𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐈𝐒

SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HIS➖EIGHTEEN

        
           THE SENSATION OF GUILT was beginning to creep round my skin, I could no longer contain his warm gaze towards me, I felt terrible that, not only was I playing a game that was disastrous but also a game I knew would only end up leaving one person shattered.

"I kissed Xander." I blurt out, letting the truth sink in till I knew the aggravation of my words and how heart-breaking it would be for Xavier, he shocks me by not saying a word as he moves away from me, breaking our contact, he turns his back to me, walking towards his punching bag.

"I know Mari, he told me first." He replies almost dejectedly.

"He did?" Shit!; that was how I felt like.

"Yeah." Xander answers is voice barely audible, lunging a blow to the punching bag. It was a lot more sickening knowing that he was hiding his features, his pain away from me, I didn't plan to hurt him but then again what was I thinking, that he would clap for me or buy me a drink after I kissed his brother.

"Xavier, I'm-"

"It's not your fault Mari," his voice raises an octave as he replies, grunting before throwing another punch, suddenly he stops but doesn't turn to me, "hell, it's my fault, you make it easy for anyone to like you, that's why I didn't tell Zach, the guy was born with womanising spirit, Chance was just too sweet to hide something like that for way long, he would have blurted that we were four even before I left school, leaving me with Xander,"

"he had the softest heart which he prefers to cover in violence yet he was the hardest to break wether we liked it or not, and he was worried about me, he was the only one willing to school with you, every one else thought I was stupid because come on, eight year olds don't fall in love, they shouldn't even think about love, the only people they should love are their parents and siblings and probably the relative that still cared,"

"If you like Xander, it's fine Mari, I'll survive, he cares about you and that's all that matters." He finishes lowly resuming his hard thrust on the punching bag.

This was it, the gateway to saying that I liked Xander, the golden card that would maybe bring Xander and I closer but why wasn't I feeling it as much as I should, why wasn't I willing to accept the offer.

"You're right," i say almost assuringly walking towards him, in a rush he stops, grabbing hold of the punching bag for support, his head droop low, allowing his hair fall freely as though he wasn't expecting the rejection to be too straight forward.

"He cares about me, matter of fact maybe he likes me more than I want to let myself believe, but that isn't all that matters Xavier, all that matters is that you, undermining the fact that Kisha called you Maria's purse in elementary school, you still followed me around till date."

He raises his head to meet my skeptical gaze, I rest my hands around my waist and I watch gracefully as his lips tilt up to form a smile.

"M-Maybe I like being your purse." He stutters sounding somewhat broken.

I take slow steps towards him, "And maybe I like you being my purse Xavier." I reach close to him taking his hands in mine soothing his wounded knuckles, "so?"

"So..." He trails searching my eyes for something.

"First aid." I tell and he snaps back as if he was expecting something else.

"First aid! yeah that, I'll I'll get the box." He mutters nervously, walking out of the room, I let out a breathless laugh when he disappears into the hall.

I surround my eyes, surveying the gym-like room with just a window, a treadmill sit in place with an exercycle by the side, dumbbells of different weights properly arranged on the wooden floor, a pull up bar, an elliptical machine, six bar bells and two punching bags, if I am being sincere, I wasn't surprised, not at all; four heavily built boys lived in the house, and I didn't need someone to tell me that they worked out regularly.