Chapter 13
Yolanda replied, “Xavier is so hard to get! Can’t you just give me a little something? Please?” She then attached a sad puppy–eyes emoji.
Isabella replied, “I’m begging you to also please spare me! I have a terrible relationship with him. Don’t you have his number? Go bug him instead.” This time, Isabella sent a head- banging emoji.
She couldn’t take Yolanda’s pestering anymore. Her heart couldn’t handle the stress.
Yolanda replied, “Fine.”
After that, there were no more messages. She probably went off to bother Xavier. Isabella glanced up at the third floor of the villa, hoping he would survive.
At 10:00 pm, the house was quiet, with everyone having gone to their rooms to rest. She stepped out of her room, holding an empty water glass, and nearly bumped into Xavier, who had also come out at the same time.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He was wearing a deep gray silk pajama set. His hair was slightly damp, naturally falling over his forehead. It was obvious that he had just showered.
Suddenly, Yolanda’s earlier message popped into her head, and she couldn’t help but glance at him again.
His features were sharp and well–defined, but with his slightly wet hair, he seemed softer than usual. The shadowed lines of his face, softened by the dim lighting, made him look even more alluring. He looked very tempting.
Earlier, Yolanda had said she’d find a way to call him. Who knew if she had video–called him?
Isabella lowered her eyes, deep in thought.
Xavier noticed her empty glass. The door to her room was left slightly ajar, and cool air from the air conditioner was drifting out, lightly brushing over them both..
Without saying a word, he glanced at her again. He was silently scolding her for setting the AC so low again.
She understood it. They both quickly averted their gazes, remembering they were exes. The boundaries were clear now.
Isabella had a bad habit of setting the AC to a freezing temperature whenever she was in her room. It was the first thing she did as soon as she stepped inside.
Xavier used to try and break her of this habit when they were together. For one, she always got sick because of it. And two, she’d get sleepy quickly in that cold air, making things
Chipp
inconvenient for him when he had… other plans.
Every time he caught her doing it back then, she’d sweet–talk her way out of it. But now, they stood in silence, a wide gulf between them.
She wasn’t even thinking about anything in particular, just unsure of what to say.
However, Xavier seemed to be uncomfortable. He turned away and started heading downstairs.
Isabella glanced at her empty glass, sighed, and followed him down.
The staircase was long and winding, and they both walked slowly. By the time they reached the first floor, the housekeeper came over, asking if they needed anything.
Xavier replied, “It’s fine. I just need to grab some water. You can go rest.”
The housekeeper nodded and left.
Xavier grabbed a cup from the table in the living room and headed to the back kitchen.
Isabella filled her cup with water at the tea table. She was about to head back upstairs but hesitated, glancing toward the lit kitchen. After a few seconds of indecision, she filled another cup and followed him.
Xavier was retrieving ice from the fridge. Hearing movement behind him, he turned to see her quietly closing the kitchen door. He leaned back against the fridge, watching her.
Isabella, having just struggled with the door, let out a breath and turned to find him staring at
her.
The kitchen was large–nearly 600 square feet–but for some reason, his gaze made her feel like the space was shrinking around her.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Without saying a word, she walked over, stopping about two feet from him. She set her cup on the table behind him, then reached for the cup he was holding, which was half–filled with ice. He didn’t stop her, loosening his grip and letting her take it.
The cup felt cool in her hand.
She poured water from the cup she’d filled into his, combining them.
He watched her quietly as she mixed the ice and water, then handed the cup back to him. After 18 years of growing up together and two years as a couple, she knew he preferred his water
cold.
He glanced at the cup but didn’t take it right away. Instead, he looked back at her. What now?
Looking like she had mustered all her courage, Isabella finally spoke, “I want to ask you something.” Her tone was soft, almost pleading. She was trying to make peace.
There was a moment when Xavier thought she might be asking to get back together, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
“Can we just start acting like normal siblings from now on?”
There it was.
Xavier’s face darkened. “What kind of nonsense is this?”
“I’m serious,” Isabella said, blushing in frustration. “We’re going to keep living under the same roof, right? We can’t keep fighting all the time and not talking at all.”
“Look. This afternoon, we actually got along for once. Mom and Dad were so happy. All I’m asking is, even if we can’t stand each other, can we at least pretend to be friendly in front of them? Just act like normal siblings, okay?” She said in an earnest tone.
The more she spoke, the colder Xavier’s expression became. To cool off, he finally took the cup of ice water and drank a large gulp.
Isabella watched him expectantly, waiting for his response.
After a moment, he said, “No.” He drank the water she offered but refused her request.
“Why not?” She was exasperated. Talking to him felt impossible.
“Kissing, sleeping together–which one of these things haven’t we done? You tell me. How can we act like siblings now? What siblings kiss, sleep together, and date? Do you kiss and sleep with your real brother?”
Isabella’s face flushed deep red at his bluntness. “That’s why I said we could at least fake it! You can’t even pretend, can you?” she insisted. Maybe it was because she had grown up without a stable family that harmony at home meant everything to her.
Xavier was still a part of that family.
“Nope,” Xavier replied, straight to the point.
“I hold grudges, and I don’t forgive easily, so stop thinking about it,” he said with finality and started to leave.
Isabella regretted even trying to approach him tonight. If she’d known he resented her this much, she would have stayed far away. She shouldn’t have bothered fetching him water, either.
‘Xavier, is that you?” a voice called from outside the door.
It was Olivia.
Isabella felt her heart stop.
