Neither could he believe how harsh he'd been.
He sat there for a while, trying to make sense of what had happened. He felt uneasy. He'd never talked to a girl like that before, let alone someone who claimed to be in a committed relationship with him.
Why did he react that way? Sure, she'd said some things that he didn't like, but he could've stayed calm.
Was she right though, he thought, about him treating her wrong? Was it all because of Giselle?
Chapter 24
Moonlight seeped through the dirty see-through curtains, but it wasn't enough to light up the room.
Xavier opened his burning eyes and looked at his arm. It was dark, but he could feel the sharp sting of the cut he'd made right before he'd fainted. He touched his forehead to check for fever, staining his skin slightly red with his blood. His body shivered, the migraine blinding his vision.
The only thing that would keep him alive, he was convinced, was if he kept chanting Giselle's name. It gave him hope. It gave him a purpose.
Xavier reached for his phone and felt it heavy in his hand. He wondered why she hadn't called him. Was she not concerned about him? Did he not matter to her anymore? Worse yet, did she know he'd killed her father?
He turned his phone on and opened her chat. There wasn't a single reply to his dozen messages. All he wanted was to know if she was okay, that the gang hadn't gotten to her, and that she still cared.
He clicked on the call option but received the same answer. The phone was switched off. He had no strength in him to let out a roar, but a tear rolled down toward his ear. He cleaned his face with his blood-smeared hand, hating his vulnerability.
His stomach growled. Turning to the side, he picked up a biscuit from the side table. This was all he could have at the moment, he told himself. He got up slightly and ate it, his hunger not even close to being satiated.
He'd been in hiding from the gang ever since Giselle left. He was looking for a chance, a slip, a distraction—anything that could ensure a safe escape from Petrichor.
He knew that the gang had stopped searching for him, otherwise he would've already been found due to the state he was in. But he stayed only because he didn't know what lengths they were willing to go to capture him. After all, he'd broken all the rules for Giselle. He'd shot down his gang mates and run away. He'd made enemies.
Xavier needed to gather his strength and leave. He needed to find out if she was okay. He had to take the risk.
This was the plan, wasn't it?he asked himself. The plan was to wait for a few days, and once Sean's guard was down, he'd escape to Phoenix. But things hadn't gone according to the plan for him, for he'd been shivering, suffering from fever for the past two days, with nothing to eat and no one to take care of him.
When he couldn't reach Giselle in any way, he’d gotten so overwhelmed with tension, he'd thrown up constantly till he couldn't keep his eyes open. And then the fever had crept up on him.
He wondered why he'd gotten so worried. Was it because he was afraid she was hurt? Or was it because he was scared she'd found out the truth?
But it wasn't my fault!He wanted to scream and tell her that he'd never do anything to hurt her.
He sighed. These thoughts served no purpose, except agonize him.
Xavier pushed himself up and sat on the floor. He wiped his mouth, feeling his outgrown beard scratch against his hand. There was a bit of vomit dried on his cheek, and he felt nauseated at his own filth.
His phone rang. He picked it up without seeing the ID, "Giselle?"
"Are you okay?" It was Stewart.
Xavier closed his eyes and let out a breath. Even though it wasn't Giselle, it was good to hear a friend's voice.
"Yeah..." he whispered.
"Where are you, Xav? It's been two weeks!" He sounded worried and Xavier almost told him where he was.
"I can't tell you, Stewart."
"I'm not being heard!" he almost shouted.
"I know." Xavier's voice was a whisper. "But I don't trust Sean."
"He's forgotten about you. He has better things to do than run after you."