"I've found you."
Victoria froze at the sound of his voice, a voice she hadn't heard in almost two years. "Victoria," Xavier called her name softly, almost like a whisper.
The memories rushed back to her, flooding her mind with a mix of happiness and heartbreak. She turned to face him, her breath catching in her throat. "W-what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice unsteady.
Xavier took a step closer, but she immediately recoiled. "D-don't come closer," she warned, her eyes flashing with old wounds.
"Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands in surrender as he stopped in his tracks. But the distance between them felt too great, and the words he needed to say were burning on his tongue.
Victoria stood up, her body trembling, ready to leave, but Xavier reached out, grabbing her wrist gently. "Please, just let me explain," he begged, desperation lacing his voice.
"Xavier, let go of my hand." Her voice was cold, but there was a quiver underneath.
"Just hear me out—"
"What's there to explain?" she cut him off sharply, her voice rising. The dam holding her anger was on the verge of bursting.
"It wasn't what you think—"
"You're really going to tell me it's misunderstanding!?" she exploded, her voice raw and shaking. "You fucking kissed her! You slept with her!"
Her fury, suppressed for nearly two years, finally broke free. Her face flushed with anger and hurt, her eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall.
"You promised me, Xavier. You fucking promised me," she said, her voice trembling with the weight of all the times she'd kept quiet. "Did you know I let you fucking cheat on me? I stayed silent. I knew you were with her. Every time."
Xavier opened his mouth, trying to find the right words, but she wasn't done.
"You thought you were safe, didn't you? Thought I wouldn't notice? You thought I'd never find out?" She stepped forward, her voice soft but cutting. "But I knew, Xavier. I knew when you did it with her."
"I—" he stammered, but she cut him off again.
"Do you have any respect?" Her voice broke as the tears finally spilled over. "You did it at our house. The place we called home."
Xavier's eyes darted to the floor. His silence was answer enough, and the guilt was written all over his face.
"What did I do wrong?" Victoria's voice dropped to a whisper, her strength slipping away. "I gave you everything. My love, my body... I gave up my dreams for you. I gave up my dance career. I thought we had a future together." She wiped her eyes furiously. "But you threw it all away. Do you even know how it feels, Xavier? To be cheated on and stay silent because you're too scared to admit you're not enough?"
Xavier looked at her, but there were no words that could fix the damage.
Victoria brushed past him, her steps slow but purposeful. She stopped just a few steps away, her voice soft, almost like a confession. "I'm not dumb, Xavier. But I'm a fool... for still loving you."
Xavier turned to face her, but she was already gone. The emptiness swallowed the space she left behind, and he stood there, alone. His hand ran through his hair in frustration before he let out an anguished scream, "FUCK!"
But it was too late.
Days had passed, but those words lingered in Xavier's mind. "But I'm a fool for still loving you." The weight of it gnawed at him, an echo he couldn't shake.
