Page 53 of Chasing Xander
There was a pause and then a drawn out “Oh.” Tanner cleared his throat. “Okay, so what’s the problem?”
“If I cancel on her, I’m afraid she’ll stop talking to me. But I’ve only known her a few weeks. I can’t possibly ask her to come home with me. Can I?” He held his breath, waiting for Tanner to make another joke at his expense.
“I asked Jules early on to go away with me for fall break to meet you and Ryder. In fact, I think it was our first date.” He laughed. “She thought I was crazy, but she went.”
Xander remembered that weekend and meeting Jules for the first time. He hadn’t realized Tanner invited her so early in their relationship. Hope sparked in his chest. Maybe things could work out the same way for him and Kylie. “Thanks, Tanner.” He stood. “Okay, I’m going to call Ryder. I’ll let you know what’s going on.”
“Thanks.”
“Bye, Xander!” Jules called in the background.
He said good-bye and blew out a breath. Tanner’s advice gave him a lot to think about.
…
Xander was hurrying toward the social sciences building when someone plowed into him, almost knocking him down. “Christ! Watch where you’re…” The words died on his lips when he realized Kylie was the person who’d run into him.
She looked up. Her lips trembled, and her eyes were red and puffy. “Sorry,” she mumbled and tried to step around him.
Xander gently clutched her arm. “Kylie? What’s wrong?” Adrenaline spiked his system, making his pulse race and his breaths sporadic. “Are you hurt?”
She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. He dropped his bag to the ground and pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. Her cries became more intense, shaking her whole body, making her words incoherent.
“Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered and stroked her hair. God, she felt good in his arms. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet scent of her fruity shampoo. “Kylie, honey, what’s wrong?” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
She buried her face deeper into his chest, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably. He eased her out of the way of students trying to get into the building and ushered her toward an empty bench near the corner of the brick hall. She sat and took a deep breath, but her tears didn’t stop. In fact, they seemed to come harder and faster.
He brushed away strands of hair that were stuck to her wet cheeks. “Baby, tell me what’s wrong.”
“My…grand…my grandmother…” Her words broke off into a sob. “Oh God. Nammy Joyce.” Kylie hiccupped and was lost to another round of gut-wrenching tears.
She didn’t need to say anything more. He knew what she would say—her grandmother had died. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she buried her face against him again. “I’m sorry,” he said as tears threatened to fill his eyes. Seeing her cry tore him up inside. He pulled her closer and rubbed her back.
They sat, unspeaking, for a long while. The buzz of students rushing to class disappeared. The grounds were all but empty now, and the only sound was of Kylie’s muted sobs. He rested his cheek on her head and closed his eyes. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
“She was all I had left,” she mumbled, her voice strained with emotion. “And now she’s gone.” She clutched at his shirt as if she were afraid he’d leave her, too.
“I know. I’m sorry. So sorry.” His heart shattered. What else could he say or do? No words would lessen her pain or bring her grandmother back.
“I’m sorry.” She straightened and wiped at her eyes. “I didn’t mean to cry all over you.”
“Don’t apologize.” He used his thumb to wipe a few stray tears from her face. “Losing someone close to you is never easy. You have every right to cry.”
She forced a tight smile. “Thank you.” Kylie blew out a shaky breath, wiped her hands on her jeans, then stood. “You have to get to class.”
He stood, tilted his head, and gave her a confused look. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“No, but you can’t afford to miss any classes, and I’m not going to be the excuse you use if you flunk.”
“My classes aren’t important at the moment,” he said.
She stared at him with a tear-stained face and red eyes. “Seriously. It’s okay. I’ll be fine. You need to get to class. I’m headed to my room anyway.”
He wanted to pull her back into his arms and hold her until she felt better. “Let me at least walk you to your res hall.”
She shook her head. “I really need to be alone.”
“Ky.” He sighed heavily, hating the idea of her being alone right now. “Please let me help you.” He reached for her, and she willingly stepped into his embrace. “I’m here for you, for anything you need.”
