“Melanie, can we please talk about this?” I beg, tempted to drop to my knees if that will help my cause. “I know I fucked up. It’s something I do incredibly well the moment I drop my guard, which is why I try to never do that. But when it comes to you, I can’t help it. What you make me feel is too much for me to resist.”
“Xavier, I need some time to think. I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” she says sadly before turning away from me. I watch her, stunned, as she jogs across the park to where row of taxis lines the curb. It kills me to let her leave me standing in the park but this is how it has to be if we’re going to fix us. I’ve already pushed her too far for one night.
Chapter 23
Tears stream down my face as I run to the road. With every step, my brain tells me to speed up while my heart tells me to turn around and run into Xavier’s arms. I can’t look back or I know I’ll cave, I only hope that he’s not following me.
When Xavier showed up at my apartment earlier, I was hoping for a much different outcome to the evening; one involving the two of us naked, tangled in the sheets. But when he decided he wanted to talk about what Jacob said this morning and started telling me all about his hopes and dreams for our future, something inside of me snapped. At that point, my emotions got the better of me and I acted without thinking rationally.
Only after I’m safely inside the silver taxi do I allow myself to look back to the water. Off in the distance, I can see Xavier standing, staring, his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. Once I have a bit of time to calm down, I will text him to make sure he understands I’m not running away from him. I just need some time to think about everything we said to each other tonight. I give the driver Tyler’s address and send him a quick text, warning him that I’m coming over for a slumber party.
“Hey, girly! Why are you here instead of with Xavier? I thought you were going to dress up and melt the pants right off his tight buns tonight.” As soon as his lips stop moving, he sees the mascara streaks running down my face and pulls me in tight to his chest. “Do I need to go kick that man’s ass? I warned him that I would if he hurt you again.”
Tyler drags me inside his apartment and I curl into the end of the couch, pulling an afghan over my exposed legs. Being the amazing friend that he is, Tyler pours a generous glass of wine and hands it to me as he mirrors my position on the other end of the couch.
“So, tell me what happened,” he presses, concern etching his face.
“Everything was great,” I sigh, because it was. The beginning of the night was beyond any expectations I had for a night out with Xavier. “He took me to Coop’s on the Square and we sat outside to eat. I don’t know what it is about being up there, but it was damn-near magical. Seriously, best date ever. I pointed out to him that we’d never gone on a date before and I think he felt bad about that.”
“Good! You deserve a man who’s willing to wine and dine you, treat you like a princess. That, along with a couple other things, is the reason I didn’t like you with him before. It always seemed like the two of you were living in your own little bubble, never getting out to live.” His hazel eyes pierce deep into my soul as he watches me carefully for any sign of emotion. I hate to disappoint him, but now that I’ve had a little while to calm down, I feel numb. I’m not anticipating anymore explosive outbursts because I’m working diligently to turn off the part of me that feels anything. Now is the time to be rational, not emotional.
“I know, Ty, but you also know that what we had worked for us,” I remind him, leaning away from him. I narrow my eyes, sizing him up to gage whether or not this is going to turn into another fight. I can deal with the confrontation with Xavier because it was a necessary evil for both of us to make sure we’re making smart decisions. But Tyler, I can’t handle arguing with him because he’s one of the few true friends I have in my life. And because I know that, although he’s a bit hasty to judge at times, he does have my best interests at heart.
“I’m not going to go into all that with you right now,” he says dismissively, pressing his lips into a tight line. “Tell me what happened to take you from fairy tale princess to this ragged mess.” He hands me a tissue and I try to clean up the streaks drying on my face.
“We went to the park.” I truly hope Xavier and I come out the other side of this spat stronger than ever because that park has been my sanctuary for most of my life. I don’t want such a beautiful place tarnished with memories of the night my heart was ripped from my chest a second time.
“And? You used to love going down there,” Tyler pushes when I’m not forthcoming.