The next few days felt like a blur. My thoughts were consumed by Xavier, by everything he had said and done. I couldn't escape him. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, heard his voice. It was like he had become an unwelcome part of my life, an itch I couldn't scratch.
I tried to go about my days normally—job hunting, meeting up with Kayla, pretending I was okay—but the truth was, I wasn't. I was unraveling, pulled deeper and deeper into a web I never meant to get caught in.
On the third day after our encounter, I finally caved. I told myself I was just curious, that I needed closure, something to make sense of the chaos he had caused in my mind. So, I went to Noir. I walked in like I was just another woman out for a drink, but deep down, I knew it was more than that.
The club was dark and loud, the air thick with the scent of perfume and alcohol. The pulse of the music seemed to resonate in my bones as I made my way to the bar. I told myself I wasn't here for him—that I was just getting a drink and going home. But the truth was, I had been hoping, praying, that he would be here.
I didn't even know why I wanted to see him again. He was toxic, dangerous, everything I had promised myself to avoid. But there was something about him that I couldn't shake. A power, an intensity that seemed to draw me in like a moth to a flame.
I was nursing my second drink when I felt it—the sudden weight of his presence behind me. My spine went rigid, and my breath caught in my throat. I didn't have to turn around to know it was him. I could feel the electricity in the air, the magnetism that seemed to radiate off him.
"You came," Xavier's voice came from behind me, low and smooth.
I swallowed, setting my glass down and turning to face him. He was standing there, tall and composed, as always. But tonight, there was something different about him. His eyes were darker, more intense, as though he was waiting for something.
"Why are you here?" I asked, trying to mask the uncertainty in my voice. "I told you I didn't want any part of whatever this is."
"You're here, aren't you?" he replied, his gaze flickering over me, making my skin burn under his scrutiny. "You're not as good at staying away as you think you are."
I felt my pulse quicken, a mixture of anger and something else stirring inside me. "This is a mistake," I said, my words barely above a whisper. "I'm making a mistake."
"No," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "The mistake would be not coming to me when you know you want to."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. I was lying to myself. Deep down, I did want to see him. I was drawn to him in a way I couldn't explain, something that scared me more than anything else.
Before I could say anything, Xavier took a step forward, his hand brushing mine. The simple touch sent a shock of electricity through me, and I froze.
"You don't have to fight this, Zoey," he said softly. "I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you."
I pulled my hand away, but the damage was done. His words were like a spell, sinking deep into my chest. I wanted to push him away, to walk out and never look back. But I couldn't. Not with him standing there, not with that look in his eyes.
"You think you can control me?" I snapped, my voice trembling despite my anger.
"I know I can," he said, his smile slow and dangerous.
My breath hitched at his words, but before I could react, he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear. "You're already in my world, Zoey. You just don't realize it yet."
I stiffened, but I couldn't deny the truth in his words. He was right. Everything I had tried to avoid, everything I had promised myself I wouldn't do, had already happened. I was tangled in his world, and there was no easy way out.
As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't walk away. Not from him. Not from whatever this was between us.
"You're mine now," Xavier whispered, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. "And I don't let go."
The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, I felt like I was drowning in them. I wanted to scream, to push him away, but all I could do was stand there, my heart racing, knowing that I was falling deeper into the trap he had set.
I wasn't just caught in his web. I was already lost.
The days that followed blurred together in a haze of confusion and desire. Xavier was everywhere, even when he wasn't physically in front of me. His presence hung over me like a shadow, always there, never leaving. I couldn't stop thinking about him, about the way he looked at me, the way he made me feel things I shouldn't be feeling.
I tried to push him out of my mind, but it was futile. Every time I convinced myself to move on, to get back to my life, something would happen—something small, something subtle—and I would find myself falling deeper into the chaos he had created.
One evening, a week after the night at the club, my phone buzzed. I hesitated before looking at the screen, already knowing who it was.
Xavier.
Come over to my apartment, my address is *****************
I bit my lip, torn between the part of me that knew this was dangerous—insanely dangerous—and the part that craved whatever it was he had to offer. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the message. Every instinct screamed at me to say no, to ignore him, to walk away. But the pull, that insatiable pull, was too strong.
I needed to see him again.
I didn't even bother thinking it through. I grabbed my jacket, my breath quickening as I shoved my phone into my pocket. I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I arrived at his apartment, but it wasn't this.
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out into the luxurious hallway, my pulse racing. The soft sound of music drifted from somewhere within, and I knew he was inside, waiting. I walked to his door, my hand trembling slightly as I knocked. A moment later, it swung open, and Xavier stood there, as effortlessly perfect as always.
"Zoey," he said, his voice low, almost inviting. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
I swallowed hard, unable to speak. My mind was a swirl of questions, of doubts, but none of them could break the magnetic hold he had on me. I stepped inside, and the door clicked shut behind me, sealing me into his world once again.
Xavier didn't say anything for a moment. He simply stood there, his dark eyes studying me, and I felt exposed under his gaze, like he could see through every layer of me.
"What do you want from me, Xavier?" The words slipped out before I could stop them, my voice barely a whisper.
He smiled, but it wasn't a smile of amusement—it was something darker, more knowing. "I've already told you, Zoey. I want you."
My heart stuttered in my chest, a mixture of fear and something else—something I couldn't deny. "But why? Why me?"
"Because you're the one who keeps walking back to me," he said simply, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming. "You're the one who's always been drawn to the dark, even if you don't want to admit it."
I shook my head, desperate to hold on to some shred of control. "I'm not like you," I said, my voice shaky.
His gaze softened just slightly, but the intensity remained. "You're more like me than you realize."
I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream that I wasn't like him, that I had a life, a future, that this wasn't who I was supposed to be. But the truth was, I didn't know who I was anymore, not with him in the picture.
"You're playing with fire," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I was warning him or myself.
He chuckled softly, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us. "Fire is the only thing that can burn away the lies, Zoey. The only thing that can make you feel alive."
I looked up at him, feeling the heat radiate from his body, the magnetic force that seemed to pull me in with every breath I took. My head was spinning, my thoughts scattered. I didn't know if I should push him away or pull him closer. I didn't know if I was losing myself to him or if I was just trying to find something in him that I couldn't find anywhere else.
Before I could think about it any longer, his hand was on my chin, tilting my face up to meet his. His touch was gentle, almost tender, and for a brief moment, I wondered if there was more to him than the darkness he wrapped himself in.
"You've already given yourself to me," he said, his voice low and quiet. "Whether you realize it or not."
The words hit me harder than I expected, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. He was right. I had already crossed a line, already stepped into his world, and there was no turning back now.
I should have pulled away. I should have told him to leave, to let me go, to stop doing this to me. But instead, I closed the distance between us, my lips finding his in a kiss that was both a surrender and a question.
What was I doing? What was I becoming?
I didn't have the answers, but in that moment, I didn't care. The pull was too strong, the desire too overwhelming. All I knew was that I was lost, and I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to be found.