Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Fiona couldn't shake the encounter with Donald from her mind although she had escaped from him she wasn't really sure how she had done it at all and in some ways she had not escaped from him mentally.

Days later, the memory of his words and the feel of his hand on her arm, his breath against her neck still haunted her.
She sipped at the tea in front of her, trying to dispel the awkward thought.

She wished she had thought to ask for the name of the man who had saved her, but she had been too dazed to do anything but thank him. He had been kind not touching her without her permission and making sure she was fine to take a taxi. She was unlikely to ever see him again but she was grateful to him.


The events with Donald was not the only thing that trouble her, Raven’s recent behavior made her a little jittery.

He seemed distant, withdrawing from her, most days he didn't even come back home, he said he was working and she believed him but work was not the only thing on his mind either.
Every time she tried to talk to him about it, he brushed her off and she was left feeling a bit unsure was she imagining this or was it actually happening.

She looked to the teacup and sighed, it wasn't working, she still felt overly nauseous she rose from the chair deciding to take a walk around the neighborhood.
Maybe the cool air and the exercise would help ease the turmoil in her mind and make her stomach settle a little.

She grabbed her coat and closed the door, Rosa was at work and was not likely to be back anytime soon for which she envied her but it meant she didn't have anyone to vent to.

She wandered aimlessly, replaying all the events with Donald over and over, wishing she could make sense of it all but she likely wouldn't be able to . She had never known who Donald really was he had just showed her what she wanted to see

Lost in thought, she turned a corner and collided with someone. She stumbled back, her heart racing with sudden panic and she hated Donald all over again

“I'm so sorry,” a male voice said, steadying her with gentle hands.
“Are you okay?”

Fiona looked up,
" I'm fine" she muttered her brows furrowing in curiosity he seemed so familiar
“I didn't mean to startle you,” he continued, offering her a warm smile.

“I should have been watching where I was going.” her eyes widened in surprise. He was the man who had saved her from Donald. She stared at him, a little confused and a lot speechless.
Finally she got herself to stop staring

“No, it’s my fault,” Fiona managed to say, her voice shaky .
“I wasn’t paying attention.”

He studied her for a moment, his expression concerned.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked and she nodded

Fiona nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “Yes, I’m fine. Just... lost in thought.” she looked to him
" I know you" she murmured and he smiled

" I was wondering when you would recognize me" he asked and she sighed
" I almost didn't, do you live here" she asked and he shook his head

“I’m new in town and was hoping to find someone who could point me in the direction of some famous sights. Do you know the area well?” he asked and she smiled
“I do, actually. I can show you around if you’d like.”

“That would be great,” he said, his smile widening.
“I’m Xavier , by the way.”

“Fiona,” she replied, feeling a bit more at ease.
Xavier had a simple look to him, he was handsome, with messy brown hair that fell over his eyes which were a warm grey.
“Nice to meet you, Xavier .”


" How long have you been in town" she asked and he shrugged

" A week or so, my company is thinking of opening a branch here so I was asked to scout the place" he mumbled and she nodded
" Have you found anything yet" she asked and he shrugged

" Not yet "
They started walking, and Fiona led him through the neighborhood, pointing out the places she knew and sharing little bits of local history. She had lived in this town for so long that the words came easy to her..

As they strolled, she found herself relaxing in his company. Xavier had a calming presence, and he listened intently as she spoke.

“It’s a lovely area, this place was home to a lot of actresses back in the nineteenth century, it was more noisy then, now its peaceful.”

“It is,” Xavier agreed.
“Thank you for taking the time to show me around.”

Fiona smiled.
“It’s no problem. I needed the distraction.” now that she was thinking about it she no longer felt nauseous

They continued their walk, and as the evening turned into night, they found themselves a cozy little café.
" Let's get some coffee" she mumbled and he nodded
They took a seat by the window and place their order not too long after,

“So, Fiona,” Xavier began once the waitress had left them with their drinks , his tone casual.
“What do you do?”

Fiona hesitated, unsure how much to share.
“I’m between jobs at the moment. It’s been... a rough few months.”

Xavier nodded sympathetically.
" That's rough. But it seems like you’re handling things well.”

“Trying to,” Fiona admitted.
“Some days are easier than others.” she replied and his eyes softened with understanding.
“Donald, " when she hesitated he shrugged
" I’m a good listener.”

Fiona felt a wave of gratitude, the fact that someone wanted to listen to her, without thinking of Donald or his side of the story made her a little tearful
“Thank you, Xavier . That means a lot but I'd rather not talk about it .” she mumbled

Once they had finished their coffee, they stood to leave.
He led her to the apartment, Xavier reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to Fiona,

“This is my card,” he said.
“If you ever find yourself in Breves or need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

Fiona took the card, feeling a strange sense of comfort even though she would likely never use the card
“Thank you, Xavier . I appreciate it.”

Fiona watched him walk away, feeling a bit lighter than she had in days. She slipped the card into her pocket, and strode into the building,her thoughts turned back to Raven.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that there was more to his withdrawal than just work and him being busy. She was going to try talking to him again

Raven was sitting on the couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked up as she entered, his eyes tired and distant.

“Hey,” Fiona said softly hanging her coat , trying to gauge his mood.

“Hey,” he replied, his voice lacking its usual warmth.

Fiona sat down beside him, reaching out to touch his arm but he pulled away. Fiona tried not to let the hurt show, it was difficult but she had almost succeeded. He rose to his feet taking a final gulp from his whiskey, then he walked to the counter and poured himself another glass of scotch taking a sip before he looked to her his eyes almost dead as he said
" We need to talk "