"This week was going great. Our relationship, or whatever one calls it was going great, Xander and I talked instead of fight..."
Xavier interrupts, "And when you guys are doing things other than talking, we hear,"
With a slight blush, "Shut up," Cara says.
"Look, to be honest, the piano situation was a really bad idea. You could have consulted me or Jonathan before you did it." Xavier says as he climbs out of the pool and heads towards the shade where Cara is seated.
Cara gasps at the asshole with the dripping wet 6-packs, "I did ask you and you said it's a great idea." She throws a towel towards his directions in anger.
Xavier catches it, "Yeah, don't take my words seriously when I am taking a Victoria secret model into my room." Xavier mutters before cleaning himself with the towel.
"I just wanted to do something nice. I thought that he has gotten to a place where stuff that reminds him of his deceased doesn't make him sad, it just makes him smile in remembrance of them. Like my dad's motorbike or any stuff from my mum's."
"Yeah, but that only works for people that actually got over the death of their loved ones. To some people, it's too painful." Xavier sits down and throws the towel back at her, "Cara, I got a call that my parents were dead, it's less trauma than actually watching them die while you are stuck in the back seat," Xavier says,
"I just wanted to help," Cara says in regret. Her impulsiveness has always been her Achilles heel.
"And that's a good thing but my brother has his emotions tied shut, no need to stir it up."
"That's not a healthy thing," Cara mutters.
"It has worked just fine, my advice is to return the piano to the attic," Xavier says as he looks over to the pool. "Besides, he's happy now with you. I still find the way he smiles when you are around creepy but I finally like the girl my brother is with. For selfish reasons, I want you guys together."
Xavier's words come to a stop when his eyes catch Cassie walking over to their shade in a bright red bikini with bottles of beer in her hand.
"Thanks, I think," Cara mutters to a man who's no longer listening. She taps him on his left arm, "Hey, stop eye ogling my best friend, she's not going to be a sober distraction for you."
"She's not a distraction, she is the distraction." Xavier winks.
Cara shakes her head in disapproval as Cassie approaches them, she drops the bottles of beer on the table, "What did I miss?" Cassie asks, taking her seat as well.
"Nothing," Cara mutters as she rubs her stomach with full knowledge that she is not taking Xavier's advice.
~~~
"What are you doing here?" Xander asks with his guard up the minute his eyes meet with Liza's.
Liza closes the door of Xander's office with a smile on her face, "Relax, I am not with a gun or anything. In case you forget, I still have a contract to model for your company's latest jewelry designs. I just finished working."
When love was blind, work contracts were signed. Now, this contract will be a pain in Xander's ass, some people are really lucky not to see their ex's after breakups but Xander has no such lucks.
"You can't blame me, since the last time you were here, you made a move on me."
Yesterday's incident doesn't place Xander in a very hospitable mood today, so Liza couldn't have picked the wrong timing.
"I do recall you kissing me back," Liza places her index finger on her chin, "But it appears all is forgiven by your little girlfriend, I expected her to be a little bit mad."She pouts.
"Her name is Cara and you don't know her," Xander says defensively.
"You know I am not really good with names," Liza shrugs, "What's up with you?
"Excuse me?" Xander looks up at Liza.
"Everyone in the company is on edge, apparently, the boss is in a bad mood." Liza mocks, "So, trouble in paradise?"
Xander laughs, more like a bitter and frustrated laugh, "What do you want Liza?"
She wants things to go back to how they were but she can't say that without looking stupid, "To help, we were friends before we dated, right?" She says this instead.
Not buying her bullshit and offer of rekindling an old friendship, "What do you want?" He repeats.
"Wow, you really don't trust me," Liza says with a smile. The smile she gives on runways even though her feet are killing her from the heels, that painful smile. His lack of trust might even hurt more than the heels, but Liza is determined to fix it.
"Can you blame me?" He retorts.
"Are you ever going to reach the point where you forgive me?" Liza says with so much hope.
Xander knew a long time ago that trying to hate Liza was no use, he couldn't hate someone he has so much history with. Ignoring the fact that she cheated, she was always there for him. So Xander didn't see it as anything when he says, "Maybe one day,"
To Liza, it is all the hope she needed for both of them. "That sounds good."
She opens the door to leave but before she does, she turns back to him, "If you ever need someone to talk to, I am always here." She says with a smile before she leaves.
~~~
Xander walks in the house with the intention of putting yesterday's events behind him and apologizing to Cara for his rudeness with the hope they never talk about it again. All intentions go flying out the window when Xander walks into the sitting room and he sees that the piano is on the same spot. Now he is pissed, twice as pissed as he was yesterday.
Xander is about to call Jonathan when Cara appears from the dining room, "You are back," Cara folds her arms.
"Why is this still here?" He tries to sound calm even though he is anything but. He's just a second away from snapping and he can't help to think that's what she wants. "I thought I made myself clear yesterday."
"No, you didn't actually," Cara moves closer to the angry man with each word, "You just laid down an order and stormed off and I don't do well with orders."
"Whatever you are trying to do is not cute and it's annoying!" He snaps.
"Whatever strong front you are putting up, makes you an asshole," She snaps back.
"I am an asshole, that's who I am," He yells, "And this is the asshole's house, I dictate what stays in my house and what doesn't."
"This is not even about the piano, is it? It's about your parents..."
Xavier interrupts, "Wow, the bartender suddenly has a degree in psychology." Xavier claps mockingly.
Cara balls her fist, resisting the urge to punch his perfect face, "You are right, I don't. Maybe you should talk to someone that does." She still tries reasoning with him.
Xander shakes his head at her stubbornness, "It's no use fighting with you when I can have people return the piano where you found it."
Xander turns to leave but Cara isn't done with him yet, "You are just a coward who avoids his feelings. Let me help you out, they are dead, they have been dead for years now, get over it!" She yells.
It took seconds for Xander to process her word before turning to her and saying something that will make her equally as angry as he is at the moment, "Not everyone is like you, one minute you find out your mother is dead, the next you are opening your legs to the nearest man."
The moment he said the words, he wished he could take it back but before he can say something, she lungs at him.
"How.Dare.You," Cara sends her hands flying to his face. The slap isn't satisfactory enough, she pushes him a couple of times then throws several punches on his chest.
"I didn't mean what I said, I am so sorry," He manages to say despite the assault on his chest.
"You are a fucking bastard," She swings for the face again but this time misses his face. "I don't care anymore, return the piano" She yells.
One thing that was more hurtful than his words was the fact that she will never stop caring, no matter what.
Cara attempts to storm off when she feels a sudden muscle pull in her stomach which makes her halt and look down at her bump. When it comes again, she places her hand on it.
Xander's angry features soften and immediately turn to worry, "What's going on?" He says in fear.
"Shhh," She silences him, "Bring your hand," She says as she stretches her hand forth to his.
He walks up to her in confusion, stretches his hands forth when he gets close, she guides his hand to her stomach, "I think one of them kicked," Cara says with the brightest smile a person can give.
He is yet to feel it but the smile on her face makes him smile also. He might sound cheesy but Xander can swear her blue eyes have sparked in them. She is perfect.
When he felt it, a happy laugh escaped his lips. And at that moment he realizes that this is what he has ever wanted and he will do everything to keep it.
~~~
"You might want to remove your hands now, it's been an hour and I need to pee," Cara taps his hands a little.
"Just a minute," He says with a low laugh. "I hate fighting with you," He mutters.
"Me too," Cara sits up to have a look at him.
"I am sorry, what I said was uncalled for and I didn't mean it," Xander starts off, "You did everything to save your mum and that was admirable."
"Is this the part where I say something nice too?" Cara jokes.
Xander lets out a low laugh before he continues, "Maybe you right, I do need to see a professional and I will."
"Really?" Cara says in utter shock.
"Yeah," Xander nods.
"Well, okay," Cara says trying to get out of the shock, "I will have people move the piano,"
"You know what," Xander looks over at the piano, "Leave it, it's a nice addition to sitting room décor."
"I thought that too," Cara claps in victory but then stops.
Xander looks at her knowingly, "You need to pee?"
"I need to pee," She says before rushing out of the room.
~~~
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THIS CHAPTER?