Love to Hate You: Ask Vicky...

Chapter Twenty-Five - Doctor! Doctor!

'I'll see you up,' Xander told Rudy, as he shamelessly parked his car on the double yellow lines outside Rudy's apartment block.

'There's really no need,' the good doctor assured him. 'I'm over it.' Xander looked at him sceptically. 'Okay,' he relented. 'Maybe not "over it", but seeing Evie has given me some perspective. I can't be upset about a baby that never existed.' He shrugged. 'I've got a child; it's not as though I'd set my heart on having another. As for Rachel,' he sighed, before giving a nonchalant shrug. 'I don't love her. I hadn't even wanted to date her if I'm honest, so although I'm hurt that she lied, and although I feel like a complete idiot, I'm not upset that we're over.'

'Lucky escape?' Xander asked, with a genuine smile. Rudy shook his head in disapproval, before the corner of his lip lifted into a fleeting smile.

'You're awful, you know that?'

'Of course,' Xander replied, opening the driver door as Rudy stepped out onto the pavement.

'Seriously,' Rudy told him, 'you don't need to babysit me. I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm just going to go to bed and try and put the whole thing behind me.'

'Sure,' Xander nodded, following him into the front entrance nonetheless.

'Xander!' Rudy chided.

'I actually wanted to check on Vicky,' the younger man admitted.

'Oh,' Rudy replied, as a frown tugged at his brow. Xander was an astute man though – he was a very successful management (take that, Justin!) consultant, after all. And although he wasn't as omniscient as Rafe Paxton (because he was emotionally dead, and not a secret-softie), Xander knew enough to take Rudy's "tugged brow" and stuttered "Oh" as a sign that he still had a bit of a problem with the idea of Xander and Vicky being alone in the same room together. In the dark. After alcohol consumption. 'Of course you do,' Rudy said, calling the lift and pressing button "8" so that Xander could stop off at Vicky's apartment on the way to the penthouse.

'Just...' Rudy put in, as the lift slowly started its ascent. 'Just... don't hurt her. I think she's a lot more vulnerable than she realises. I think she's...' He frowned, his cheeks heating. 'She's out of her depth with you, Xander. Sometimes it's kinder to be cruel.'

'I agree,' the younger man nodded. 'But sometimes what you think you want – what you say you want – isn't really what you want at all. Sometimes it takes a nasty shock for you to realise what really matters.'

'So, you do want Vicky?' Rudy asked doubtfully, because he was quite sure Xander would make a poor boyfriend. Xander's lips quirked in amusement.

'I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about Vicky.'

'Right...'

'And you.'

'Me?' The lift chimed to a halt and Rudy didn't know what to say; wasn't quite sure what his companion was getting at, so he merely said, 'Here you go,' robotically stepping aside so that Xander could go and sweep Vicky off her feet; no doubt straight onto his cock.

'She was upset, you moron!' Xander scolded, jamming his foot in the door so that the lift was forced to wait for him to finish his diatribe. 'She was upset that you were with someone else. She was gutted that you were engaged and having a baby. She was beside herself with her crazy brand of feminine rage when Rachel admitted that she'd lied to you.'

'I don't follow,' Rudy said; seemingly determined to be oblivious. Xander rolled his eyes.

'Look, you're a nice guy and I like you just fine, but I don't like you enough to drive you to Cockfosters when I could have been getting my cock fostered by a beautiful woman instead. The only reason I was your wingman tonight was because in doing you a favour, I was also doing a favour for the two most important women in my life.'