Page 53 of Xavier

His expression is blank, but his eyes search mine.

I push past him and say, “It takes women longer to pee than men.”

“Not five minutes.”

Was he timing me? Did he think I jumped out the window?

I ignore his statement and let my gaze wander around the living room. This house isn’t as nice as I expected, or as nice as Dad let on.

The furnishings are solid wood, but outdated. Everything needs a new fresh coat of paint to make the house look fresh and clean. A thin coat of dust covers everything, but it’s not twenty-five years of dust, meaning Dad has been here before.

Or someone else knows about this place and keeps it semi cleaned.

The flowery couch faces a stone fireplace. The mantle is empty. There are no family pictures, knickknacks, or any personal items showing who owns the house.

This is just another actual sign I am in a safe house right now. The walls, end tables, and mantle are all bare.

Xavier doesn’t speak as I wander around the house.

The kitchen is just as outdated as the rest of the house. The floor, counters, and cabinets look like they came from the eighties.

They were probably the original ones when the house was built. At least the refrigerator is newish.

I open the door to the stainless steel refrigerator, surprise crosses my face when I see it fully stocked.

Before I can let my thoughts spiral out of control about someone knowing Xavier and I are here, I spot the empty cooler next to the small dining table.

Xavier must have come prepared. There’s enough food to last several days, if not a full week.

When I walk back into the living room, he is setting up a laptop on the coffee table.

So much for no electronics.

I open the remaining doors. One is set up as an office with a small L-shaped desk, and the other is a bedroom with a full sized bed in the middle of the room. My bags are at the bottom of the bed.

Xavier must have brought everything in from the car.

Turning around, I ask, “Where are you going to sleep since the only other bedroom is an office?”

Does he think we are going to share the bed? Is there another bedroom hidden somewhere?

He doesn’t look up from the laptop. “The couch.”

I size him up while imagining him stretched out on the flowery couch. “It’s pretty small.”

He shrugs. “It’s bound to be more comfortable than other places I’ve had to sleep.”

I plop down on the opposite end of the couch, wondering what we are going to do to occupy our time.

There’s no television, no board games, and no video games. There’s nothing to keep us busy.

Do not think about sex.

I feel my cheeks flame, as my thoughts morph into all the places Xavier can take me.

Shaking those thoughts away, I think about how my life has changed in such little time.

I broke up with Austin. And was cheated on.

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