I have been avoiding Xavier all week, when he looked at me, I glance away. When we are in the dining room, I seated as far from him as possible. I averted contact with him without making it noticeable.
All because of that incident.
That morning. My first day at school. Marie asked me to call down Xavier since his room was opposite mine, and he always seems to forget to eat.
I knocked on his room door, but there was no response. The door opened as I turned the doorknob.
The floor was covered with a soft ash carpet, it cocooned my feet as I padded into the room, the walls painted navy blue. Light shone out of a wall-sized window facing west, illuminating the eccentric design on the ceiling and the northern wall stacked with books, his bed was freshly made, a laptop on the desk with a swivel chair to accompany it.
The bathroom door opened suddenly, and he emerged along with steams, his hair and body still dripping wet, a towel strapped around his waist.
I gulped, gawking like a deer caught in a headlight, my eyes skimming over all that bare skin, the wide shoulders, the hard chest, and good God his lean muscled torso; he was all male.
He started towards me, the motion loosening his towel.
Time dawdled, the towel fell from his waist. The image seared into my brain.
When it finally dawned on me that my gaze has been fixed with bemused intensity on that particular part of his body, my cheek burned as I fled out of the room and away from him as fast as I could.
And now it has been that way ever since.
It is Saturday afternoon and no one is home. Charles took Evan and the X twins along with him to the office. This morning Marie went to see her sister, she is to be back to prepare dinner. The house was empty apart from me and the butler, And I have been busy with nothing. I did what suited me; reading and sleeping.
Waking up from yet another sleep, I rolled across the bed, thumping my other pillow. I closed my eyes and laid my head on it.
Gaunt silence taunted me. I flopped my legs and hand across the edges of the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Resigned I sigh, detaching my lazy body from the bed, and stalking off to the Dusk sitting room.
Known for its name, it is relaxing, cozy and it is closer to my room.
The other sitting rooms are called light and pearl; Light was where Aunt Basile dropped me off. Pearl too uppity for my taste, it screamed: royalties only!!
The lights were dim, making it tough to see, which is ok, I wanted to watch a movie anyway.
Finally, I found the remote on a small table next to a three-seater couch, clicking on the button, I eased into the couch, plopping my head on the cushion as I surfed through channels.
The cushion was not soft. It was hard as a rock and warm too. What the hell!!
My brow furrowed as I sat up with the sole mission of finding the source of discomfort, trailing my fingers across the cushion.
Feels like skin. muscles too.
I paused, my eyes widening. My pulse racing along with my thoughts.
"You enjoy impeccable situations like this, don't you!" A male voice said.
I jumped away from the couch, a shrill scream tears out of my lips.
"Do you need help?" He said, his hand extended. I could hear the laughter in his voice.
I looked up at him, stunned. My ass throbbing from hitting the floor. 'Ouch.'
"Do you need help?" he repeated, this time coughing to hide his laughter.
"I heard you the first time!" I barked, glaring up at him from my position.
"Not my problem, if you aren't aware of your surrounding." He said.
"What are you doing here anyway," I murmured, taking his hand.
He jerked me up and I almost collided with his sitting form on the couch.
"Charles ordered me to come back home to keep you company, that you shouldn't be all alone," he said, shaking his head. "They are too obvious."
"Obvious?" I repeated, shuffling away as I recalled that I was avoiding him.
"Which I'm sure pleases you." He said skepticism dripped from his voice like honey.
"Excuse me?" I said, sitting up stiffly. "What are you insinuating?"
"Don't get your hopes up, just because you sleeked your way into their affection." He smirked. "You are no different you know?"
Those words felt like a slap to me.
I'll rather die than show him how much his words hurt me.
Well, sorry to intrude into your family and for the misconception. I smiled, cold lacing into my voice. I'll gladly do as you said, don't get my hopes up that is.
"You should continue avoiding me, it is easier that way," he said.
Needing to get away before I fell apart, I stood up instantly.
"Yes, I guess I should." I laughed, it rang past me sounding close to hysteria. I quickly quashed it.
"You don't have to worry." I veered, fleeing the room on shaky legs.