Scandal.

Chapter Seventeen.

It was strange being in Xavier's apartment alone. Even stranger that I was wearing Brad's clothes. I knew when he saw me he'd be mad. I'd be sitting on his couch, wearing some other guys clothes, with wet hair and no makeup on.

I expected him to blow up the minute he walked through the door. So when the doorknob turned and the door swung open, I was surprised to find myself face to face with Melinda.

Melinda, my brother's wife, who is also pregnant with Castillo's baby. She stopped in her tracks, looked around the room, and shut the door.

"Is Xavier here?" She asked calmly.

"He's at a meeting, he'll be back any minute. Come in, we need to talk."

When she took her jacket off I found myself eyeing her stomach. I know that she wouldn't be showing this early in the pregnancy, but it was hard to imagine a little baby Castillo in there. I patted the spot next to me on the couch and smiled at her reassuringly.

"It's not his," she blurted out. "I know you're probably judging me really hard in your head right now for cheating on your brother, but the baby is Chase's. That's the only reason I'm here. He wouldn't answer my phone calls so I came here to tell the son of a bitch who fucked and ducked, that he doesn't need to worry about me bothering him anymore. That's all." She huffed and put her hands in her lap. "Now tell me why you're here Dani," she said sternly.

"Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute. He what? That bastard! He knew you were pregnant and he ignored your calls?" I scoffed. "No sense of responsibility whatsoever."

"He seemed positive that the baby wasn't his. Anyway, are you sleeping with him?" She asked, eyeing me strangely.

"I um, we have, no. No, we... We are doing work." I winced. That was a terrible lie. Embarrassing!

"Okay Dani," she said slowly. "Just remember to... be safe." She started to get up and put her jacket back on. "I wanted to tell him myself, but I don't want Chase to be even more suspicious, he's waiting for me in the car. Just tell Xavier what I said okay?"

"Sure. And Melinda? Do you mind not mentioning to Chase that you saw me here?"

She bit her lip. "I really shouldn't lie... But I'll try not to let it slip."

"Thank you!" I called out as she shut the door. When she was gone, I sighed and got up off the couch. What a strange coincidence.

I made my way into Castillo's bedroom and stopped at the doorway, reminiscing. I yawned and crawled into his bed, cuddling up to a pillow. I had a long day. It was getting late and there was no sign of Castillo. It couldn't hurt to just shut my eyes for a few minutes...

~ ~ ~ ~

I woke up in the morning with a smile on my face. I could feel the sun shining on my closed eyelids and Xavier's powerful arms wrapping around my body; we fit together like a puzzle. I sighed blissfully.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered huskily. My eyelids fluttered open to see his grey orbs staring intently at me. "I'm sorry for taking so long last night, the meeting ran a little late. Now, do you want to tell me whose fucking clothes you're wearing?"

I cradled his cheek with my hand and pecked him on the lips. "Remember I was locked out of my apartment? I had to use my neighbors shower and borrowed some clean clothes."

"Take them off," he growled, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Okay," I rolled my eyes. "But just to warn you, I'm not wearing anything underneath." I whispered, smirking.

He perked up almost instantly and started lifting the hem of the t-shirt up, but I stopped him. "Wait, I just remembered. You had a visitor last night."

He sat upright quickly and looked me over, panic flashing in his eyes. "What did they want? Are you okay? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm okay..." I said cautiously. "It was Melinda..."

"Oh." He relaxed, visibly relieved.

"Oh?" I asked, raising my voice. "Oh? Oh, it was only Melinda. My brothers wife that you had sex with and completely forgot about. Dodging her calls and texts even though there was a possibility you impregnated her!"

"Calm down. It's not that big of a deal," he said nonchalantly.

"Seriously? Is that what your going to do to me when things get tough? What if our birth control failed, would you just abandon me then?" I could tell I was making him angry by pressing the issue, but I needed to be reassured what kind of man he was. I did not want to be involved with someone unreliable.

"It was a one time thing. I met her at a bar, looking to get laid. I didn't know she was married. And anyway, there would be no possible way I got her pregnant." He looked away for a moment. "I guess I should tell you now, I'm... infertile."