Raine Woods thought her life would always be like the rain: gloomy, gray and undesired. She was lonely and quiet , living with the bitter memories of tragic past. But little did she know that there was a man out there. A man who was in love with the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The sun was high up in the sky on the bright afternoon. After the confrontation of the job, Raine had insisted on going back to the cafe to resume her shift. However, Xavier had convinced her to stay for lunch and then go soon after.
The air was cool yet it was the perfect whether to be outside, enjoying the last few days before snow would begin to fall from the sky, covering the ground in a blanket of shimmering white crystals.
Raine sat down on the chair that rested on top of Xavier's deck. Just like his house, his backyard was massive and grand. Equip with a full outdoor kitchen, pool, bonfire, pond, and a gorgeous garden that stretched across the vast landscape that was a part of Xavier's property.
"It's so nice out here." Raine said, looking out at the gorgeous landscaping that was maintained to perfection. The sound of water flowing from the fountain was music to Raine's ears, creating a soothing atmosphere. "It's so quiet and peaceful. Just the way I like it!" She smiled, taking a deep breath of the fresh air that flowed by through the breeze.
"It is..." Xavier said, following Raine's eyes. "Unfortunately this is my first time sitting out here in two months."
Raine snapped her head back towards Xavier who was pouring out a cut of tea for both Raine and himself. "You're joking right?" Raine asked in disbelief.
"I wish."
"Why?" Raine asked, confused. "I mean this....this paradise is in your backyard and you come here after two months?! What's wrong with you?" She said, earning an amused look from Xavier.
"Time." He spoke, that edges of his lips curling up as he noticed Raine's cute expression. "I'm usually never here. And when I am, I have a pile of files to go through or a long list of meetings to attend. And finally in the evening when I manage to take out a couple hours for myself, some governor decided to hold a party or the mayor hosts a ball."
"But still." Raine whined. "I think you should start taking a little bit of time out for yourself."
"I am now." Xavier said, his crystal blue eyes trained on Raine as she took a sip of the tea. Without knowing how, a smile crept onto his face.
* * *
"Well thank you for lunch Xavier. And everything else you've done for me today too." Raine said as she grabbed her bag off the sofa where she had left it upon arriving. Lunch had been a blast and Raine couldn't help but feel happy that everything between the two was back to normal. She would never be able to forgive herself if Axel had caused harm to their newly formed friendship.
Xavier smiled at her, a mysterious glow appearing in his bright blue eyes. "Raine, stop saying thanks and it was a pleasure to have lunch with you." Like always, his voice held something that was quite rare these days. It held truth. "I don't know how, but you managed to drag me out there and it really felt good."
