank me for the fact that you don't have a broken neck right now and let it be?"

Mia could certainly feel her ears starting to warm up. How the heck did he manage to rattle her up in every encounter she had with him? What kind of weird power did he posses over her! "I would not have a broken neck. I'd have clasped the railing, your help was neither needed nor asked for" What a lie! Mia thought.

Xander's mouth dropped open for a few seconds as he stared at her in disbelief. "Unbelievable" He muttered.

"Did you-"

"Is everything alright?"

Both Mia and Xander turned to Sebastian at the bottom of the stairway looking at them worried.

"Everything's fine Uncle Sebastian" Mia chirped. Looking at Xander and expecting him to support her lie.

"Oh yes" Xander added. "Mia was just thanking me for saving her" He turned to look at Mia gritting her teeth and smiled.

"Saving? Where was she falling from this time?" Sebastian bellowed.

"I'd have been fine. Xander likes playing hero a lot doesn't he? Does he go around saving people who don't need him often?" Xander was about to reply to her when Mia cut him off. "It's really nice that you want to help, but some people. People like me, don't like meddlesome people." She faced away from Xander and turned to Sebastian. "I'll see you at dinner Uncle Seb" She said before turning around and leaving a laughing Sebastian and an open mouthed Xander.

She walked to Nick's room where she was supposed to wait till he came back from wherever he was. She was still wondering about whatever happened downstairs. There were a lot of things that she found weird at the moment and the first among the few was they way she felt when Xander was around. It was like her body had a mechanism to alert her whenever he was near. It had never happened to her before. It was true that she considered Xander attractive when she first saw him but he acted like a jerk around her leaving no scope for her liking him in anyway. She dismissed the thoughts considering it to be overthinking.

To add to everything it was no lie that ever since Xander came in to the Wilson household things haven't been good. She almost died twice. It's been a while since she had a proper conversation with Nick. To top that off, there was this thing that was brewing between her and Xavier she couldn't share with anyone. Nick would flip out if he came to know. It was impossible to tell Leah as she would end up telling Nick which slimmed her list down to one name. Lucas. He was coming back soon but till then she had to keep everything to herself.