Charlie Is My Buddy

Xavier wiped his gun while out of the old warehouse after taking care of some thugs trying to make trouble with his export of goods by trying to hijack the cargo ship.

Adam stood leaning on the car, waiting for Xavier to finish and take out all his frustrations alone without interrupting him. As soon as he saw him walking out with a huge frown, he knew Xavier did not have enough and sighed while shaking his head. 

Adam took the passenger's seat, letting him drive the way he wants. Xavier did not deny and went back towards the city in full speed, making it hard for their bodyguards to follow behind them in a row. 

As soon as they reached the Moretti mansion, it was late in the evening. They heard a dog whine near the entrance, Xavier stopped his car and got out of the car, handing the car keys to the guards, Adam also unbuckled himself and got out. They looked at Charlie, who was sadly sitting near the gate.

"Waiting for her?" Xavier asked him as he rubbed his fur. Charlie looked up at him and whined in a low voice. Xavier could see tears forming in Charlie's eyes. Xavier got down on his knees and hugged him tightly. Charlie woofed and kept his face on his paws, as if planning on sleeping at the entrance. 

"This is not how a good boy should behave. Come, Charlie." Xavier said and stood up. But Charlie remained still on the ground. Adam was trying really hard, to control his laugh which came out as muffling sounds from his mouth. Xavier sighed and picked him up.

 Charlie remained silent and let him carry all the towards the mansion. Adam followed both heartbroken partners inside. Xavier kept Charlie on the sofa and stood in front of him like a pillar. Charlie looked up and tilted his head a little.

"From now on, we are buddies." Xavier said, Adam burst out laughing loudly. Grace, who was present at the moment, couldn't control her chuckle. 

"Woof?" Charlie barked in confusion. 

"We both were heartbroken by her, that means we both are buddies, do you understand? From now on, you will stay with me all the time." Xavier knew Charlie was in a great emotional turmoil, he had lost his life support, Gianna. So Xavier had to become a helping hand for Charlie. So he came up with this silly excuse to let Charlie stay with him all the time. 

"Come, let's go to our room, shall we?" Xavier said and signalled Charlie to follow. Poor curious fellow followed him obediently. 

Upon entering the room, Xavier went to take a quick shower. Charlie sat on the soft carpet, near the bed. Xavier returned and waved his hand, signalling Charlie to come up on the bed. Xavier started showing him some photos of Gianna on his phone. Charlie barked excitedly, looking at her photos. Xavier chuckled silently and ruffled his fur. Xavier smiled as he looked at her photos while remembering her beautiful smile, expressions, voice, her soft wavy hair, her kindness, gentleness and all of her. 

Charlie barked and licked Xavier's cheek excitedly, making him chuckle again. 

"Come, buddy, let's go to sleep. I'm pretty tired today. Good Night." Xavier gave Charlie a kiss on his head and kept the phone and his coffee mug on the nightstand to go to sleep.

~The Next Morning~

"Woof!" 

"Woof, woof!"

"Huh? Woof?" Xavier repeated what he heard and slowly opened his eyes to find Charlie directly in front of his eyes, his saliva was dripping down on Xavier's neck, Charlie stood by taking support of his bulky chest.

"Are you not scared of losing your life? What if I shot you unintentionally, thinking that you might be one of my enemy or a burglar?" Xavier said with a smirk. Charlie tilted his head in a cute way. 

"Come, let's go for a run." As soon as he said 'run' Charlie hopped down from the bed and ran out of the room in full speed, making Xavier sigh. He got ready for morning exercise and both went for a long run. Charlie didn't need a leash as he was a guide dog, he knew how to only follow his partner. 

Xavier tried feeding him after returning from running, but Charlie wasn't able to have much. So he let Charlie go play with other dogs in the garden, then he might get more hungry. 

Xavier had his breakfast and left from the Moretti mansion, to Allen's house. Yes, just to look at Gianna for a few seconds from the window, before returning to his office to continue his work. Gianna knew, someone would stare at her daily and this 'someone' was none other than Xavier, thanks to Amelia informing her daily that Xavier has arrived. 

The next day, Gianna closed the curtains on his face as soon as she felt someone watching from a distance at her from the window. Xavier chuckled and let out a sigh before opening his car's door and driving away, his bodyguard's cars following behind. This daily habit became a talk in the neighbor. Gianna let out a frustrated sigh and plopped on the couch in boredom, without Charlie, she felt alone, but she knew she deserves this as it was her decision to let Charlie stay with 'them'. 

Gianna decided to take a nap on the sofa. She closed her eyes and soon sleep took over her.

Xavier reached home in the evening that day and was very tired and exhausted, he looked in the kitchen to get something to eat, that's when he saw Derek crouching below the platform and taking out utensils. 

"What are you doing here? Where are the maids?" Xavier asked him, making him smile. 

"Today I am trying to cook, I let them leave for a holiday." Derek gave a toothy grin to his older brother. 

"My mischievous little brother is trying to cook now? I see." He said and held both his cheeks in a teasing manner.

 "Come, let's make something together for the family." Xavier said, he wanted to distract himself by doing something rather than remembering her.

"Fratello, don't joke, everyone knows you and me don't know how to cook." Derek said and laughed, remembering days when he would even burn instant noodles. 

"Well, let's watch video before cooking." They both intently watched the video and started making a blunder in the kitchen.

Xavier and Derek both started making some dishes, from which Xavier was very proud of his pasta, as he had presented it in a very attractive manner. 

"Look, this pasta looks delicious, right?" Xavier asked him.

 "Well, yes, it 'looks' delicious, but I don't know about the taste." Derek said while putting salad in the sandwich. 

"We will see." Xavier said proudly. 

"Turn that burner off, I think it's cooked." Derek said, pointing at the gas stove. Xavier closed the burner and was about to get into making dessert, when Derek snatched the bowl from his hand and started whisking the batter for the cake. Xavier held his neck playfully and slapped his back for his mischievousness. 

Both of them enjoyed making food together playfully, while the family starved in hunger waiting for the food to be prepared.

"Get out of my kitchen, stupid pigs!" Grace shouted as soon as she saw the messy kitchen, with flour and vegetables all over the platforms. Both laughed and ran out of the kitchen, the handmaidens brought out the 'food' they had prepared. 

Brinley was the one most excited to taste the food, her elder brothers had made. 

"Let's start." Lorenzo said and all ate the first bite only to spit it out of their mouths.

"What is this!?" Adam exclaimed and frowned, tasting the bitterness of the soup. 

"Ewww!" Brinley rubbed her lips with the napkin and exclaimed. Derek rubbed his hair in guilt, as he was the one who made the soup. 

"Try my pasta instead!" Xavier exclaimed proudly, but soon everyone started shedding tears.

"I see, you loved my pasta this much that you all are crying tears of joy!" Xavier let out a hearty chortle, making everyone frown.

"Fratello!! It is soo spicy! I would die if I ate this anymore!" Brinley said and wiped her tears which were threatening to fall.

"Is it?" Xavier ate one spoon, everyone watched him expectantly, but he continued eating spoon after spoon.

 "Xavier? My dear, leave it, you will fall sick. We can order something from outside." Grace said, and Lorenzo nodded in approval. 

"No, it's fine, I think I need this." The spiciness was giving him some level of satisfaction to his hidden anger. 

If he's silent and not saying anything to Gianna, that doesn't mean, nothing is boiling inside him, his heart is raging, and he has this huge desire to capture her in his arms and never let her go. Obsessive much? He never denied he's not obsessive, did he?

He respects Gianna's space and wants her to take her sweet time, before he could do anything. But giving her time, is eating him up from inside. 

He suddenly stood up from the dinning table, making Brinley, Adam and Derek look up at him from their phones as they were busy deciding what to order.

"I'm full, you guys enjoy." He said and left from there, Charlie following behind him slowly.

Xavier and Charlie went to his room, and they plopped down on the bed. He sighed sadly as her words which she said before leaving him from here had again started running inside his head. Xavier let out a sigh and went to sleep, retiring for the day.