Chapter 46: Catching Feelings

Xavier stayed at the bar listening to Dylan and Cole's suggestions.

Zarah on the other hand could not sleep that night and so she decided to resume the tasks she had put on hold for three weeks now.

She grabbed her computer and opened the software she installed on her computer.

She had been working on this for months now. And she was in the later stage.

Zarah tried her best to focus on what she was doing but she failed miserably.

She didn't realize that she typed Xavier's name and it got reflected on the monitor.

She immediately erased Xavier's name and paused whatever she was doing.

She looked at the time and realized that it was already midnight. However, she didn't hear any car entering the gate. That only meant Xavier was still out.

"How long will he stay outside?"

She remembered that Xavier had sleeping problems.

Zarah cursed for neglecting this. She didn't want Isaiah to feel upset in heaven because she failed to be a good sister to him.

By the dark circles around his eyes, she could tell that he didn't sleep well these days. Though they would take a nap together during the funeral week.

Or more like she would sleep on the bed and he would sit on the couch and would guard her all night to make sure that she had a decent amount of rest.

She had caught him sleeping in a sitting position but she was so full of her emotions that she neglected to ask him if he slept. Or she failed to make him sleep comfortably, too.

Xavier should sleep as it would be bad for his health.

She grabbed her phone and called Rupert.

For safety purposes, Rupert decided to stay inside the car so he could drive Xavier and his cousins home safely.

Rupert was playing a mobile game when he saw Zarah calling him. He was hesitant to answer her call as he was in the crucial stage of the game.

However, since she's his future mistress, he decided to exit the game and answered her call.

"Zarah. It's already late. Is everything okay, there?" He asked her.

"Rupert, where is Xavier?"

Rupert paused and contemplated on whether he should tell her or not. After all, the bar was known for being a Stripper's bar.

Zarah might misunderstand Xavier should she know the place they were in.

"Master Xavier? He's--"

Zarah could tell the hesitation in Rupert's voice and so she decided to cut him off. "Where are you?"

"Zarah."

"Rupert, I hate it when someone's lying." She reminded him.

"Of course. I know." Rupert said and so he decided to tell Zarah the truth.

"We're at Club ****. Master is having a drink with his cousins."

"Oh."

Now that she knew the location, what should she do now?

"Is that so?"

She could not just go there and bring Xavier home. Worse, she could not dictate what Xavier should do. She had no rights.

And the fact that they were inside a stripper bar...she became disappointed.

"Do you know when they would finish?" She asked him.

"To be honest, I don't know when they'd finish. Why don't you call him and ask him to come home? I'm sure he'd listen to you." Rupert suggested.

It would make his work a little easier if she could convince Xavier to go home.

"Why should I do that?"

"Oh! I thought you called because you were worried about him."

Well, she was indeed worried about him but if he was there to entertain himself, then she had no right to stop him.

"No. I --"

"I know you are. Now, go and call him. He won't refuse you. I promise."

Why would Xavier refuse when this was what he wanted?

"Okay."

And just like that, Zarah decided to call Xavier.

However, Xavier was using the toilet when he called and it was Dylan who answered the phone.

"Xavier?"

"Hello?" Dylan answered.

"Oh. I'm sorry. May I know who is this please?"

"Oh! I'm hurt. My sister-in-law doesn't remember me." Dylan slurred.

"Are you Dylan?" She asked as it was hard for her to recognize his voice because he was slurring.

"Finally! I knew I'm hard to resist. What's up sister-in-law?"

"Where's Xavier? Why are you answering the call?"

"Xavier? He went out. Maybe he's looking for a chick to b*ng tonight."

She then heard a woman's giggle on the other line. She was sure that Dylan was with a woman.

'She must be working at the bar,' she thought.

The disappointment that she felt in her heart grew after she heard what Dylan said.

Was Xavier also doing the same thing?

Men would always be men. She thought Xavier was different. Alas, he was also the same.

Wait, why would she expect him to be different?

He was a free man. He could do whatever he wanted.

'Don't tell me that you're secretly hoping that his feelings for you are real?' The voice inside her head asked.

She should be honest with herself, right?

She found it easy to like Xavier. Aside from the fact that he's very handsome, Xavier was also very caring.

'It's your fault. You kept ignoring him.'

'Josh waited for us for more than a year. If he could not wait that long, then, he's not right for us.'

Two contradicting opinions were formed inside her head. Zarah forgot that she was still on the phone.

"Are you still there? Look, I'm busy right now. I'll tell Xavier that you called, okay?"

"Okay."

Just then, she heard Xavier on the other line coldly speaking to Dylan. "What are you doing?!"

Dylan who was heavily drunk and was holding his phone while being entertained by the two women on his lap looked at Xavier and exclaimed.

"Oh! Cousin, you're here!" He then gave the phone but Zarah immediately ended the call as soon as she heard Xavier's voice.

"Who called?"

"*Hick!* Sister-in-law."

"What did you tell her?!" Xavier coldly asked him which instantly made Dylan sober up a little.

He realized that he messed up a little.

Cole also came back after answering a call.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I didn't do anything." Dylan said and Xavier cursed, "F*ck! Make sure that you didn't say anything that would make Zarah hate me. Because if she hates me, I'll forget that you're my cousin." Xavier then stormed out of the room.

"What did you do, brother?" Cole asked Dylan who had completely sobered up this time.

He grabbed a bottle and chugged it down in one go.

"Just let him be. I helped Zarah with her emotion. If she did not care about what I said, she has no feelings for him. However, if this would create a misunderstanding, then, she has feelings for him. It's up to Xavier to fix it."

What Dylan did could alter their plan a little.

Xavier went out of the establishment and looked for his car.

He found Rupert standing on the driver's seat drinking something.

"Did Zarah call you?" He asked as he opened the door on the passenger's seat.

"She did. But I told her to call you." Rupert answered as he entered the car and fastened his seat belt.

"Did you tell her where we were?"

Rupert was silent and Xavier knew the answer to his question.

"I have to. I do not want to lie to her and ruin her trust."

"And so you sold me out?!" Xavier was angry.

"That's not my intention, Master. I'm trying to help you, you know."

"Shut up and start driving."

Xavier had no time hearing his explanation.

He had to make his explanation. He should make sure that Zarah would believe him.

Meanwhile, Zarah decided to try and go to sleep.

Rupert sent her a message that they were heading home.

She went to bed and waited to sleep but her mind was wide awake.

She opened the cabinet below the nightstand and grabbed a bottle of pills.

She opened it and poured two tablets into her hand. She grabbed the glass of water on top of the nightstand and drink the pill.

She was hoping that they'd be effective and she'd be able to sleep. Her doctor prescribed this to her after her recent visit last week.

She waited but she couldn't sleep.

She then heard the car pulling over in the driveway.

The car door then opened and shut.

The doors downstairs then opened and shut.

The next second, a series of steady footsteps were coming in her direction.

Zarah frowned as Xavier's room was in the opposite direction.

Zarah pretended that she was asleep. Should she hear him knocking on her door, she would not open it.

Xavier did want to knock on her door.

However, he grabbed his spare key and decided to open her door.

Zarah was shocked to hear her door suddenly open. 'How did he manage to do that?' She asked herself.

'Of course, he used a spare key. Zarah, you should be careful around him. He can open your door and can easily sneak out inside.' The anti-Xavier reminded her.

'Maybe Xavier has some good reason why he kept a spare key to your room?' The pro-Xavier defended him.

'Shut up you both, will you?'

Zarah thought that she was going crazy as she was hearing herself arguing inside her head.

Xavier watched Zarah laying on her bed.

Her breathing was uneven and so he thought that she was awake.

He was aware of her sleeping problems too. And so he thought that it'd be hard for someone like them to sleep within thirty minutes.

"I know you're awake."

Zarah got up into a sitting position and asked.

"Why are you here? And besides, why do you have a spare key to my room?" Since he wanted to talk, Zarah decided to bombard him with questions.

Xavier decided to answer the last question first. "I have your spare key because I'm worried that you might do something stupid inside your door."

"Stupid things such us?"

"Hurting yourself." Zarah was surprised that Xavier knew about this side of her.

"Why do you think that I would?"

"You did tell me about this before." Zarah chuckled as she found it funny because she could not remember about this.

"Wait. Is this a part of the memory that I've forgotten?" Zarah asked him and Xavier nodded.

"Well, I no longer do that. If you're that worried, you can leave that spare key here and leave my room." She said with a hint of annoyance.

"No. This key will stay with me."

"Okay. It's up to you. Now leave. I want to sleep." Zarah said and pointed at the door.

"I won't leave. I'm here to explain." Xavier said firmly.

"Explain about what? You don't have to explain. I understand." The way Zarah said it was still cold and unsympathetic.

She was about to lie down but Xavier sat on the bed and drew his face closer to her.

She could smell the alcohol on his breath.

Zarah placed her hands on his chest as she wanted to push him away. However, she didn't expect that Xavier would grab them and pin them against the headboard.

"Wha-t are yo-u trying to do? Let me go." Zarah asked him.

Xavier didn't budge and used his strength to suppress her.

"I'm tired of playing your game, Zarah." He huskily said.

"What are you talking about? Go away! You reeked of alcohol!" She said in protest.

"No! I won't let go! For four years. I tried! I tried to forget you but I can't. Every day, you're making me crazy." Xavier's grip on her wrist tightened.

Zarah gulped as she suddenly became nervous in front of Xavier. She started to feel uncomfortable.

"Xavier. Let's talk about this tomorrow, okay?" Zarah decided to change tactics.

"No. I came here to explain and I mean this."

The next second, Xavier's soft lips claimed hers.

***