Xavier’s Little Secret II

“What do you mean you lost her?!” Xavier’s voice rose. “I had plans to visit her today, and now you’re telling me she’s gone? What does that even mean?”

The lady looked flustered, trying to explain. “Mr. Herrán, we’re doing everything we can. She must have wandered off during the staff shift. We’ve already alerted the authorities—”

“She’s not a set of keys! How do you lose a person?”

I couldn’t stop myself from moving closer, curiosity pulling me toward the heated scene. Who was he talking about? What could make him so upset? I’d only ever seen his playful, confident side, and this version of him felt like a completely different person.

As the lady continued to stammer, the sound of approaching footsteps caught my attention. A group of people was making their way toward us. Leading the way was an older man with a commanding presence and a sharp suit. Beside him was a strikingly beautiful woman, her arm hooked around his. Following them was a teenage girl, maybe fifteen years old, looking out of place amidst the tension with bodyguards.

“Xavier!” the man called out as he approached. Xavier spun around with a dark and irritated expression.

“You need to calm down,” the man said firmly. “We’ll find Abuela. My men are already on it.”

Xavier scoffed. “Calm down? She’s missing! How can I calm down when no one knows where she is?”

“Xavier, darling,” the pretty woman replied with a sly smile. “Don’t piss off your father. He’s doing everything he can. Don’t embarrass the family with your little tantrums.”

“Mom…” The teenage girl beside her tugged at her arm, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. “Maybe we should—”

“Quiet,Ella,” the woman snapped, brushing the girl off. She turned her attention back to Xavier.

Then her gaze landed on me. Her expression turned icy, her lips curling into a disdainful sneer. “And who is this?” she asked. “Why is she standing so close to you, Xavier? This is a family matter. She has no business being here.”

I froze. My instinct was to step back, but Xavier moved slightly in front of me, blocking her view.

“Leave her out of this,” he said coldly.

Her words stung, but Xavier didn’t waver. His hand twitched, like he wanted to reach for something but stopped himself. “This isn’t about you or Dad. It’s about Abuela. If you’re not going to help, stay out of my way.”

The tension was suffocating, and I suddenly felt like I was intruding on something far bigger than I could comprehend.

The woman raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Hmph. You’re already causing enough problems. Don’t add to the mess by dragging in… strangers.”

Before I could respond, Xavier cut in. “She’s with me, Amanda.It’s none of your business.” His voice was cold.

Amanda’s expression darkened. “How dare you talk to me like that in public!” she snapped, turning to Xavier’s father for support.

Xavier’s dad stepped forward.“Xavier, don’t disrespect her. She’s right.”

Xavier’s jaw tightened as he glared at his father. “Why are you even here? You’ve never visited Abuela, not once. But now that she’s missing, you decide to show up? And, of course, you had to bring your annoying, fake-looking plastic mistress with you.” He spat the words with venom glaring at Amanda.

“How dare you!” she hissed, but before she could say more, Xavier grabbed my hand and started walking away.

“Xavier, come back here!” the man yelled after him, but Xavier didn’t stop.

“Brother, wait!” The teenage girl broke away from the group and ran after us, wrapping her arms around Xavier from behind. “Please don’t be mad. Forgive Mom and Dad. They didn’t mean it.”

Xavier froze for a moment before letting out a deep breath. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and removed her arms from around him. “It’s not your fault,Ella,” he said softly, giving her a soft smile before walking toward the car.

Without another word, he opened the car door for me and got in. I followed, glancing back at the family as we drove off.

The silence in the car was heavy. I wanted to say something, but the sadness etched on Xavier’s face stopped me. Whatever had just happened was deeply personal, and I could tell it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about—at least not yet. So I stayed quiet, staring out the window as the car sped down the empty streets.

Xavier pulled the car to a stop on a quiet, deserted road. There were no moving cars, no noise, just silence. He parked near a safe spot, resting his hands on the steering wheel as he exhaled deeply. For a moment, he just stared ahead.

He leaned back in his seat, exhaling deeply. “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly. “I’m really sorry for making you uncomfortable and dragging you into all of that back there. It wasn’t fair to you. I didn’t expect things to go that way.”

His words were sincere, but there was something else in his tone—like he was holding back tears. For a moment, I saw the cracks in his usually confident demeanor. He wasn’t just frustrated; he was hurt.

“It’s okay, Xavier,” I said softly, unsure of what else to say. I felt a sudden pang in my chest as I looked at him. I didn’t have much experience with family drama, not after losing my parents at such a young age. But I didn’t want him to feel alone in this. “I don’t mind, really. I’m just glad I’m here with you.”

Something in me ached to comfort him, so I did the only thing that felt right—without thinking,I opened my arms. “Come here,” I said, offering him a hug.

He hesitated for a second, then leaned into me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I could feel the warmth of his chest against mine, the soft scent of his cologne, a soft, woody scent that somehow made me feel safe. His heartbeat was loud and quick, almost matching my own. It felt... intense. Almost too much.

I pulled away slightly, our faces only inches apart. His hazel eyes locked onto mine, and for the first time, I noticed how much pain they held. There was so much emotion —pain, vulnerability, and something I couldn’t quite name.

He blinked, breaking the silence between us. “Let’s go find your abuela,” I said quickly, trying to lighten the mood and break the tension between us.

A small smirk tugged at his lips. “I think I might have an idea where she is,” he said, gripping the steering wheel as he started the car again.

As we drove off into the quiet night, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. There was something about Xavier that pulled me in, something deeper than his confident exterior.