For the next few days, Xavier didn't contact me. No texts, no surprise visits, nothing. It was as if he'd vanished into thin air, and I should have been relieved. But I wasn't.
Instead, I felt restless, constantly looking at my phone, wondering if he would appear again. The memory of his touch, his words—Because I can't stay away—played on an endless loop in my mind. He was consuming me, even in his absence.
By the end of the week, I was desperate for a distraction. Kayla invited me out to dinner, and I jumped at the chance, hoping some normalcy would shake me out of whatever spell Xavier had cast over me.
We went to a trendy little bistro downtown, and for the first hour, I managed to laugh and keep up with Kayla's stories about her chaotic work life. But as the night went on, I felt that familiar pull again, like an invisible thread tugging me toward something—or someone.
"Zoey, are you even listening to me?" Kayla asked, snapping her fingers in front of my face.
"Sorry," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "I'm just tired."
Kayla frowned, leaning forward. "You've been acting weird ever since that night at Noir. Did...did something happen with Xavier?"
I hesitated, my fingers tightening around my glass. "Not really. He's just...confusing."
"That's one way to put it," Kayla muttered, rolling her eyes. "Look, I know he's hot, but seriously, Zoey. You don't want to get involved with someone like him. Guys like Xavier don't do normal relationships. They destroy people."
Her words stung, but I couldn't argue with her. Deep down, I knew she was right. Whatever was happening between Xavier and me wasn't normal. It wasn't healthy. But it was intoxicating, and I didn't know how to stop it.
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the table. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the message light up the screen.
Unknown Number: Come outside.
I froze, my pulse pounding in my ears.
"What is it?" Kayla asked, noticing the change in my expression.
"It's nothing," I lied, shoving my phone into my bag. "Just a spam text."
But I knew it wasn't.
Excusing myself to use the restroom, I slipped out the front door instead. The night air was crisp, biting against my skin, but I barely noticed. My eyes scanned the street, and then I saw him.
Xavier stood by a sleek black car parked at the curb, his hands in his pockets, watching me with that same intense gaze that made my stomach twist.
"You're stalking me now?" I asked, crossing my arms as I approached him.
"Call it keeping an eye on you," he said casually, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
"You can't just show up wherever you want," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.
"I can if I have a reason," he replied smoothly.
"And what's your reason tonight?"
He stepped closer, the air between us charged. "I wanted to see you."
My breath hitched, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Why?"
"Because you're in my head, Zoey," he said, his voice low and quiet. "And I don't know how to get you out."
His words hit me like a freight train, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. I hated how easily he could disarm me, how he always seemed to know exactly what to say to keep me hooked.
"You need to stop doing this," I said finally, my voice trembling.
"Doing what?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Showing up, confusing me, making me feel things I shouldn't," I said, my words tumbling out in a rush. "I don't even know who you really are,Xavier.
Xavier's gaze never wavered, like he was waiting for me to crumble under the weight of his silence. His presence was overwhelming, suffocating, and for a moment, I wondered if I had made a mistake coming outside to face him. The cool night air felt colder now, like it was pressing in on me, suffocating me even more than his dark eyes did.
"You're right, Zoey," he said softly, his voice cutting through the tension between us. "You don't know who I am. And that's part of the problem, isn't it?"
I clenched my fists at my sides, my heart hammering in my chest. Stop it, I wanted to say. Stop playing with me. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, I found myself stepping closer, drawn in by that gravity of his, unable to resist even though every part of me screamed to run.
"Why do you keep coming after me?" I whispered, my voice shaky despite my best efforts to sound strong. "What do you want from me?"
He tilted his head, his eyes flickering with something I couldn't place—something raw, vulnerable, and yet still terrifying. "I want to see how far you'll go," he said slowly, his voice low, almost a challenge. "I want to know if you'll fall into the dark with me, or if you'll run back to the light."
I took a step back, shaking my head in disbelief. "This isn't a game, Xavier. People don't just—"
"You're not just people," he interrupted, his voice low, almost a growl now. "You're different, Zoey. You've always been different. I can see it in you."
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening with a mix of fear and something else—something I was unwilling to admit to myself. "I'm not your toy, Xavier. I don't want whatever it is you're offering."
His lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "No one ever does, at first. But it's not about what you want, Zoey. It's about what I want."
A shiver ran down my spine, but I fought it off, forcing myself to stand taller. "I don't know what it is about you," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them, "but I don't want to get tangled up in your world."
"Too late," he said simply, his voice dropping to a low murmur as he closed the distance between us. "You already are."
I took another step back, my breath coming faster now, my mind scrambling for a way out. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't the kind of life I'd imagined for myself—one filled with danger, with shadows, with men like Xavier who could easily consume you whole. But here I was, standing at the edge of a cliff, and I couldn't bring myself to jump.
"I'm not like you," I said, my voice weak despite my best efforts. "I can't live like that."
Xavier's gaze softened for a fraction of a second, and I almost believed him when he spoke next. "You're stronger than you think, Zoey. I've seen it."
I shook my head, my chest tight with frustration. "You don't get to decide that."
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stood there, studying me, his dark eyes scanning my face with an intensity that made my skin burn. Finally, he sighed, almost like he was disappointed.
"Fine," he said, his voice shifting into something colder. "But don't think for a second you can just walk away from this. You've already made your choice. You're involved now. Whether you like it or not."
His words hit me like a physical blow. I wanted to fight him, to tell him he was wrong, but deep down, I knew he was right. Somehow, without meaning to, I had already stepped into his world. There was no easy way out anymore.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, barely above a whisper.
Xavier's eyes flickered, and for a moment, I saw a trace of something—something almost human—before the mask of indifference slid back into place. "Because I want you, Zoey. And I'm not the type to let go."
Before I could respond, he was gone, slipping into the shadows as quickly as he had appeared. The world around me seemed to freeze as I stood there, my heart racing, the weight of his words settling heavily in my chest.
I should have felt relief when he left. I should have been grateful for the distance between us.
But all I felt was emptiness, and the undeniable pull of something dark, something dangerous, that I couldn't escape, no matter how hard I tried.
I was already in too deep.