When A Bully Falls In Love by Valerie Sax (good books to read for women TXT) 📖

~Aoife~
In silence, we went. In silence, we came back to the cottage.
He fixed his jacket on my shoulder as I could feel his warmth around my body. I clenched his jacket tightly, just to get his scent inside me.
We reached the cottage as we quietly entered the house. Suddenly, someone turned on the lights; we saw Zareena stood in front of us.
She gave me a killer look.
"What are you doing with him? Didn't I told you to stay away from him?" She growled.
"I... I..."
Before I could speak, Xander came in between us.
"Back off, don't talk to her like this." He snarled at her.
"Ok, then you talk to me," she glared at me as she raised her hands to surrender herself.
I didn't want to come in between them; quietly, I started walking towards my room.
"Hey, you." She stopped me.
She stomped towards me as she snatched the jacket from my shoulder.
"You little whore, I knew what you are trying to do with him." She said in a lower voice.
Tears filled my eyes; she blamed me for something I didn't commit.
Xander grabbed her hand and dragged her into their room.
I could hear loud noises coming from their room. They were fighting over me. I heard the shuttering of glass; I was scared like hell.
Suddenly, Xander opened his door as he walked towards my room.
He stopped and looked at me.
"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to...." I whispered, covering my mouth with my palms.
He caressed my cheek with his fingers.
"It's not your fault. Go sleep, goodnight,"
He went down as he dragged the couch near the fireplace, not to mention the weather was pretty cold, and all he had was a jacket with him.
I was looking at him as he was struggling to sleep, turned here and there. Once he slept, I walked down and covered him with a warm blanket. The firelight showcased his face perfectly. He looked like a baby when he sleeps; those brown glossy eyes were closed in a thin line. I covered those muscular arms under the blanket. I didn't know how long I looked at him; the more  I see him, the more I wanted to touch him. 
We are bad for each other, Xander. But why my heart craves for you? Looking you like this, wanting you... it's bad,... it's really bad. I am bad for you...
You already have someone in your life, and it made me a selfish person if I crave for you. I am not a bad person, am I?
He turned the other way as it snapped me out from my thoughts.
I pecked a delicate kiss on his head as I left for my room.
******
 The next morning when I woke up, everyone was getting ready to leave home.
I heard Zareena crying in her annoying noise, blaming me in front of everyone.
"It's because of her we fought. Why don't you leave us alone?" She screamed.
I looked around as Xander was not there.
"Where is he?" I asked Matt as he tried to take me upstairs.
"He left, he took off, his jeep is not here," Matt replied.
"Took off?" 
"Yeah, just stay in your room. I am taking her with me, and you come with the rest." He tried to make me calm down.
I agreed as I saw everyone was looking at me with a questionable gaze.
After some time, Matt and Zareena left.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Raphael knocked on the door.
I nodded as I felt guilty for all the mess.
He sat next to me as he tried to read my face.
"Is everything ok?" He said.
I didn't know what to say.
"We went for a walk and, Zareena misunderstood everything."
I wanted to clarify everything.
"I am not talking about Zareena. I am talking about you and Xander."
He stated.

"I don't know what to say. We..." I stuttered.
"Sometimes we don't understand what we are actually feeling for the person who is in front of us."
"Aoife, I have never seen Xander like this."
"He is different for you; please don't judge him from other's perspectives."
"I hope you both sit and clear your heart. Please talk your heart out with him; he is an idiot; he will never understand what you want from him."
"And he will never understand what he wants for himself," he smiled.
Quietly I listened to him, and somehow it calmed my soul.
After some time, we left for the cottage with a sweet and sour memory.
*****
They left me at my dorm. I thought to call Matt, but I was not sure about him being with Xander or Zareena. Either way, he always became a responsible person who used to handle other people's mess.
I went for a hot shower to relax my mind and finally wanted to focus on my studies.
I was flipping my books as I was busy making notes, suddenly, my phone buzzed.

"Hello, Aoife. Where are you?" Matt blurted.
"I am in my room. Why? What happened?" I replied.
"I need you to go to the city hospital, urgently."
He added.
"Why, are you ok?" I panicked.
"I am fine. It's Xander; he met with an accident, and he didn't call anyone except me. So please don't call anyone."

"But where are you?" I wanted to know.
"After dropping Zareena, I came to visit my mom; It's a two-hour journey, but don't worry, I am coming back." He answered.
"Please check him, and call me." He said.
"Ok, ok... I will go..." I hastily grabbed my stuff, changed my clothes, and headed towards the hospital.
*****
My mind stopped working when I heard Matt's voice, although he didn't tell me about his situation. It was my job to find out. I tried to think positive, but internally I was scared. 
How did this happen to him? 
I reached the hospital as I ran out of the taxi.
I rushed towards the information centre. I said,
"Is there any patient name Xander Baston?" 
The lady looked at me with an attitude, and she was not at all bothered to answer.
She stood and threw her coffee cup in the trash.
I slammed the counter as I was being impatient.
"Xander Baston, is he here?"
The nurse scanned the screen in front of her eyes.
"Who are you?"She graveled.
"Just answer me, where is he? Is he ok?" I screamed, looking at her lazy ass.
"The man with drunk and drive case," a sound came from her back.
"He is in that room," she rolled her eyes.
The door was slightly open; I ran as I saw the nurse throwing the cotton soaked with blood.  My heartbeat raised when I saw the cotton and bandages in her tray.
I slightly pushed the door as I saw him sitting, facing his back towards me. The nurse came out with a blank face.
"Xander," my voice was choked as I saw stains on his t-shirt.
I walked in front of him as I saw he got a slight cut over his head.
We were looking at each other as my body was shivering with fear.
He looked at me as his eyes wide opened.
"Aoife, I am sorry about yesterday..." he purred.
"Shut up, just shuuut your mouthhhh," I hugged him as I cried harder. Watching him like this, I lost my control.
I grabbed him tightly, although I was not able to cover his body with my small hands. 
"Where were you? How the hell you think you could leave me like this? Why did you drink and drive?" I didn't know what else I said in one breath. I was upset about his condition.
"Aoife," he whispered.
I slightly punched him with my fist on his chest as I pulled his t-shirt towards me snuggled my head under his broad chest.
"How could you leave me like this? If you do this again, I will kill you by myself," I snarled at him.
We looked into each other's eyes. My eyes were filled with tears as he was amazed at my behavior.
He wiped my tears with his finger pads as he caressed my cheeks slightly with a slight smile.
"Do you want to kill me?" he husked.