Chapter 15: Thoughts I Shouldn't Be Having
(Xavier's POV )
I should've gone home and forgotten about her.
That's what I always did.
I tore people down, humiliated them, made them wish they had never crossed me—
And then I moved on.
But this time?
I couldn't.
Even after I told Vanessa to back off.
Even after I made it clear that Elena Monroe was mine to deal with.
She was still stuck in my head.
—
Home –
I tossed my bag onto the couch, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before sinking into the chair.
I should've felt satisfied.
Yesterday, I pushed her to the brink.
I had seen the way her eyes filled with tears, the way she crumbled right in front of me.
So why the fuck did I feel like I had just lost?
I ran a hand down my face, exhaling sharply.
Maybe I was just pissed that Grayson had stepped in.
That he had stood up for her.
That he looked at me like I was the one losing control.
I took a slow sip of water, staring at the ceiling.
Grayson's words from yesterday echoed in my head.
"You push her because you want a reaction out of her."
"You're obsessed with her."
No.
I wasn't obsessed.
I just… needed to finish what I started.
Elena Monroe thought she could stand up to me.
She thought she could talk back, fight back, defy me.
And maybe that was what pissed me off the most.
Because no one did that.
No one challenged me like she did.
No one looked me in the eye and refused to back down.
And I fucking hated it.
I leaned back, rubbing my temples.
Tomorrow, I'd see her again.
And this time?
I'd remind her exactly where she stood.
—
The Next Day –
I walked into Ridgewood Academy like I owned the place.
Because I did.
People moved aside when they saw me.
They always did.
But my eyes were already searching for her.
I spotted her almost instantly.
Elena.
Walking down the hallway, clutching her books tightly, her face blank.
Like she was trying to pretend like yesterday hadn't happened.
Like she was trying to shut out the world.
Something about that made my chest tighten.
I should've been grinning.
I had broken her, hadn't I?
So why the fuck did I feel like I wanted to push her even more—
Just to see if she'd fight back?
I clenched my jaw.
This was getting dangerous.
I needed to get her out of my head.
Or worse—
I needed to figure out why she was still there.
—