Page 84 of The Keeper

“You look like shit,” Bennet declared, pushing past me.

“Guess that means our chances of shagging are low.”

“I’m not in the mood for your attitude,” he grumbled. “Where the fuck have you been? You haven’t answered my calls. Cade says he can’t reach you.” He scanned the living room before stomping into my kitchen.

“Hate to break it to you mate, nothing in there but empty take away boxes.” I followed him.

“Xavier,” he sighed, sitting heavily on the kitchen bar stool. “It’s been three days since anyone’s seen you or heard from you. I thought we had an agreement.”

I shrugged. “Haven’t really been in a talking mood.”

“What mood are you in then? Reach out to anyone you shouldn’t be talking to?” His berating tone hit me hard. Bennet rarely lost his temper. And when he did, it was usually out of frustration with something I’d done to worry him.

I stared at him, holding his penetrating gaze. “No,” I finally said quietly. “I just needed to be alone. Been, you know, exercising, drinking, eating, drinking some more. All the really healthy shit.”

“Except showering, apparently,” he muttered.

I threw an empty soda can at him. “Rude.”

“Or shaving.”

“Did you come here specifically to take the piss out of me or what?”

He got up and started throwing out the empty food tins. “Are you going to tell me what happened with Victoria or do I have to drag it out of you?”

“Depends. You using a paddle or a flogger?”

He dropped the containers in the trash and glared at me. “I get it, Maddox. You don’t like to divulge. But you haven’t been this enamored by a woman in…ever. I also know you won’t admit it out loud. Have you at least reached out to her?”

“And what fucking good would that do?”

Bennet held up his hand to shush me and started scrolling through his phone. I assumed it was work related but no. He shoved the phone in my face. I stared at a photo of Hannah and Victoria. Both looked radiant but Victoria was ethereal. Perfect. My stomach clenched.

“Scroll,” he ordered.

“When was this?” I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Victoria with her friends. Victoria with Hannah again. Victoria smiling and dancing. Victoria sitting on some twat’s lap. I scowled. She looked incredible in that black lace dress and should be sitting on me.

“Last night. Hannah sent me a whole bunch of photos from some party.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “I had to tell Hannah you two had some type of falling out because she specifically sent those to me to show you.”

I looked up at my friend and sighed.

Victoria

“You doing okay over there? I know this past week was the anniversary and a general bucket of suck thanks to everything that went down in England but I refuse to let you sink into some black hole of mopey, depressing shit.” Killian’s stern, clear voice punched through my pity party. “Especially since I know it’s not her you’re moping about.”

“I’m not moping. I’m…what are you talking about?”

He picked one of the dresses up off my bed and tossed it to me. “Do you really want me to invoke his name?”

“I’m not going to burst into flame if you do.”

“Have you guys spoken?”

“Not exactly.” I took off my jeans and sweater and stepped into the dress.

“You drunk texted him didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” I pulled the dress up and turned so Killian could zip it for me.

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