I am liable to heartbreak

As the night dawned, the question of where Xander would sleep loomed over us. With no guest room, it meant he had to share my space. I frowned as we stood in my small bedroom, tension hanging in the air.

Xander broke the silence with a cocky grin. "Well, I guess I'll be taking the bed since I'm the 'guest' here."

I arched an eyebrow, already sensing that he was using this situation to his advantage. "You're unbelievable."

He chuckled and plopped onto the bed with a triumphant air, pushing me aside. "Floor's all yours."

I rolled my eyes but didn't argue, knowing that this was likely another one of his schemes. I grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and settled onto the floor, trying to ignore the fact that he was sprawled out grandly on the bed.

As the minutes ticked by, my frustration grew. Xander was making no effort to mend his ways, and his arrogant behavior only intensified my doubts about his intentions.

"Hey, are you actually here to make up for your mistakes or just to torture me?" I finally spat out, unable to hold back my annoyance.

Xander turned to face me, his expression a hint of playfulness. "Maybe a bit of both," he admitted, his gaze locking onto mine. He became really serious now "But I'm not here to make things worse. I promise."

His unexpected sincerity caught me off guard. We stared at each other, the room heavy with tension, and I tried to keep myself from looking over his face.

You know, in 'that' way.

After a long pause, Xander sighed, his gaze softening as he rested his backs against the walls, his grey eyes falling on my frame, that was laying on the floor and swinging my legs here and there, playing with the hem of my dress.

"You know, my father's death wasn't just a tragedy because he was gone. It was the way it happened. The night he died... It's something I can never forget."

Xander broke the silence all of a sudden, and I snapped my head up, curiosity and shock glinting in my eyes. I didn't think he would tell me something so personal and I wondered if that was why he was constantly harsh. "How did it happen?"

My voice was soft, and hopeful but also not forceful and I gave him the chance to keep it to himself if he wasn't yet ready to tell me. To my surprise, he didn't back down, revealing a vulnerability he rarely showed. He recounted the painful memories of that fateful night – the helplessness, the regret, and the overwhelming grief.

Unwillingly, my heart softened, and I found myself sharing my own painful memories. I told him about losing my parents, about the weight of responsibility that had fallen on my shoulders, and the struggle to take care of Granny while trying to keep our family home from crumbling.

As we spoke within the confined space of my room, the distance between us seemed to lessen. The night turned out to be nothing like I expected and we talked exhaustion eventually overtook us, and I lay there on the floor, my eyelids growing heavy. Just as sleep began to claim me, I felt Xander's presence beside me. He stood up from the bed, and before I could react, he effortlessly scooped me up into his arms and gently placed me on the bed beside him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I mumbled, my voice heavy with drowsiness.

Xander's eyes held a hint of amusement as he settled back onto the bed. "I'm taking up your offer. The floor doesn't seem so appealing anymore."

Too tired to protest, I simply snuggled deeper into the blankets, my body relaxing against the soft mattress and his chest. I felt him place his hands around my waist, and with my head against him, combined with the lingering emotions of our conversation, made me feel strangely content.

As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was getting comfortable and used to having him around and now… there was a sudden fear.

What… if he suddenly disappeared out of my life?

I didn't think on the question, both because I was still in the process of accepting my feelings, and also because, I knew the result.

When I fall in love, i'm now liable to heartbreak, and Xender Sterling of all people could be the end of me.

Crap.

***

The new day arrived, and as I slowly came awake, I realized that Xander was no longer beside me. Frowning, I sat up and rubbed my eyes, my senses slowly catching up with my surroundings. In a little bit of confusion and curiosity, I got out of bed, opening the bedroom door to find him missing.

I wandered through the small space of my house, more confusion tugging at me. It didn't take long before I found him in the kitchen, cooking something that looked... questionable.

I arched an eyebrow at the contents of the pot. "Is that supposed to be food or poison?" I quipped, unable to resist.

Xander turned his attention from the cooker, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Morning, love," he greeted casually.

I rolled my eyes at his charm. "I see you're really working hard to prove yourself," I muttered, my disbelief still intact. With that, I headed back into my room to prepare for the morning, fully aware that he was probably watching me leave.

In the bathroom, I removed my clothes, the water from the shower cascading over my body. The warmth felt invigorating, and I let myself get lost in the sensation, suddenly forgetting that there was a 'guest' in the house. My mind wandered as I enjoyed the shower, my worries and doubts taking a temporary backseat. I even started humming out a song in a ridiculous high-pitched voice at some point.

Feeling energetic, I eventually turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my body. Lost in thought, I roamed through my limited selection of clothes, searching for something to wear.

Just as I was trying to decide on an outfit, the door to my bedroom swung open, and before I could react, there was Xander, walking in as if he owned the place. My heart jumped, and I instinctively tightened the towel around me, but it was too short to fully cover my legs and thighs.

Xander's eyes widened as he took in the unexpected sight before him. "Whoa, didn't expect such a show this morning."

Heat rushed to my cheeks, embarrassment flooding me as I realized my lack of proper attire. "Knock next time!" I practically squeaked, my voice betraying my flustered state.

He held up his hands defensively, a playful grin on his face. "My bad. I didn't think anyone would be in here."

I huffed, trying to regain my composure. "Yeah, well, privacy is a thing, you know."

Xander chuckled, clearly enjoying my discomfort a little too much. "Got it. Next time, I'll make sure to give you a heads-up before barging in."

I shot him a look, half annoyed and half amused. "You better."

As I finally found something suitable to wear, I turned my back to him to change, feeling my heart pounding from the awareness that he was still in the room. It was a peculiar feeling – the tension between us had shifted yet again, and for a second, the atmosphere in the room felt heated. I couldn't shake off the feeling that he was stealing glimpses at me.

Once I was dressed, I faced him again, the

walking past him toward the kitchen, I couldn't help but throw a parting comment over my shoulder. "And by the way, that whole 'morning, love' thing? You're laying it on pretty thick, aren't you?"

Xander's laughter followed me, his voice lighthearted. "Can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"

The exchange left a small smile tugging at my lips as I entered the kitchen, feeling somewhat amused that Xender was not being his regular domineering self and was actually making conversations with me. Maybe, just maybe, Xander's presence wasn't so bad. I guess.