Page 100 of Xavier

“What are you going to do?”

“What I should have done weeks ago.”

She scoots closer to me and grabs my hand. “No, Xavier, please think this through.”

“I have, Princess. For weeks, I’ve thought of ways to end this, but I didn’t want to leave you. I have loved every minute I’ve spent with you. Selfishly, I didn’t want it to end, but I need to do the right thing.”

She shakes her head and whispers, “You can get yourself killed.”

“This used to be my life, Princess. I could complete missions harder than this blindfolded. I’ll be alright.”

She purses her lips for a moment before saying, “I don’t know Jordan. Are you really going to leave me alone with a stranger?”

“Jordan will protect you and keep your mind off me. I trust him with my own life. Besides, he has some really cool tech gear I think you’d enjoy learning about.”

Her lips tighten into thin lines. She’s not happy, but at least she will be able to go back to living a normal life in a few days.

I stand. “I need to go check on the documents that your dad was emailing over. I’ll say bye before I leave.”

She doesn’t fight me.

She doesn’t beg for me to stay.

She just sits on the bed, frozen in her spot, with a look of terror on her face.

Closing the bedroom door behind me, I head in the direction of Jordan’s office.

I just need to grab the documents and leave. It will be too hard to go if I drag out the goodbye.

Chapter Twenty-Three

BRIANNA

“I need to go check on the documents that your dad was emailing over. I’ll say bye before I leave.”

His voice is soft and gentle, like he is trying to give me the news in a way that I can handle, but in my mind, he might as well be yelling.

I don’t fight him.

I don’t beg for him to stay.

I wait. Wait until he leaves to put my own plan into motion.

As he closes the door behind him, his words replay in my mind like a horrible movie as I sit on the bed, frozen in my spot.

I’m tired of the men I love making decisions without asking for my opinion first. Do they think I’m that helpless and useless? Like all I can do is sit here and wait for them to save the say?

I let out a gasp and place my hand over my heart.

Love. My heart is aching with love.

I love Xavier.

I love him.

And he’s about to walk away from me. From us. To try to be the hero.

Leaving the bedroom, I head back down the hallway to the living room. Xavier and Jordan are nowhere to be seen.

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