close to my dialling heart

63🌹secrets and lies

🎶you and me, sitting here, spinning gears. We're like a stolen car. Hand in mine, felling like this us right, but it's just not ours. The greatest pretenders forget to remember the lies🎶
                  ~Alex and Sierra~

XAVIER 🥀

This girl consumed my every thought, driving me wild in ways I never thought possible. I was completely hooked on her, and it still felt unreal that she was mine. She slipped her arm through mine as we made our way to the table where Dad sat, surrounded by the rest of the family. It was like a reunion-something Mr. Meadows insisted on every year for his birthday. I pulled out her chair, and she graced me with a faint smile as she sat down, and I took the seat beside her. The table was laden with food, though some had already eaten their fill. Still, the birthday man loved this tradition of gathering us all to share a meal together.

"Let's give grace first," Mr. Meadows announced. I caught the flicker of shock in Dove's eyes, her brows raising just a bit. It was actually funny-a man like him saying something like that. But then again, despite everything, he had this strange religious side to him. "Xavier... why don't you lead us in grace?" Huh? I stared at him, and the entire table burst into laughter, even Dove, who knew me far too well. The man had never once asked me to do that.

"I... uh, I can't?" I said, half questioning, thrown off completely. Dove shot me an amused smile, her eyes filled with understanding. But I had a sneaking suspicion the old man did this on purpose.

Luckily, he moved on and pointed to someone else. After the prayer, my aunt-Mr. Meadows' youngest sister-spoke up. "Well, Xavier... you don't even care to introduce your lady here?"

She was the youngest of the family, even younger than his firstborn, Cassius. I shrugged, leaning back in my chair. "At least you know who she is," I said, glancing at Dove. She kept her head down, her focus on the food in front of her, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

"Does that mean she'll be the mafia queen when you take over?" my aunt asked, her voice teasing, but the weight of the question settled like a cloud over the table. I glanced at Dove again; I knew how much she hated hearing things like that. I just hummed in response, avoiding the subject, knowing it was the last thing Dove wanted to talk about.

"She must be really good at handling you," my cousin chimed in. I wasn't in the mood for their games, so I gave a tight smile.

"That means you know everything about him, right..." she trailed off, clearly trying to recall Dove's name. Xander, sitting across from me, cut in smoothly, "Dove." His eyes flicked to me, waiting to see how I'd react. But like I said, I wasn't in the mood, and I wasn't about to let them scare Dove off.

"I know what I need to know," Dove answered calmly.

"You know about his anger issues, too?" my uncle added, his tone pointed. It was clear they were all trying to make her uncomfortable.

"Yes," Dove replied without missing a beat. "But I know how to handle them."

I couldn't help but smile at her response. I hadn't expected her to speak up like that, but she held her own.

"Oh, that's hot," someone else muttered, making my blood simmer even more. This was the part of these birthdays I hated-the constant digging, the prying. It was always the same.

"So you actually know everything about him?" Xander spoke up again, and the second his voice cut through the air, I knew nothing good would follow. He had a way of stirring trouble that made my patience wear thin.

"I'm sure you've told him everything about you," he continued, a sneer curling his lips. "That's obvious, especially after he murdered your uncle without a second thought. Not even caring about what'll happen when your dad gets out."