CHAPTER 395
Xander's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white as Arianna's words looped in his mind like a relentless echo.
"If I have a baby, will you just give it to her too? Just like that, because she wants it?"
The question had hit him like a physical blow, knocking the air from his lungs. It was absurd-unfathomable.
How could she even think something like that? How could she believe, even for a second, that he was the kind of man who would give away their child like some disposable object? His chest tightened with frustration, a bitter taste rising in his throat.
What had he done to make her doubt him like this? Was she so convinced that Harmony had that kind of power over him?
That he was weak enough to bend to her every whim-even at the cost of something so sacred?
His pulse roared in his ears as his mind snagged on something else, something that had been gnawing at the edges of his thoughts since she mentioned it.
The trophy.
How the hell did Harmony have it?
He had taken it to his office to fix the scratch on it, wanting it to be flawless for Arianna. She had worked so hard for that trophy, and he wanted it to be as good as new. But after that... he couldn't remember.
Had he left it there? Misplaced it? Or had someone taken it?
His stomach twisted uneasily-had he somehow, unknowingly, given it to Harmony?
No. That didn't make sense.
"If you squeeze that steering wheel any harder, it might just snap in half," Arianna's voice came, soft but laced with something that sounded like worry-or was it fear?
Xander's jaw tightened as he stole a glance at her, unable to stop himself.
She sat there, facing away from him, her shoulders slightly hunched, fingers moving restlessly in her lap. She always did that when she was anxious when she was trying to keep herself from falling apart.
He exhaled slowly, his fingers relaxing their white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, and the tension in his shoulders began to ease just a little. His mind was still a whirlwind, but he forced himself to steady his thoughts. Focus. Control.
"Yeah..." His voice sounded distant, even to him, and he hated how it felt. "My mind was... elsewhere."
Arianna didn't even look at him, her eyes locked on the passing scenery outside the window. Her voice, when it came, was calm, almost too calm-distant, flat.
"I'm sure it was."
Damn it. She probably thought his mind was still consumed by thoughts of Harmony.
The indifference in her tone hit harder than he expected. It was like an invisible wall had dropped between them, one he couldn't break through no matter how hard he tried.
She was hurting, and he had no idea how to make it stop.
He sucked in a deep breath, trying to drown out the pounding in his chest, the tightness in his throat.
This wasn't the time to let his frustration boil over. She was angry, and he couldn't blame her.
After a long, uncomfortable silence, he spoke again, his voice softer this time, quieter, unsure of himself.
"Thanks for... understanding about Harmony," he said, the words tasting bitter as they left his lips.
"But... you didn't have to come with me."
Arianna's head snapped toward him, her expression unreadable
"Oh, is that so," she said, her tone icy.
"So you're saying it would have been better if I'd just stayed behind? That you would have preferred to go to her alone?"
"W-what....No...I..."
"It's fine," she said, though her tone was anything but.
"But when I told you at the café that I was coming with you," she continued, her voice dropping to an icy calm,
"you could've just said no.," she said finally, her voice cracking slightly as she turned back to the window.
"I could have saved you the trouble of having me tag along."
Xander's hands flexed on the wheel, tension coiling through his body.
"No," he said firmly, shaking his head, his voice resolute.
"I didn't mean it like that," he continued, his eyes searching hers, trying to convey the sincerity behind his words.
"I'm... I'm glad you're here with me. I want, no I need you with me, Arianna."
Arianna didn't know how to respond. The words felt too heavy, too raw, so she stayed quiet for a moment, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
After a brief silence, she finally spoke, her voice edged with sarcasm.
"I'm sure Harmony will be thrilled to see me. She's always been such a huge fan."
Before he could think, the words slipped out of him. "But I'm your huge fan...I love you."
He smirked, watching as Arianna's eyes widened in surprise, her breath catching.
"I'm sure Harmony will be over the moon to see me," Arianna said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "She's always been my biggest admirer."
Xander's response was instinctive, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could censor them. "But I'm your biggest fan, Arianna," he said, his voice low and husky. "I love you."
He couldn't help but watch her, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for her response. But instead of acknowledging his declaration.
Nothing.
He attempted to play it cool, to downplay the intensity of the moment.
"Anyway, I'm sure Harmony won't mind that you tagged along," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Maybe seeing you there will help...you know, bridge the gap between you two."
Arianna's laughter was a low, throaty sound that sent shivers down Xander's spine.
"Bridging the gap, or throwing me over the bridge?" Arianna's words were laced with a subtle venom, her voice dripping with a quiet scepticism.
"Oh yeah, Harmony would just love the latter," she added, her tone heavy with sarcasm and a hint of vulnerability.
"Arianna, I know you don't like her, but Harmony isn't like other people... she's fragile. You need to see for yourself how she is and how she gets these attacks to happen. Maybe then, and only then, you'll understand why I have to do what I do."
There was a rawness in his voice, an unspoken plea for her to understand.
Without thinking, he reached for her hand, his fingers brushing against hers, needing that connection. But the moment his skin touched hers, she pulled away, tucking her hands into her lap.
Xander sighed...
His fingers curled into a fist as he pulled his hand back. He swallowed hard, staring at the road ahead. He had never felt so close to her, yet so painfully far away.
And he hated it.
Xander exhaled deeply, keeping his eyes on the road. The silence between them was unbearable, so he finally spoke, his voice quieter now.
"When these panic attacks," he admitted, gripping the wheel tighter.
"She gets out of control, and I'm the only one who seems to calm her down. I mean, since we were kids, her parents were never around. They abandoned- left her alone for long stretches at a time. Me, Zach, John... we were the only family she had. She depended on us."
Arianna's gaze narrowed as she studied Xander, her fingers clenched into fists in her lap.
"Does she call them too?" she asked, suddenly.
"Like she calls you? Do they drop everything to rush to her side the way you do?"
Xander's mouth opened, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. He hesitated, his eyes darting away. A frown etched itself onto his face, and for a moment, he seemed lost in thought. The silence stretched out, heavy with unspoken doubts.
Finally, he shook his head slowly, his voice laced with uncertainty.
"I...I don't think so," he said, the words tumbling out awkwardly.
"She thinks I'm the only one who can calm her down." His brows furrowed deeper, and he added hastily,
"But I'm sure she must call them too when she's feeling overwhelmed."
Xander glanced at her briefly, keeping his eyes on the road,
"Zach tries," he said. "But he just... he doesn't know how to handle her when she spirals."
Arianna hummed, turning her gaze back to the window. Doubt coiled around her thoughts like a serpent.
Was Harmony truly in distress, or was this just another carefully orchestrated stunt to keep Xander tethered to her?
To keep him dancing to her every whim?
Or worse... was this something more? A calculated ploy-not just by Harmony, but by both of them? A game she hadn't even realized she was playing until now?
Her fingers curled into fists in her lap. Had they been leading her along this whole time, making her believe she belonged, only to rip it all away when it suited them?
Was this all leading to the one thing they wanted most: her baby?
She pushed her suspicions aside for now and exhaled slowly.
"So, you truly believe she's having a panic attack right now?"
"Well... yes," he said, though there was the slightest waver in his voice.
"I mean, yeah, why would she lie about that?" he said, frustration creeping into his tone.
"I've seen her have those episodes before. She gets worked up, hyperventilating, crying, shaking so hard she can't even stand."
She hesitated before asking, "Does she usually get violent? Try to hurt herself?"
He exhaled sharply, his jaw clenching. "She's never tried to hurt herself before. That's what I don't understand."
His voice was laced with frustration, but beneath it, there was something else uncertainty that gnawed at him. Had something changed? Or was there something he had been blind to all along?
His brows furrowed as he thought about it. He'd witnessed Harmony unravel, watched her spiral into overwhelming distress. But this? The threats and the urgency in the voice didn't sit right. Something about it felt... different.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
