~~I've learnt to accept apologizes I've never received~~
Xander's POV
"Marcus?" I asked.
It had been just over three years since I had seen him. His name is Marcus Harrison who so happens to be my older brother. He is two years older than me and to say the very least, we don't necessarily have the best relationship but that's a story for another day.
After greeting him, I remembered that Angelina was my main concern. She had been shaking in my arms as if she had seen a ghost. I held her tighter in attempts to calm her down and asked her once more what had happened. Instead of replying, she moved away from my arms and created a distance between us.
Disappointed? No, I felt more of hurt than anything else and more still, her gesture only made me more concerned.
"It's nothing important," she responded. I knew she was lying and just as I was about to confront her, my brother spoke, "Um, hello. My name is Marcus and you are..?" he asked.
"None of your business," Angelina bitterly spat and ran off into the changing rooms.
I was quite taken aback by her response. I looked at Marcus hoping he would have an explanation for her sudden cold shoulder towards someone she had never meant. Marcus just shrugged and placed his arm around my shoulder as he led me out of the elevator.
I so desperately wanted to check up on Angelina, but I knew Marcus had something he wanted from me considering the fact that in all the three years he had 'disappeared' , he never once contacted me unless if he was in dire need of money.
As we entered my office, Marcus immediately locked the door and shut the blinds. He then sat on the corner of the table and spoke, "I'll cut straight to the chase," he continued, "I need money as soon as possible."
I released a sigh of irritation as I responded, "What happened to the money I sent you years ago that you promised to pay back and surprise surprise, you still haven't?" I questioned.
Marcus was the leech of the family. He never did anything to help the family be it financially or even physically. All he was ever good at was asking for money. I guess it's not his fault since mum practically babied him until he was in his mid twenties.
Marcus then stood up and walked towards me with anger visible in his eyes and then spoke, "Remember who you are talking to Xander," he continued, "Don't forget I am your older brother." he stated with emphasis on the 'older brother' part as if that were supposed to make me drop onto my knees and hand him all my bank cards.
I rolled my eyes and replied, "You just never seem to change do you?" I asked rhetorically.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" he questioned.
"Don't act ignorant Marcus," I replied, "Everyone in the family knows that you spend all your money gambling and on the weekends, you spend the rest of the little pennies you have in strip clubs on some -" I was cut as I received a strong blow to my cheeks making me stumble a bit until I regained my balance.
"I guess I hit it right on the nail then," I laughed humorlessly.
"Xander, stop fucking with me right now," he growled angrily.
I ignored him and walked straight to the door and opened it. "Get out," I spat.
Marcus stayed still for a moment while making eye contact with me. He eventually took the hint and advanced towards the door. But then again, he wouldn't be my brother if he had just left without wrecking some type of havoc.
"You must think you own the whole world just because you're famous Xander," he continued, "but never forget something." He then moved closer to me and whispered, "You wouldn't have half of the things you have now if my dad hadn't accepted you and your damn mother into our lives." With that he stormed out of my office leaving me fuming and triggered.
Angelina's POV
As soon as I had left the elevator, I ventured into the changing rooms and locked myself in it. I began sobbing uncontrollably for about ten minutes hoping that would make me feel better afterwards. It didn't. Instead, I just felt more pathetic and helpless. I hadn't told anyone about what had happened to me three years ago. It has always been a dreadful memory and burden that I had sworn to carry alone but sometimes I did wish I had someone to comfort me. I wished I had someone to vent to and tell them that I was really not okay. But I had no one because I didn't want anyone to feel sympathetic towards me.
After collecting myself, I changed into my training clothes and applied a bit of foundation to try and hide my puffy eyes and the trail my tears had left on my cheeks. Afterwards, I exited the room simultaneously bumping into a hard chest. I quickly apologized and looked up to see who it was I had collided with.
Just as you might have predicted, it was none other than Xander- except he had a slightly swollen cheek. Inquisitive? Yes, but I didn't want him to ask me any questions about what had happened earlier on, so I just pretended to have not seen it.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
I nodded a bit too fast and replied, "I'm perfectly fine." He didn't say anything after but just looked at me as if trying to study my expression hoping to find evidence that I was lying. So I cleared my throat and spoke again, "So I guess we should begin the training right?" I asked in attempts of shifting the attention from me to something else.
He simply nodded and gestured for me to follow him. He led me to a black punching bag and told me to punch the bag as hard as I could- so I did. I punched that bag as if I were punching that monster Marcus. I transferred all my fury into that single punch making the bag distort.
I then glared at Xander after the punch and I could see he had so many questions pirouetting his head that he was burning to ask me, so I said to him, "Xander, I'll allow you to ask just one question and then afterwards, I would appreciate it if we pretended like nothing happened earlier today ok?" I suggested hoping to make a deal with him. Instead he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and sighed.
"Angelina, why do you always want to pretend like nothing ever happened?" he asked. "Why do you always determine how other's should act, feel, think or even talk?" he darkly questioned. I could hear the anger and frustration coming out so I just kept quiet while he continued to vent.
"Last night you told me to forget the kiss we both shared and then now you want me to pretend like I didn't just see you scared out of your wits?" he growled.
"Xander, some things are better left alone," I tried to reason with him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"I don't want to talk about it Xander and plus even if I did tell you, you'll probably think I'm lying so just forget it," I stated just as angrily.
Xander then growled in anger as he whispered to himself. I had decided to just leave him in his own thoughts so I began walking away from him when he suddenly held my wrist and pulled me into his arms. I froze in his embrace.
"Angel, why do you do this to me?" he genuinely questioned.
I struggled to get out of his hold since he held me really tightly. "Xander, let me GO!" I demanded but to no avail. Instead he began patting the back of my head. I again froze but this time because a wave of emotions that I wanted buried, was threatening to pour out.
"I won't ask anymore questions, just don't hurt alone ok?" he finally said.
I was beyond confused as to how the conversation turned into what it was now, but somehow those words were the last push I needed until I began whimpering in his arms. I finally let myself go and bawled my eyes out. I wasn't sure if there were people watching, but I couldn't care any less in that moment.
"It's ok Angel, let it all out," he said soothingly.
"It's not OK!!" I cried in-between my sobs. I was so sick and tired of pretending like everything was just fine. I then detached myself from Xander, looked him in the eye and asked, "If I tell you everything, do you promise you'll believe me?"
"Of course Angel," he immediately responded. He seemed genuine to me so I decided to tell him the truth.
Just as I was about to speak, a feminine voice interrupted us, "Xander?"
Both Xander and I followed the direction of the voice and a loud gasp escaped from Xander's lips.
"I missed you so much babe," the voice exclaimed as she ran into Xander's arms pushing me out of the way and kissing Xander.
Wait, what?