Xavier

Chapter 7: The Storm Inside Me

(Xavier's POV )

The moment I stepped into my house, I knew something was wrong.

The air felt tense.

Like a storm was about to hit.

I tossed my bag onto the couch, running a hand through my hair. Today had already been a disaster.

And then—

My phone buzzed.

Again.

And again.

I clenched my jaw, pulling it out. Hundreds of notifications.

Group chats. Instagram. Twitter. Even random numbers texting me.

And at the center of it all—a video.

I clicked it.

And there it was.

Elena Monroe.

Slapping me.

Going viral.

My jaw ticked.

I scrolled through the comments, my grip tightening on the phone.

"She actually slapped Xavier. Holy shit."

"He's gonna destroy her."

"Damn, she's got guts. Respect."

"Knight, you losing your touch?"

I exhaled slowly.

The irritation boiled in my veins.

And then—my phone rang.

I barely glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"What?" I snapped.

Nathan's laughter came through the speaker.

"Damn, bro. You let a girl slap you? In front of everyone?"

I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth. "Shut the hell up."

"I mean, Xavier Knight—big bad Ridgewood king—getting taken down by some scholarship girl? That's a first."

My grip on the phone tightened. "Nathan, I swear to—"

"Relax, man." He was still laughing. "I just didn't think she'd actually have the balls to do it."

Neither did I.

And that was pissing me off even more.

I hung up before he could say anything else, tossing my phone onto the couch.

Fucking internet.

Fucking Elena Monroe.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the irritation.

But then—

"Rough day, big bro?"

I groaned.

Because, of course.

Of course, he had to be here.

I turned to see Jaxon Knight, my sixteen-year-old little brother, leaning against the doorway with an amused smirk.

"Not now, Jax," I muttered, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

He snorted, stepping into the kitchen. "Oh, come on. You're telling me you're not mad about the fact that some girl just bitch-slapped you in front of the entire school?"

I clenched my jaw, shooting him a glare. "I said not now."

Jaxon grinned. "Damn. She really got under your skin, huh?"

I didn't respond.

Because I didn't have an answer.

He watched me for a moment before shaking his head. "Honestly, I kinda like her."

I froze.

Then, slowly, I turned to him. "What?"

Jaxon shrugged. "She's got guts. More than most people in that school. I respect that."

Something in me snapped.

I slammed the water bottle onto the counter, stepping toward him. "You think this is funny?"

His smirk faltered slightly, but he didn't move back. "I think it's interesting."

I exhaled harshly, shaking my head. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Don't I?"

I didn't answer.

Because I didn't know what to say.

He let out a small laugh, stepping back. "Anyway, good luck dealing with the internet. Looks like Elena Monroe just became the first person to ever challenge Xavier Knight."

Then he walked away, leaving me standing there, annoyed as hell.

Then, the Phone Call That Made It even more Worse

I barely had time to process my irritation before my phone rang again.

I sighed, grabbing it.

Vanessa.

I almost didn't answer.

But knowing her, if I ignored it, she'd just show up at my house.

I swiped to accept. "What?"

"Xavier!" Her high-pitched voice immediately made my headache worse. "Did you see the video?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Obviously."

"This is humiliating!" she shrieked. "That girl—Elena or whatever—she needs to be put in her place."

I exhaled sharply. "I'll handle it."

"*No, you need to do something *now!**" she demanded. "She's acting like she's some badass just because she slapped you. People are actually talking about her like she's important!"

I gritted my teeth. "I said I'll handle it, Vanessa."

"You better," she huffed. "Because if you don't, I will."

The call ended.

I tossed my phone onto the couch again, letting out a long breath.

Fucking mess.

I needed to clear my head.

I needed to fix this.

Because Elena Monroe?

She thought she won today.

She thought she could stand against me.

But she had no idea who she was dealing with.

I was Xavier Knight.

And she just made the biggest mistake of her life.

—