Addicted to the Billionaire

-13-

I climb out of bed, to see a box on my bedside. Surprised, I open it, and inside is the brand new iPhone 14 pro max. I gasped in surprise. There is also a note in the box; it says:

Candy,

I know that your parents restrict your phone usage (why they do that is beyond me), so I decided to buy you this to keep in touch, as I believe that we will be talking a lot.

Will be seeing you.

Xavier.

I am shocked. How did he know that I have restricted phone use? I switch on the phone, and I see a message pop up from Xavier.

Xavier: Meet me at noon

Is that a date? I think that it might be.

I slip the phone into its box and hide it under my bed. If my parents find it, Ill have no way to explain how an expensive phone came to be in my possession.

I rush downstairs. Since it is a Sunday morning, my parents are at home, but that does not mean that we spend family time together or whatever that may be. After breakfast, I stay shut up in my room with granola bars and study until dinner which is by 5pm. I'm allowed 2 hours of phone time.

Breakfast is toast and scrambled eggs with my parents. After breakfast, my mom hands me my phone. I rush to my bedroom and switch on my phone. Immediately, I see tons of messages.

Jordan: Candy are you safe at home?

Jordan: Xavier is looking for you. He seems worried. What happened?

Jordan: Gave Xavier your number. Hope you dont mind ;-)

Random number: Candace please Im sorry. This is Xavier by the way.

Jordan: Xavier looks really worried. Pls pick up.

Random number: Do you need a ride home? Are you safe? Please text me back.

Random number: Im coming to your house right now.

Jordan: Xavier just left. He looks so troubled. Call me tomorrow and well talk.

I also see 8 missed calls from the random number (Xavier) and 2 from Jordan.

What the starfish?

I quickly call Jordan. He picks up almost instantly.

"What happened last night Candace? I was so worried about you – so was your billionaire boyfriend."

I explained to him all that had happened last night and he was quiet for a few moments while he listened. I expected him to call Xavier rude names, maybe even threaten to kill him, but Jordan's words took me by surprise.

"I think you should give him a chance, Jordan said. He obviously has feelings for you and the fact that he was so upset that he got drunk just goes to show you how much he cares for you."

"What  does him getting drunk have anything to do with him caring for me?"

"Candy , I hate to say this but you are really dumb. How do you know absolutely nothing about this guy?", Jordan sounds incredulous and I am about to respond when he quickly continues.

"Xavier was found at the age of five living in an abusive home with his alcoholic father who was a pimp in England. His mother was a prostitute. When social services found him, they took him to an orphanage, and a few months later, he was adopted by an American family – the Reyes family. Even now, none of the Reyes have much to do with sponsoring alcoholism. Xavier one turned down a ten-million-dollar project because it was sponsoring alcoholism."