Chapter 38 - Decisions.

The meeting was boring and Xavier was uncomfortable. He wished he could leave, but the Spaniards weren't easy business partners. Besides, he had a deal to close with them. He just hoped that they would let him go immediately after the meeting.

So far, they had been going back and forth for about an hour and they were relentless in their pursuit of having the upper hand. Xavier was ready to cave in just to leave the meeting earlier but he decided against it. A wrong decision would cost him less control in the partnership and that was exactly what his business partners wanted.

"Now that everything is settled. I'd like to be excused."

Xavier said as he stood up and passed his files to his Personal Assistant, ready to leave the boardroom after almost two long hours of relentless and useless negotiations that made his business partners cave under pressure.

Xavier briskly walked out of the boardroom as he picked up his phone. An idea popped in his head and he decided to try and call Amelia's friends since her line wasn't going through.
He was going to try and talk to her friends. He had no doubt in his mind that they would help Amelia see the truth. They could also convince her to believe him.

"Mr Black, will you be coming back to the office?" Meyers asked and Xavier shook his head.

"Cancel all my appointments today. I won't be available."

He said as he walked into the elevator with Meyers looking astounded at his reply.




"That bitch! I knew she was up to something."

Molly shouted as she slammed her fist on the table, anger distorting her face.

Ruby gently laid her hand on Molly's arm willing her to calm down.

Ruby had been in the office making plans for a dinner date with her new boyfriend Cameron and Molly was sleeping off the wild night that they all had. That was when Xavier's phone call startled them and despite their protests he managed to drag them to lunch with him with the promise of the full truth. Curiosity had led them to come and Molly had been determined to beat up Xavier if he admitted to cheating, that was until he played the recording on the phone for them.

It was clear what had transpired. Xavier had gone to Daphne's house to confront her and he made her confess, all the while recording their conversation on his phone and that was not the only evidence he had to prove his innocence. According to him he had dropped off a file at Amelia's house, containing toxicology reports, statements made by Daphne and a restraining order.

"What the hell are you waiting for??!! Why aren't you playing Amelia the recording?"

Molly shouted again all riled up and angry at all that was happening.

Xavier shrugged as he took a tiny sip of water, still tired and very much sleep deprived from his sleepless trip to New York and the exhausting meeting he had been in.

"She has been ignoring my calls and my texts. I was hoping I'll meet her at home this morning but I didn't."

He explained and Ruby nodded.

"She slept over at my place. She must have found the file by now though."

Ruby said as she scrunched up her face, picking up her phone to try Amelia's number again but it was still unavailable.

"Maybe she doesn't believe me. Is that why she isn't calling me now?"

Xavier asked with worry lacing his voice and Molly shrugged.

"I don't think so, if she's not picking our calls, I think she's still sleeping off all the alcohol we had last night."

Molly remarked and Ruby nodded her head in support

"I'm just surprised she didn't even give you a chance to explain things, you guys could have cleared everything days ago!"

Xavier shook his head and Molly shrugged.

"It's Mia, we all know how stubborn she can truly be when she wants to be stubborn. I believe that now that we all know the truth, we shouldn't hesitate to tell her."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all this, and also at a time like this."

Ruby said as she laid a gentle hand on top of Xavier's and Xavier smiled tightly. He perfectly understood what she was aiming at. It was only a few days he lost his Nana and everything started coming apart. He had been unable to properly rest or even take good care of himself the last few days.

Although that was because thoughts of Amelia occupied his mind day and night, he didn't know why it was so hard to live without her or even stop thinking about her.

"I've fallen stupidly and hopelessly in love with Amelia. I just really want her back. No one has ever made me feel this way."

Xavier said as he lowered his eyelids, Molly and Ruby's scrutinising yet sympathetic gaze on his face.

The glanced at each other briefly.

"If you love her you should definitely go get her. Because I've never seen Amelia this worked up over a guy before. I believe the feeling is mutual."

Molly answered with a smile.

Ruby nodded as she shrugged.

"It's possible she's still sleeping off the alcohol and I can bet you she hasn't even noticed the file or else she'd have called us about it already..."

"So go! Go get your girl Xavier!!"




Upon waking, Amelia burrowed herself into the throw pillows on her couch. Slowly and reluctantly, She uncovered her face. She blinked, close her eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrated the window and blinded her. She sat up, dragged her feet off the bed, and rubbed her knuckles onto her eyes and watched her eyeliner smudge her knuckles. Her makeup was somehow still intact then. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Watching her legs dangle above her off-white polyester carpet.

She rubbed the remainders of sleep from her eyes and gazed out of her window; its vivid light extending across a rosy sky. She supposed this was something the majority of people would consider beautiful, but she found it strange, hard even, to find something so meaningful in something so every day.

She picked up her phone and found out that it was dead, she groaned loudly as she dropped it back on the couch. She would plug it in later, it wasn't as if she had anyone to talk to. She watched her easel from a distant and wondered if she should paint. Maybe she would paint the boring sky that so many artists had rendered in their works that it was almost as if the sky was new every morning, just to pass away the time.

She stood up slowly, still in her dress and deliriously hungry. She slowly walked to her fridge, the grumbling of her stomach making her drowsy with hunger.

Her fridge was next to empty, with nothing more than booze and cheese.

"Ugh!" She said as she found some leftover mouldy bread and takeout that had gone bad. She had to go grocery shipping soon.

Her doorbell rang and her ears perked up at the sound strangely hoping that it was Boston with food.

She went to open up her door and Boston walked in, all dressed up smartly with a smile on his face.

"Hello Amelia. Did you sleep well?"

He asked as he walked in without Amelia even inviting him in.

"Boston..."

Amelia called out lazily as she reached for a blanket to cover herself, she was sure she looked like an absolute mess. She didn't like anyone seeing her that way. She found a blanket on her armchair and quickly used it to cover herself up.

"This isn't a good time right now... Maybe you should come back later..."

She started as she went back to the door but Boston already made himself comfortable on a chair as he smiled. He had a kind of pamphlet in his hands.

"I just want to talk for a little while. I have a brilliant idea."

He said and slowly and zombie like, Amelia walked towards her couch and collapsed on it with clumsy abandon, still weary with the aftereffects of sleep.

"Look at this."

He said as he passed her a pamphlet. Amelia took it wearily, looking at it cautiously as she quickly skimmed over the pretty details. It seemed to be some kind of retreat for artists. Strangely Amelia had never attended one before. But they provided safe beautiful places where artists could paint and find more inspiration. Something that Amelia was definitely lacking.

"An artist retreat? Why are you showing me this?"

She asked as she looked up at Boston's expectant face.

"Because I want you to go. I paid for my ticket and a friend's but unfortunately he travelled to Atlanta last minute."

Boston answered with a large smile. It was a brilliant lie, one that had been hatched while he had been thinking of ways to delay Amelia and Xavier's inevitable reunion. It was only a matter of time before Xavier figured out the obvious and got through Amelia and the only plan he could think of was getting Amelia away from him.
Away from Xavier and if possible her phone. He thought as his eyes glanced around and he saw her phone lying face down on the couch.

The arts retreat wasn't a complete lie, although he had lied about the tickets. He got them last minute with Amelia in mind, hoping that two of them being alone would make them more closer. And also make her more receptive to him.

"I can't just drop everything and go to an Artist retreat that's..."

Amelia looked down and checked the date. It was the next day, she thought as she squinted at the pamphlet.

"Tomorrow!! That's impossible!"

Boston shrugged.

"Oh no! It's not. This is an amazing opportunity. I mean I've watched you for a few days now and it seems like you really need a getaway."

Amelia shrugged as she massaged her temples. Boston was doing way too much.

"Boston, I get what you're trying to do. You're trying to help me and all but I'm perfectly capable of dealing with my own problems. I am an adult and I don't need decisions being made for me."

She said as Boston was about to open his mouth to protest but she stopped him quickly.

"I have been friendly to you, please don't mistake it for weakness... There really can't be anything between us."

She explained. Boston flinched, her words hurting more than it usually did.

"I'm just trying to help you out as a friend. This retreat can be good for you..."

Boston started out softly, Amelia still held the pamphlet in her hands as she vaguely looked at it.

"It'll give you time off to think, you'll finally escape all the things that's going on and most importantly, you'll be able to paint again."

Amelia shrugged.

"I don't have problems with my art."

She weakly protested but she knew it was true. She had been very withdrawn from her art for a long time.

"You do. And this retreat, think of it as a break. A big large break. What do you say?"

He asked and Amelia shrugged, still very much indecisive.

"I don't know. "

Boston came over to seat next to her and Amelia slowly scooted away, putting enough space between them.

"I can't just leave..."

Amelia thought as her mind went to Xavier.

"Listen Amelia, quite frankly, there's nothing waiting for you here. What do you say?"

He asked as he stared deep into her violet eyes, he couldn't predict her answer. Although more than anything, he wanted her to say yes.