Love, Helena

Chapter 15

"The audacity of the bastard..." Terrance muttered bitterly, staring out the floor-to-ceiling glass wall of his house. 

"It's not that surprising, but God... The look on her face." Xavier sighed, tipping back his head to drain the last of his drink. He hadn't yet convinced himself that he made the right choice in leaving the house, Helena and the children.

"Why are you here?" Terrance grumbled pouring his friend another drink. Xavier gave him a hard glare. Terrance is the one and only friend he had kept in contact with since their college days. Admittedly they weren't joined by the hip. Both of them were lone wolves, and they walked different walks in life, and maybe that was the perfect recipe for a friendship as long lasting as theirs. They could talk to one another about anything knowing that they weren't acquainted with the other person's world.

"When we left his office, I expected her to feel some kind of happy..." Xavier shook his head, the alcohol was strating to cloud his thoughts. "She was just very quiet and distant, and no matter what I could do or say, it wouldn't snap her out of it."

Terrance took the armchair opposite him. "Well, no shit. She just left her husband of about two decades. No matter how big of a douche he is, you expect her to throw a party to celebrate?"

"Not that!" Xavier groaned, kneading his temples. "Helena doesn't usually shut me out, and this time it seemed final... I don't like it."

"Look," Terrance pointed at him with his half empty glass. "Give her a break, alright? It doesn't take a genius to figure out that things like these take time and energy. Plus, think about it- How would she feel if she ditched her husband and jumped into the arms of another man the next day? Not just any other man, but her and her husband's friend who was secretly in love with her all these years and helped her get a divorce."

"Alright, shut up, I get it." Xavier huffed. It did sound bad, outrageous even, but only him and Helena knew the truth of things, and they weren't like that. At least he knew that, but what of her? Could she possibly think that he only wanted her to get a divorce so that he could be with her? No, surely not. Terrance was a terrible influence sometimes. He shouldn't take his words to heart. "When did you get all wise and sensible? Last time I checked, you swore off of relationships and the headaches that come with."

Terrance discarded his drink on the little tabe between them. "I'm none the wiser, trust me. I'm getting myself in all kinds of troubles these days."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Xavier fixed his watchful gaze on the man. Terrance wasn't exactly a man of trouble. He liked his peace and solitude way too much. It's the reason for his celibacy rules. Xavier had never once seen the man in a relationship in all the years he'd known him. "You're involved with someone aren't you?"

Terrance gave him a non-comittal shrug. Xavier straightened in his seat. "Please don't tell me it's an affair."

He received a cold glare, "You're one to talk?"

"I'm not having an affair, what the f***?" Xavier said defensively, "So you are involved in one!"

"No I'm not, a**hole." Terrance ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "It's worse."

He stopped in his track, "What could be worse than that?"

Terrance eyed him for a minute too long, as though deciding whether it's wise to tell him at all. Xavier gave him a knowing look to which he sighed in defeat. "She's a student."

"Excuse me?" Xavier gaped at his friend in shock. Terrance had been a professor for more than a decade. A well-respected and successful business professor whose reputation stemmed from his strict ways. He wasn't involved in scandals or rumours of any sort. A true lone wolf through and through. Although he had his womanizing ways in secret every once in awhile, he was the last person Xavier would think to get involved with a student. The grim look on Terrance's face had him convinced he heard him right. "You are serious."