{19} Happiness
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Josephine stared at Xaveiro's peaceful sleeping expression, his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted with his breathing steady.
She was currently sitting on a chair beside him while he laid on the white bed in the hospital. She came as soon as the doctors allowed visitors in.
Josephine has been waiting patiently for the last three hours for him to wake up but he was yet to do that.
With her eyes glistening with tears, she grabbed his hand and kissed the back of his palm. She didn't like seeing him in this state, the fact that he was in pain because of her.
Her heart yearned for him and she realized she truly fell in love with him at this point.
She cut her vacation short and decided to spend the time taking care of Xaveiro instead. The others were still at the villa, trying to figure out ways to cover up the dead bodies.
What a getaway. She thought to herself with a bitter chuckle. Though Mark was gone forever, she couldn't forgive him.
She rested her head on the bed in a sitting position and closed her eyes, their fingers still entangled.
Josephine must have fallen asleep since she felt his finger twitch in her hand, causing her to instantly rise up from her slumber and look at his expression.
His eyes were slightly open, making her shoulders fall down and relax. When their gaze met, a tiny smile broke out on his lips, causing her heart to fill with warmth.
"Hey." She greeted in a small voice as she got up from the chair and went closer to his face.
"I didn't expect you to be here." He croaked out and cleared his throat.
"Of course, I would be here. How are you feeling?" She asked with concern written all over her face as she inspected him.
"You look cute when you're worried." He replied with a smirk, making her give out a breathy laugh.
She was now realising how much she missed him and how nice it felt to finally hear his voice again. All her nerves started to cool down as well.
"Come on." She mumbled, gleaming and rolling her eyes playfully.
"I feel like shit. Didn't think a bullet in the arm would cause this. Kinda embarrassing, huh?"
"Shut up. I am glad you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if something big happened and you didn't wake u-"
"Woah. People don't die from being shot in the arm, Josephine." He uttered with a chuckle and closed his eyes.
"Thankfully... Well, I will let the doctors know you're awake." With that, Josephine walked outside and talked to the nurse.
After a few minutes, the female doctor came over.
"I will just do some last checkups to see when he will be ready to get discharged." Josephine nodded in reply and patiently waited outside the door.
After about ten minutes, the doctor opened the door and gestured for her to come in, which she did quickly.
"Well, Mr..." The doctor trailed off and looked at Xaveiro.
"Carters." He mumbled and she nodded.
"Mr. Carters is all good now, but he will be slightly weak for a few more hours. The bullet almost hit an artery, but luckily, it didn't. Someone needs to stay by his side constantly to check over him. Now, will he have that support at home? Otherwise we will discharge him tomorrow."
"Don't worry, I can take care of him." Josephine quickly interjected, startling the doctor.
"Well, that's great! He is ready to go home then."
"But, uh... I am not sure about where he lives..." Josephine said quietly, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion.
"Oh, I thought you both were in a relationship. But it's all good! Mr. Carters, would you like to give her your location, so that she can take you home?" Xaviero gave the address in a weak tone.
"That's at least four hours from here, isn't it? It's around the city centre and we are really far away." The doctor thought out loud.
"Yeah, it's all good. I can take him."
"Alright, a few more paperwork need to be filled and you will be good to go. Also, once he's better, he might get taken in for questioning since it is a bullet wound." Josephine pressed her lips in a thin line and nodded.
Once the doctor was out of the room, she walked to his side and gave out an exasperated sigh.
She felt overwhelmed with the amount of load that was about to come. She had never taken care of a person in her life before. Moreover, she doesn't have a car here.
When she stood there without saying anything, Xaveiro peeked at her by opening one of his eyes.
"You okay?" He asked in a low voice, making her jump slightly since she was lost in her own thoughts.
"Yeah, of course I am. I was just wondering how to take you home. No car." She mumbled awkwardly and he chuckled.
"You don't have to do this, Josephine. I can call my coworkers or even my mom to come by. I already appreciate you being her-"
"No, I want to do this. I want to take care of you." She cut him off and gave him a determined look.
"Hey, I saved you because I wanted to, but I don't want you to feel like you owe your life to me now." He replied in a serious tone and expression, clenching her heart with happiness. He was just too sweet.
"I know. It has nothing to do with that. Let me handle this." He sighed and softly smiled at her.
"You can bring my car here. It's still at the villa. The keys are in my pocket."
She nodded and took out the keys, but he grabbed her wrist.
"Please don't fuck my car up." He said in a pleading voice, making her laugh loudly.
"I definitely will now."
Rolling her eyes playfully, Josephine ubered her way back to the villa. She sped towards his car, but got stopped by Brax.
He was sitting outside and smoking. When their eyes met, he stood up and waved her down.
"Everything good? How's your boyfriend?" Was how he greeted her.
"He's slightly better, but I am taking him home with his car. That's why I came back here, to get this." Josephine pointed to his car and he raised his eyebrows.
"You sure? Aaron can take him."
"No, no. I need you guys here. The cops will probably come and search the area since there was a gun involved. So, you need to clear out the bodies." She replied as she jammed the key in the car and opened the door.
"Fucking hell." He cursed under his breath and flicked the cigarette away.
"Yep, well, I will see you guys soon." He nodded and she sat inside the car, driving.
Josephine picked Xaveiro up from the hospital and were on their way back to his place. She had the GPS on which helped her navigate through the unfamiliar streets.
She already felt exhausted and there was still two hours left to reach his house. Xaveiro mostly stayed quiet with his eyes closed and she didn't want to bother him.
Though in her heart she was content and happy to drive together, she didn't want it to be like this. She had always dreamt of driving around together, but it was sad that he could barely stay awake.
"Are you hungry?" She asked him after a while and he took a deep breath, looking around.
"How much farther are we?" He replied in a groggy tone and yawned.
"Around an hour left."
"Wow, you really committed to this, huh? I can take over and let you relax for sometime." She laughed at that. He could barely keep his eyes open, and he wanted to drive; cute, silly man.
"There is no way you think I am going to make a patient drive." She stated firmly, keeping her gaze locked on the road.
"That's such an unsexy way to refer to me."
She stopped the car at a red light and turned her head to face him.
"Too bad that's what you are now." She replied and winked at him.
They stared at each other for sometime, the air thickening between them. Xaveiro softened his expression and leaned in, causing her heart to quicken, her face instinctively moving closer to his lips as well.
She felt herself melt as their lips touched each other's. It was the sweetest and the most tender kiss, making her fall for him more.
Soon, he pulled away and gazed into her eyes, causing her to lean in since she yearned for his touch. Her cheeks heated up at how intimate the moment felt. Too perfect.
"Thank you for this." He whispered in a soft tone and went back to his position in his seat.
She straightened herself as well and started driving, her heart pounding rapidly. The urge to be with him forever kept increasing.
"Don't worry about it. Anyway, like I asked before, are you hungry?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, a bit." She nodded and looked around as she drove, trying to find a diner.
Once she spotted one, Josephine parked the car and bought some burgers and fries for both of them.
She returned with the food and handed him his one.
"I am glad you didn't force me out of the car to eat there as our fourth date." He uttered with a small smirk, taking a bite of the burger.
"This does feel like a date though, doesn't it?" She asked, ogling at his way of eating.
She couldn't make up any sassy replies since her sweet side involuntarily surfaced.
"Yeah, it would be more pleasant if I didn't have this pain in my arm." She laughed at that and continued to glance at him while they finished their meal.
Once they were satisfied, Josephine started driving again.
Halsa stared at Brax and Aaron as they tried to come up with a plan to get rid of the bodies. They were currently in Pamela's room again.
"Okay, I think it's impossible to remove them. I suggest we keep them hidden here and lock the door, maybe pretend like the other renter lived here before she left." Halsa spoke out, causing them to stop talking and looking at her.
"I guess that's the only thing we can do." Brax replied with an exasperated sigh and tried disguising the smell with some perfume and air refresher.
They found the key to the room and locked the door before they got out.
"So, what do we do with this?" Aaron asked, gesturing to the key.
"Return it to the receptionist before the cops arrive, of course." Shaelynn mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, I will head there right now." Aaron replied and headed downstairs, causing Shaelynn to furrow her eyebrows. He usually had something witty to say, but this time he didn't.
"Ugh, I guess I will come with you, it is pretty late, afterall." Shaelynn uttered quietly and followed him.
They walked outside through the darkness and reached the small cubicle near the entrance of the villa. It was the only thing glowing in the dark.
A middle aged human was sitting there on his phone. His tired eyes looked up when they knocked on the glass.
"We are here to return this." Shaelynn said with a sweet smile and handed him the keys.
"Oh, uh, you're leaving? You will have to sign here to mention that you checked out. Resort policies." The man explained, making them gulp.
"Umm... Did no one call you and say anything...?" Aaron indicated in an awkward tone and rubbed his fingers together, signalling the money sign.
The man stared at him with a bored look on his face for a few seconds before it turned into recognition and shock.
"Right! I have been paid to keep my mouth shut, uh huh." He replied and quickly took the keys from her hand.
"You do know you are not supposed to just say that out loud like that, right? Plus, the cops might come as well. So, you know what you have to do." Aaron stated, giving him a pointed look.
Shaelynn noticed how different and agitated he seemed, not like his usual playful self, and she realized she didn't like it at all.
"Ugh, so I have to take an extra shift tomorrow. Great." The man grumbled and leaned on his seat, looking down on his phone again.
Shrugging to each other, they walked back to the villa. Shaelynn was surprised that he didn't try to converse or make any witty comments towards her.
That's when she remembered Xaveiro being his cousin and how he was shot. As they were entering, Shaelynn grabbed his hand and stopped him.
Aaron turned his head back to look at her with a startled expression.
"I just wanted to ask if you are doing okay." Shaelynn mumbled, averting her eyes with a slight blush on her cheeks.
He did stay by her side when she was in a vulnerable state. The least she could do was return the favour.
"I don't know, I wish I was there with him right now. He is more of a brother to me than any of my real ones." He uttered passionately and clenched his fist.
She nodded her head and let go of his hand, not knowing what to say. She was so bad at this, expressing sympathy towards someone. She could never tell the right thing.
He gazed at her for sometime before he scoffed and turned around, heading back in. Sighing, Shaelynn followed him and headed to the others. I hope I can make it up to him.
Josephine parked the car in front of Xaveiro's rental house and helped him get out of the car.
"This is where you live?" She asked as they walked through the front yard.
"Temporarily, yes. I thought I told you I came here for job purposes." He replied, unlocking the door and opening it wide enough for her to enter.
Smiling, Josephine stepped a foot in and turned the lights on. She gazed around, taking in her surroundings.
The place gave off a warm and cozy feeling with the dim yellow lights and brown furniture; the curtains, the carpets and the walls matching with the furniture.
"Wow." She mumbled under her breath at the cleanliness and turned to look at him.
Xaveiro gave her a lopsided smile and plopped on the couch, letting out a pleasant groan.
"Ah, finally. You can also make yourself at home. Take a shower, relax." He mumbled and yawned, making her smile and sitting beside him.
"I have always dreamt of coming to your place, but not for this reason." She said with a cheeky grin, making him chuckle.
"Can't always get what we want now, can we?" He replied, closing his eyes and leaning back on the sofa.
"I like when you look like that." She expressed it without thinking.
"Like what?" He asked, opening one of his eyes to take a peek at her.
"You know, all relaxed. I have always seen you being so stressed all the time... That's why I love it when you look tension free." She uttered in a small voice with a blush on her cheeks.
Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest. Being in Xaveiro's place, being right beside him, being so close to him; everything felt too surreal and perfect.
"Yeah, work always fucks me up. Funnily enough, coming here was only supposed to be a short trip, but that robbery was what stopped me from heading to my destination. If it was a small case, I wouldn't have cared, but it was them again." He expressed, causing her to freeze in her spot.
"What do you mean?"
"When I found out it was a group of girls, I realised that I have heard about these girls pulling off the biggest money heists in other places, and not a single cop has been able to catch them yet. With them being this good, I just know they are associated with that fucker." He muttered in a gruff voice, clenching his fist.
"Which is?" She asked in a small voice, afraid of the answer. She didnt know he had intel on them from before.
She was certain he was indicating them, there was no one else with such skillful tactics like Simon's.
"I don't know his name yet, but I know what he looks like. I saw him when I was a kid. My dad used to be one of the largest bank owners when I was small. Our life was perfect until that asshole committed the most cunning heist and stole every last penny from my dad's bank. The worst part was that no one managed to catch him. I mean, how the fuck not? That was the moment I decided to choose this path, the path of being a cop and taking cunts like him down. I swear I will catch those girls, no matter what." He stated with passion and closed his eyes to take a deep breath.
Josephine's mouth dropped open after hearing all this, her heart shattering into pieces. She knew for a fact it was Simon who did this to him.
Oh God, he loathed us. If he ever found out I am a part of that... She could feel the tears forming and threatening to fall, but she held it in.
Thankfully, he had his eyes closed again, so he couldn't see her pained expression.
"Hah, this anaesthetic is making me say shit I would never say otherwise. But anyway, I am glad you're here for me, Josephine. You know, I am actually considering making it official between us. I might be truly starting to fall in love with you as well..." With that, Xaveiro drifted off to sleep, leaving her in a dazed state.
Her heart fluttered with a mixture of warmth, happiness, and excitement, but also sadness. The feeling of being choked up surfaced as she stared at his peaceful sleeping expression.
Her chest tightened with pain, knowing they could never be together, especially after hearing his real goal in his life. He wanted to bring them down. They were who he was after.
Josephine wanted to stay here and spend the next few days together, but decided against it. After all, what was the point?
She recalled how he told her he was falling in love with her and the tears subconsciously started to roll down her cheeks.
Inhaling sharply, Josephine stood up and wrapped a blanket around him as she bent down to kiss his forehead.
She texted Aaron and let him know to come back and take care of Xaveiro since she couldn't bring herself to anymore, not after knowing what he wanted.
Giving one long last look to the love of her life, Josephine turned around with tears in her eyes and walked out of his house. His life.
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A/N: Weeelllll, that was sad. What do you guys think about this chapter?
Stay tuned for the next update!