~Aoife~
The morning was cold and foggy, just like my life had been these past few days. I used to love this weather when mom made hot cocoa for me, and we watched movies together. Now that she’s gone, this weather makes me feel alone. I was awake, looking at her picture close to my bed.
“Good morning, Mum.”
I remembered she loved to kiss my forehead, and never forget to mention welcoming the new day with fresh energy, but today I didn’t want to get out of bed. Why would I? I have zero motivation, nor was I eager to start my day.
When I came here, I was ready to win the world, but in the last few days, everything changed. All I wanted was to hide where these people couldn’t torture me anymore. I just wanted this to be over.
But what about the promises I made to my mother? I promised her to conquer every fear in my life.
I glanced at my tattoo: Love never fails.
She used to call me the love of her life. If she were here, she would never want me to hide.
While I was wrapped in the turmoil of my thoughts, I heard a knock.
“Who is it?”
“Hey, babe, it’s Clara.”
With no delay, I rushed towards the door and opened it.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked as she entered my room.
I hugged her, as I couldn’t control myself from the emotional ride. “I fear them. I fear Xander.”
She quietly listened because what else could she do? We freshmen had no power over seniors, and placing our expectations on the staff was a waste of time.
“I have an idea,” she said, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“What?”
“Just say sorry to him.”
“But why? This isn’t my fault.”
“Listen, do you want to end this or not? I know it’s not your fault. Just say it. All they wanted was for you to feel sorry for what happened.”
She tried hard to convince me, but was she right? All these people wanted to listen to one thing from me, and that was to admit they were right. So, I agreed with her suggestion.
“Let’s get ready. Today we have some important lectures to attend.”
Clara fueled my spirit, so I was ready to face the day. I made myself ready with black stockings, black boots, and a royal blue full sleeves dress. She didn’t allow me time to tie my hair before we headed out of the room.
The chilly wind that hit my face once outside made me curl my toes and my nose became red as a cherry.
“It’s cold out here,” I said while hugging my bag.
“The weather isn’t too bad, and I’ll drive. My car's already warmed up.”
Once on the school campus, I literally ran inside the building to get some relief from the cool winds.
We reached my locker, and there I saw Xander pasting some papers on the front. I kept my eyes down and walked towards it, not saying a word. He didn’t notice my presence and left the hallway before we approached.
Tears filled my eyes when I glanced at the poster of a girl wearing glasses covered with weird liquid. It was yesterday’s picture of me.
“C-Clara,” I stammered as I showed her.
She ripped the paper after she read some nasty comments about me pasted there. I couldn’t stop my tears from ripping the papers from my locker.
“I need to talk to him,” I whimpered, while slapping tears from my eyes.
“Not now. I think it’s better if you talk alone.” She signaled as Zareena and Victor smirked at me from down the hall.
I pulled my hair behind me, wanting to calm myself from this torture. Doing as best we could to avoid them, we took our stuff and walked towards our class.
Today, I have to talk to him. Otherwise, they will never stop.
***
~Xander~
After we finished our last lecture, all my classmates stood to leave except me.
I got a call from Raph. He is my elder brother and the responsible son. Raph took responsibility for the family after our father’s death. As mom used to handle international clients, he took care of local matters for our business. Although we have a mansion across the city, I never like to cage myself there with business meetings and clients. I have my own life that I want to enjoy.
I have my luxurious apartment near the college. I wanted Matt to room with me, but he never liked my lifestyle of girls and booze. He is not into any bad habits. Sometimes I wonder how he became my best friend. We are so dramatically different. He is a one-woman man, and I am the opposite.
“Hey, big brother. How are you?” I answered the phone.
“When will you come to meet with us?”
“Brother, I know why you are inviting me. I am not ready to join our family business. Let me finish graduating at least.”
“You’re wasting your time. Come and join us. We need you. I need you.”
It was like listening to a broken record. He wants me to join the business, but I love my freedom more than anything. We argued a bit about the same old topics, where I wanted some more time to think, and he got angry as he always did.
Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. I turned and saw it was her, Aoife.
“What are you doing here?” I said as I walked toward her before ending my call with my brother.
“Can I talk to you?” she mumbled, keeping her eyes down.
“What?” I answered while roaming my eyes over her.
Fuck, I saw her in the same dress in my dreams.
“Can I talk to you?” The repeated words that came out of her mouth froze me.
What? Seriously. I looked at her intensely, remembering the dream.
“Um-hum,” the answer came out unexpectedly.
She raised her blue eyes with those big lashes towards me. Our eyes met for a few seconds, and I could feel her taking me all in. She exhaled as she blinked with heavy lashes. Her cheeks turned beet red, and that little nose did the same.
“I am sorry. Whatever the reason is, I am here to say sorry. Please forgive me and let me live my life peacefully. I will follow all of your rules.” She started with a confident voice, but her voice wavered as she reached the end.
I listened but could not understand why she was apologizing to me. My face was blank as my mind played glimpses of the morning dreams.
I noted the effect of cold weather on her as she continued to fidget her fingers to warm them. She erased her tears before they spilled out from her eyes, and I saw her tattoo again. It made me angry for a second, but why was I up in my emotions over her?
Suddenly, she bent over toward me. Without my knowledge, a whimper left my lips as I jerked my head up. Am I dreaming, or is she about to give me that—
“Are you okay?” she whispered while she stood in front of me.
My eyes were gawking at her with confusion. Why did she bend down?
She extended her hand and showed me the pen she had picked up from the floor. I exhaled a burst of air as all these things teased my core, thinking she was about to live out that dream in real life. I saw something else in my dreams, and all she did was extend me a pen.
She continued, but I was lost in my world of pleasure. I raised my hand to caress her cheeks, but before I could touch her, Zareena stormed into the room like a tornado.
“What the hell are you doing with my boyfriend?” she screeched.
Before I knew what was happening, she pushed Aoife to the floor. Within a few moments, everything changed. Zareena’s irritating voice dragging me from my La La Land.
“What are you doing?” I screamed at her.
I extended my hand towards Aoife, but she ignored it and stood alone.
Zareena wanted to fight with her, but once I grabbed her hand and glared at her, she stomped herself back out.
“I am sorry,” I said.
Aoife was crying with embarrassment, and I felt helpless looking at her.
“Please, I want peace. I didn’t come here to upset any of you. I came here to say sorry to you. Please leave me alone.” Her sobbed voice pierced my heart.
Why is she so innocent? Why was she saying sorry even though it’s not her fault?
Suddenly, we heard the bell ring. She left the room with her desperate eyes, pleading for mercy from me.
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~Xander~She left her innocent eyes on my soul. This moment reminds me of a story. Some folks who needed emotional rescue were trapped in an iceberg that took many years to form. When you bring your gentle flame to their outer walls and melt a little, if they are brave enough, they will light their internal flame and allow the ice to melt. If they are afraid, they will add more layers of ice faster than you can melt it.Unknowingly, I felt the same. Aoife was an unknown flame that melted my heart, and I was not ready for the change. My playboy image wanted to bite every part of her delicate body, while my heart wanted to be with her. In this turmoil, when Zareena pushed her, it enraged my emotions to a degree I’d never felt before.My angry look toward Zareena scared her off, and she stomped outside. I didn’t understand my sudden anger. Is Aoife controlling me? Or does Zareena’s misbehavior towards Aoife affect me?All I knew was her teary eyes influenced me deeply. With this emotiona
My big tears rolled down my cheeks, and I finally relaxed when he pulled away.“Are you okay?” My eyes were closed as I heard that voice. I thought it was Matt who questioned me, but when I opened my eyes, Matt was blowing air on my wound.I felt another presence beside me when I saw my hand had not flinched on the chair. My nails dug into someone's hand instead of the leather arm. From the corner of my eyes, I saw something unexpected.“You… Oh, I am sorry, sir.”Right out of the blue? What was he doing here?It was Xander. But when did he arrive? And why was he standing next to me?Lots of questions boomed in my mind as I jerked my hand away from his wrist that was now scratched from my nails. “What are you doing here?” Matt questioned.He didn’t answer because he was busy looking at my nervous, flushed face. I gulped down a lump in my throat and backed myself behind the chair, lowering my eyes immediately.“Xan, what?” Matt asked again.Looking at his scratched wrist, I somehow fe
That next morning, I rushed myself to the library. Once there, Aunt Agnes was busy talking to her husband. “Good morning.” I smiled.“Good morning, pretty girl,” Uncle answered immediately.“Good morning, dear. What brings you here so early?” “I hope I am not asking too much from you guys. Since you are looking for a helping hand, I need a job. My brother wants to admit himself to rehab, and he needs my help.”They furrowed their brows, listening to me carefully.“Do you want money? We can help you,” Aunty offered.“No, I want this job. Please accept my offer to help.”They smiled and nodded their heads, quickly in agreement.Before I even mentioned my paycheck, Uncle said, “I will talk to management. We will pay you biweekly if that’s okay?”I nodded with excitement and happy tears as I hugged them.“Thank you for helping me. I’ll come after college hours,” I said excitedly before leaving the library and walking out.As I left, my mind was busy scheduling my day with the additional
~Xander~Waiting... Waiting... Waiting...My mind was like the ocean, watching the incoming ships of my thoughts drowning inside me.Is she going to be okay? What the heck were the doctors doing with her in there? Why is there no information about her? How long are they going to take? I was continuously burning in anguish, and the troublesome thoughts didn’t let me rest for a second. I was starting to ask myself why I had this unsettled anger and toward whom? Something told me it was me. Why didn’t I reach her on time? Why was I not there to protect her? And the essential fact of the matter, who the hell did this thing to her?That person will surely be dead at my hands. I will drown him the same way he did her.In the next thoughts, I literally planned the slow death of that unknown person who tried to kill her.I was in constant pain at the thought of losing her. My body reacted the same as I thought, making me punch the wall before I yelled out threats to the doctors and the hospit
~Xander~Heartbreak is a funny thing. It happened to a person you would never expect. I never thought I would become a villain to Aoife, not when I was the one who saved her life. I became the last person she wanted to see in this world, and unfortunately, she was the only girl who drove me crazy.For the entire night, I fought with my feelings, hiding them underneath. I thought it was just a stint of unsettled emotion that would pass with time. It became worse when the time came to see her again. Her angered eyes toward me thrashed in my spirit. She hated me for a crime I didn’t commit. She didn’t believe I was innocent.My desperate eyes waited for a single glance of understanding, but she ignored me as if I had never existed to her. Above all, I became possessive of her when I saw her hugging Matt. No girl rejected me like that and never dared to make me feel vulnerable.I questioned myself about why I was craving for the warmth she gifted to Matt while I was the one who found her u
~Aoife~After Matt left, I settled on the chair next to my study table, thinking about the last words he left me with.How could Matt expect me to forgive his friend? He knew Xander was the biggest bully in school who liked to trouble other people. How could I forget he was the one who made my life hell since the day I landed at this college? First, he mocked me in front of everyone, and then that bucket.“Argh... I hate him!” I screamed, throwing cushions on the walls.Why should I forgive him? He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness. I looked in the mirror with a disgusted expression that filled my face with Xander’s thoughts.“Is he really so bad?” Thinking about him, the only thing that happened was my blood boiling, and my nostrils flared with anger. Hating someone is easy; the hardest thing was to forgive.I smiled when my mother’s thoughts popped into my mind. Even after her death, her thoughts help me in difficult times.What Matt told me—is it true? Did Xander save me? But why? W
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The speakers were so loud that he couldn’t hear me even if he wanted to. I found myself in the middle of the room and called his name again. I rubbed my temple with my hand in stress and ran my hand through my hair.“He is not here,” I whispered.I turned, and suddenly I hit something.With a little jerk of my body, I felt his presence in front of me. My eyes widened in shock. The dim blue light glistered on his bare body, piercing eyes doting on me.“What are you doing here?” he said with a husky voice.I kept staring at him without uttering a single word. His broad shoulders with ink took my breath away. My words choked in my throat and only warm air was coming from my mouth.“Ahem...” I tried hard to say something, tried to avert his piercing eyes on me. He darkened his shadow over me, taking a step closer. My body went cold like ice.“I asked you something.” I backed myself to keep some distance and calm myself.“I came to...” Before I finished my sentence, I saw a girl coming f