A REQUEST FROM JAVIER

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"The show is over, now, go back to your duty post," Javier said, stepping into the kitchen. The staff and soldiers slowly left the kitchen, leaving Cassandra still seated on the floor, looking defeated. Carlos was still there on the floor, whimpering and clutching to his face. Javier motioned for Bully and Apollo to take him to Grandma Adella's apartment to be fixed. She just returned from her trip.

When the men led Carlos out of the kitchen, Javier turned to Cassandra and stretched out his hand. She took it hesitantly; he dragged her up from the floor and made her seat on a tall stool by the island. He filled a tall glass with water and handed it to her while sitting on the stool next to her. Cassandra stared at the glass. She didn't know what to think as so many thoughts swarm her mind at the moment. She didn't know if Eros was mad at her or not and she didn't understand the look Lucia gave her.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Javier asked her.

She looked him up and down. This was not the time to be sassy or rude. Since she came, all this guy tried to do was make friends with her and he had been nothing more than nice to her. Maybe, he wasn't like Eros and Carlos, maybe he was different, maybe she should give him the benefit of doubt and she was starving after all. She didn't get to eat breakfast before going to meet with her friend, now it was almost noon, and she had no choice but to comply.

"I'm starving, thank you."

He shot her a cocky grin and stood from the stool. She thought he was going to serve her one of those packed foods in the refrigerator, but when he started to take out utensils to cook with, she leaned back on her chair, took a sip from the glass of water, and watched him as he prepared to cook. He was in his element there, he knew the kitchen very well and knew where every utensil was. After a while of whisking things together, he placed a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon and then proceeded to make the coffee.

"Thank you," Cassandra muttered and started digging into her meal.

Javier shrugged, made the cup of coffee, and placed it in front of her too. He made a cup for himself and resumed his seat. Cassandra was pleasantly surprised by the taste of the food. She nodded her head as she savored it and smiled at him.

"This is good. Did you get some entrepreneurial skills in cooking?"

Javier chuckled and dropped his cup on the table. "Don't flatter me," he murmured.

"No, I am being serious. This tastes good. Do you usually cook for all your girls?"

Javier didn't seem to understand the question for a moment, but he snorted and looked down. "You would be the first."

Cassandra restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "You know I don't believe you, right?" she asked and took a bite out of the toast.

"I know, but it is fine."

"So, where did you learn how to cook like this? You are a very good cook; I must give you that."

Javier hiked his shoulders. "My mom, she was a terrific cook."

"She must be truly a good cook. I wish to eat her food someday if that will even be possible," Cassandra said amidst a chuckle.

Javier smiled. "I would have loved that too, but she passed away a few years ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that."

Javier scrunched his face. "It's probably a long time now, I don't remember the pain anymore."

Cassandra hummed and continued to eat. "You seem quite different from Eros and the rest, how did you two know each other?"

Javier's smile widened. "Eros is my friend from the cradle. We have known each other since we were babies. He is a few months older than I am, but we were born in the same year. My father worked for his father, and they were quite close."

"Hmm, I see." Cassandra nodded her head. "You both grew up together, yet very different."

"Isn't that because we are different people? Our difference was in our upbringing and Eros passed through some difficulties while growing up."

"Really? Is that why he is so horrible?"

Javier nodded and clicked his tongue, his face squeezing into a frown. "I agree he is horrible," Cassandra looked at him, twitched her nose, and nodded her head. Javier stared at her, and they burst into laughter. "He might be horrible, but it wasn't always like this. He used to be a very lovely boy."

"What happened?" Cassandra asked remembering the hint Bully gave her before about Eros saving him once and accepting him.

"There are some really gruesome details that I can't share with you, only Eros can, it's his story to tell. I am just concerned that he has them all bottled up inside and is reacting in a very horrible way."

"Oh," Cassandra said and faced her plate, she didn't want to feel concerned. "He should get help then."

"Yeah, that is one thing I have tried to do for him for years now, but Eros is very stubborn, he never believes he needs help. But just the other day, he asked me to get him a therapist, he was in a therapy session today."

"Well, doesn't he need it badly?" Javier stared at her without saying anything. She huffed and lowered her gaze. "Okay, I'm sorry, that was a really insensitive comment. If he is actually getting help, then it's a great thing and I am happy."

Javier took in a deep breath. "Well, all thanks to you."

Cassandra arched her brows at him. "Pardon?"

"I have tried everything I know to get Eros to agree to get help, but he never buckled, but now that you are here, he is willing to get help. I don't know what you did or said to him, but I wish you will keep saying it to him."

Cassandra's eyes fell and she exhaled deeply. "I don't know what to say, I feel bad already for all I said to him this morning. He deserves to be hurt, I swear, but I am not just that kind of a person to hurt others because I can."

"You did nothing wrong, Cassie." Javier placed a hand on her shoulder, and she tensed up a little. "If you got mad at him and lashed out, it's okay, Eros is difficult not to get mad at."

Cassandra looked at him. "You are so different. I'm sorry I misjudged you all this while."

Javier's wave was dismissive. "It still doesn't make me the good guy; I just want to make things a little more civilized and less complicated." Cassandra smiled. "Look, I know, it's not in your place to fix him or something and I am not going to ask you to fix him, but since your presence is changing him in more ways than he could even imagine. I just want you to stay by his side for a while, maybe, just maybe he will crack, and we can enter through there, please."

Cassandra stared blankly at him. What he was asking was very difficult for her to do. There was no doubt that the physical attraction between her and Eros was glaring. Eros was a man difficult to ignore and if she was not determined to win, she might have given in to letting him touch her, but she didn't see herself getting committed, not with someone like Eros. She was in love with a great man, a man that risked his life to be here with her and she wasn't ready to jeopardize that because of lust or whatever it was. Javier was sincere and looked so genuinely concerned to see his friend become a better man.

There was no doubt he had tried anything he could to get him help, but she wasn't that person to change Eros, she wasn't ready, and she was only playing games to win, not to get involved. Her heart was torn in two as she contemplated on the answer to give to Javier. If things work out the way she wanted them to, she will be escaping with Apollo and if Eros was way into her by then, would that mend or break him the more? Would that make him even worse than he is now?

"I don't expect you to give me an answer, Cassie, at least not now and you don't have to try hard at it. Just do you, if it works out fine, if not, I will count it as one of my many failed attempts." He chuckled.

It broke Cassandra's heart to hear him speak like that. The way he spoke showed that he was really hoping for her to make it better and she was his last hope. She cleared her throat.

"I have a fiancé that I love, so, please, don't hope on me."

Javier smiled ruefully. "I will try not to."



A/N: Thank you all for choosing to read this story, despite my imperfections.

Thank you all and please vote and comment, so I will know what you all think of the story let me know what you think of the chapter. ❤️