Xavier stormed into the backyard, slamming the gate shut with a force that rattled the hinges. His chest heaved with each ragged breath as his fists clenched at his sides, the tension in his shoulders coiling tighter with every step. A trash can bore the brunt of his fury, toppling over with a loud clang as he kicked it across the pavement.
Kamsi froze at the entrance, a trash bag dangling loosely from her fingers. The sound startled her, and she instinctively took a step back. Squinting into the dim light, she recognized the figure pacing like a caged animal. Xavier.
But something was off. This wasn't the confident, infuriating Xavier she'd grown accustomed to. His movements were restless, his body language screaming of barely contained chaos.
"Xavier?" she called hesitantly, her voice cutting through the charged silence.
He whipped around at the sound of her voice, his sharp gaze pinning her in place. For a moment, anger flickered in his stormy eyes, but it quickly gave way to something deeper—something raw and unguarded. His hands disappeared into his pockets as if to hide their trembling, his jaw working like he was trying to chew down words that refused to stay buried.
"What's wrong?" Kamsi asked, dropping the trash bag to the ground as she took a cautious step closer. Her pulse quickened, her concern warring with an instinct to keep her distance.
"It's nothing," he muttered, his voice rough and clipped. He turned slightly, as though trying to shield himself from her gaze.
Kamsi frowned, her brows knitting together. "You don't look like it's nothing," she pressed, the quiet determination in her voice betraying her unease.
Xavier let out a short, bitter laugh, the sound hollow in the cool night air. "Nosy as ever," he said, his lips curving into a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Careful, Kamsi. Keep digging, and I might start thinking you're in love with me."
Her face flushed instantly, heat crawling up her neck. She glanced away, fumbling for a retort, but her words stuck in her throat. "You're ridiculous," she muttered, more to herself than to him.
"Am I?" he challenged, stepping closer with the kind of deliberate ease that made her heart leap into her throat.
Her back hit the wall behind her, the cool brick pressing against her palms as she instinctively retreated. "W-what are you doing?" she stammered, her breath hitching.
He stopped just short of invading her space, his eyes scanning her face as if searching for something. For once, his smirk faded, replaced by an expression that was almost… vulnerable.
"I need to get out of here," he said quietly, his voice softer now, laced with a rawness that caught her off guard. "Clear my head." He hesitated, the words sticking in his throat before he finally let them out. "Come with me."
Kamsi blinked, caught off guard. "Why me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Don't you have someone else for that?"
Xavier shrugged, his lips twitching into a faint, humorless smile. "Maybe I just don't trust anyone else to listen."
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. For a moment, she studied him—the tension in his posture, the way his eyes held hers with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. He looked like he was on the verge of unraveling, and for reasons she didn't quite understand, she couldn't bring herself to turn him down.
"I-I'll just grab a jacket," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, his fingers closed around her wrist, gentle but firm. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt through her, and she froze, looking back at him.
"Don't take too long," he said, his voice low and steady, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of hesitation. Then, as if realizing the moment lingered too long, he released her and stepped back, his expression retreating behind the familiar mask of indifference.
Kamsi swallowed hard, nodding before slipping inside. Her mind raced with questions she wasn't ready to confront. Whatever had just passed between them—whatever it was that made her chest feel tight and her thoughts scatter—one thing was certain: Xavier wasn't as invincible as he wanted the world to believe.
---
The rooftop stretched wide before them, bathed in a soft haze of golden light spilling from the distant skyline. The city below pulsed with life, its sounds faint but steady, like a heartbeat. Kamsi couldn't help but pause, her breath catching as her eyes swept over the sprawling view. It was mesmerizing, like stepping into another world far removed from their usual chaos.
Xavier sat perched on the edge of the fence-like wall, one leg dangling over the side. His back was hunched slightly, his shoulders taut like a coiled spring. The faint glow from the city lights carved shadows across his sharp features, making his unreadable expression seem even more guarded. The air around him felt heavy, as if his thoughts weighed him down.
Kamsi hesitated, fingers brushing the cool metal railing as she took a step closer. The Xavier she knew—cocky, sharp-tongued, and unshakable—felt like a distant memory. This version of him was raw, almost fragile.
"You're going to just stand there staring, or are you going to sit?" His voice cut through the silence, low and laced with a faint edge of sarcasm.
Her lips twitched into a faint smile, grateful for the familiarity in his tone. "Fine, bossy," she said softly, perching beside him. The height made her stomach flutter, but it was the tension in Xavier's frame that truly unsettled her.
He didn't speak immediately, his eyes fixed on the endless stretch of lights ahead. She waited, her hands gripping the edge of the wall for balance.
"Thanks for coming," he said suddenly, his voice quieter, tinged with something unfamiliar.
She glanced at him, her curiosity piqued. "You seemed like you needed someone," she replied gently, studying his face for any clue about what was eating at him.
Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable. Kamsi shifted, her gaze flicking to the city below, wondering if she'd made a mistake in asking. But just as she opened her mouth to say something, Xavier exhaled sharply, as if surrendering to a weight he could no longer carry.
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"My dad came by today," he began, his voice tight, words tumbling out like they'd been trapped for too long. His hands clenched into fists, the knuckles turning white. "He thinks he can just show up and pretend like nothing happened. Like I'm supposed to forget everything he's done."
Kamsi tilted her head, her brows knitting together as she watched him. Beneath the anger in his voice, she could hear something deeper—hurt, raw and unhealed.
"What happened between you two?" she asked cautiously, her tone barely above a whisper.
Xavier's jaw tightened, his gaze darkening as he stared out at the city. "What didn't happen?" he muttered bitterly. He hesitated for a moment, his fingers flexing against his knee, before continuing.
"The almighty Alastair," he said, the name rolling off his tongue with venom. "The great businessman. Perfect family man. Except he had an affair. My mom was the other woman, and I'm the dirty little secret he didn't want. He told her to get rid of me. Said I'd ruin his reputation."
Kamsi's heart sank at his words. She wanted to reach out, to say something, but the intensity in his voice held her still.
"But she didn't," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "She kept me. She fought for me. And for seventeen years, we've been fine without him. Now, out of nowhere, he thinks he can show up and play dad?" He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "It's pathetic. He's pathetic."
Kamsi swallowed hard, her chest tightening at the pain etched in his words. "That must've been so hard," she said softly.
Xavier didn't respond immediately. His hands gripped the edge of the wall, his knuckles whitening again. "It wasn't just hard. It was hell," he murmured.
Kamsi hesitated, then placed a hand on his shoulder. The contact seemed to pull him from his thoughts, and he turned to her, his eyes shadowed with an emotion she couldn't quite name.
Before she could react, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Her body stiffened in surprise, her breath hitching, but when she felt his shoulders tremble, her arms instinctively wrapped around him.
"I hate him so much," Xavier whispered, his voice breaking, the words pouring out like a confession. His body shook against hers, his breath warm against her neck.
Kamsi blinked back the sting of tears that threatened to form, her heart aching for him. "It's okay," she said softly, her voice steady despite the lump in her throat. "You're not alone, Xavier."
For a moment, the world seemed to fade around them, the city lights a distant blur. It was just the two of them, sitting on the edge of a world that had hurt them both in different ways, but somehow brought them here, together.