A Shocking Confession

Closing the door, Evelyn breathed out a loud sigh. She was exhausted. Mostly, because she was failing to understand Xander who once used to read her like an open book. Then why he couldn’t see her predicament? Even if she couldn’t tell him about Dylan, is he that naive to find out that she was beleaguered by problems? Can’t he notice the worry on his face or he was deliberately ignoring it and prioritizing his anger over everything? He had witnessed his friend’s madness; he knew everything then why he was turning a blind eye and accusing her of the things which she never did.

Her lips twitched in a sad smile.

“How close we were in the past Xander but see, how much we have drifted. Only because of your inflated ego which I never knew you possessed.”

Evelyn was deeply hurt. She couldn’t pinpoint why he was being too rough on her.

A frown settled on her brows as she strolled towards her table.

“Does he think that I am trying to protect Dylan? Is that the reason why he is hating me or he misunderstood that I still forgave him just like I did in the past once? Is that the reason behind his anger?”

Evelyn deterred to believe it. But that wasn’t the truth, she can’t even think of defending that man.

Drowned in the pool of thoughts, she kept walking towards her seat when the door of her office was slammed open jarring her nerves.

Evelyn turned around but before she could understand, her left hand was grabbed in a vice grip, and the next moment she was pinned to the wall.

A yelp escaped her mouth as she lifted her head only to see Xander looming over her like a grim reaper; face red, jaw clenched and eyes burning with pure fury with veins popping out his neck.

“Xander, what are you doing?” Evelyn seethed and tried to wiggle out of his grip but he further tightened his hold and inched closer to her making her flinch back.

“What are you playing at Eve?” He sneered at her face. Evelyn was taken off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“YOU BLOODY KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!!” He shouted out of the blue startling her.

“Going to New York? Planning a reconciliation, sweetheart?” Xander said and grunted as he leaned closer to her face.

“But guess what? That’s never gonna happen, Eve. I won’t let you do that.” He spoke in a low tone.

Evelyn looked at him in disbelief. His aura turned ominous and she could see the pits of darkness in his eyes.

So, she was right.

But what irked her was his demeanor. She was witnessing a completely different side of him.

The reticent, patient, well-behaved, and kind Xander she knew was nowhere in sight. Instead, she was met with another worse form of Dylan. With the crazed look in his eyes and the sinister smile on his face with malice dripping from his mouth, he was just the replica of the old Dylan whom she feared to the core.

Her stomach churned in disgust while her throat clogged up.

Evelyn placed her palms on his shoulders and shoot him a teary glare.

“Are you obsessed with me, Xander?”

She snapped at him leaving Xander stunned.

The smirk on his face instantly dropped. His expression immediately changed into a shock one as if a bucket full of cold water was splashed on his face.

Her words worked like a reality check.

Xander froze, his hold loosened.

Evelyn saw the colors drain off his face. Xander could no longer meet her eyes and dropped his gaze to the floor.

But Evelyn didn’t let him back down this time. She grabbed the lapels of his coat and jerked it harshly before shouting in his face.

“Tell me, Xander, is this your real face because my friend wasn’t deranged? He was my haven, my safest spot whom my eyes always used to search eagerly whenever I felt down. When Dylan used to harass me, torture me, and made me cry, the name that always stayed at the tip of my tongue to call for help was yours. My mind only thought of you because I trusted you. I knew that even if the whole world leave my side, you won’t. And this wasn’t my fantasy, you have indeed saved me, not once but multiple times. You were always there for me whenever I needed you. You placed me above everyone, you made me feel special then why are you pushing me now? Why are you breaking my trust and my hope? Turning me a liar in front of everyone? WHY? WHY?”

Evelyn started crying loudly. She continued shaking him while Xander listened to her with sealed lips. He had no answers.

His face wore a troubled expression as if he was fighting with his emotions. Evelyn knew he was ashamed, perhaps he didn’t even realize that his jealousy was tempting him to accept that eerie and dark lane where monsters like Dylan lurked. She didn’t want another psychopath in her life. Especially not the one who held such an important place in her heart.

“Tell me Xander what’s bothering you? Let us iron out our issues instead of fighting over everything. I want you; I want my friend back. You abandoned me when I needed you the most and still, you’re doing the same. Bring him back. Give me my Xander.” She started whining like a child and hit his chest with her fists.

Evelyn lost it completely. She was done acting tough, showing that she feels nothing but his indifference hurt her the most. He mattered to her; his every word was significant to her.

And today she wanted him to know that.

“Return me my Xander. GIVE MY FRIEND BACK!!”

“I DON’T WANT TO!!”

Xander hollered at her and gripped her hands tightly breaking her trance. His eyes followed the trail of a single tear that escaped her left eye leaving behind a wet stain on her rosy cheeks.

“What?” Evelyn mumbled, still in denial but soon a scowl appeared on her face.

“What do you mean you won’t give me my friend?”

“Because I no longer want to be tagged as your friend, Eve.” Xander spat and cupped her face before looking into her eyes deeply. Evelyn was shocked to the bone.

“I don’t want to remain your friend anymore, Eve.” He rasped while wiping her tears with the pad of his thumb.

Her jaw dropped.

“W-What? Xander, what are you-”

“I love you, Evelyn Clarke.”

Xander finally confessed his feelings leaving her shell-shocked.

“X-Xander… What? I… I mean what are you…”

Broken words escaped her mouth while her eyes bulged out of their sockets. Evelyn could feel her heart racing inside her chest, her mouth turned dry while every muscle of her body turned rigid at his confession.

She shook her head, as those three words created turbulence inside her but her heart skipped a beat when Xander placed his index finger on her pink-tinted lips.

“No, Evelyn. I want you to listen to me.” He spoke in a husky voice and made her look into his almond eyes. Evelyn gulped as his gaze was so intense and filled with love that she felt butterflies in her stomach.

“I have never loved any woman in my life, Eve. There were plenty of decent girls around me but I couldn’t associate myself with them as they never made me feel the way you did. Sophia was head over heels for me but I never wanted a woman like her in my life. I never wanted a woman who is rich, bold, or blessed with an appealing and sexy figure. All I wanted was one woman who is a decent and elegant lady who is full of principles. Whom I can respect and adore. But sadly, I could never find her. My worst experiences with women compelled me to believe that I would never get the girl of my dreams. But my beliefs were ruled out the moment I met you.”

He paused and smiled. A blush crept on her cheeks as she averted her gaze.

“But I was ashamed because I fell for my best friend’s wife. That was wrong but love requires no permission, Eve. It happens and I fell for you. Still, I restrained myself for the sake of you so I decided to stay as your friend only but the moments we spent together. Our bond turned stronger with every obstacle we overcome together and I ended up falling deeper for you. But when I came to know the truth about Dylan and you, the strong urge to protect you overwhelmed me. I wanted to take you away from him and give you all the happiness and respect you deserved. To return your freedom and your virtue that he had snatched.”

Evelyn looked at him. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes as a small sob escaped her mouth. Xander’s gaze softened. He cleared her tears with his fingers making her close her eyes.

“But I fucked up in the last moment. I had the opportunity to take you away with me but my mind got corrupted and I ended up favoring Dylan. You don’t know Eve, how much I repented it. I punished myself daily and not even a single day I could manage to sleep peacefully. I knew that you trusted me and I should have stood beside you that day but I messed up. For two years, I searched for you like a rabid, thought of ways how I would ask for your forgiveness and convince you to give me a chance. But when I couldn’t, I lost my mind and made you the target of my frustration.” He spoke ruefully.

Evelyn’s eyes hardened. Anger bubbled inside her.

“I hate you. You have made me cry since the day you arrived.” She cried and started pushing him away. But Xander pulled her in a hug. He rested his chin over her crown and tightened his hold while she kept squirming and cursing at him.

“I know and I don’t know why I did that. Whenever I managed to get a hold of myself, by the end of the day I did something that only ratcheted up our differences. And when I got to know that Dylan was back, my insecurities snowballed.”

Evelyn halted, his words instantly turned her alert.

“Y-You knew?”

Xander heaved a deep sigh and broke the hug.

“Yeah, I come to know from my sources. But what pushed me off the edge when I find out that you have met him.”

Evelyn was perplexed. She craned her neck to look at him but gasped when she noticed his misty eyes.

“Xander.”

She raised her hand and placed it on his left cheek.

“I am scared Eve.” Xander grabbed her hand and held it closer to his chest. Evelyn blinked her eyes multiple times, she was flustered.

“You hid me from him that day. I realized later that you were only trying to protect me but my fear took me off on another tangent and I ended up concluding that you are still with him.” He spoke and lowered his eyes in guilt.

Her expression turned sour. Evelyn snatched her hand away from his hold and harshly wiped her tears with the back of her palm.

“How can you even think something like that?”

She spat, utterly disgusted by his words.

“What do you take me for? Are my morals and self-esteem so hollow that I would easily get swayed by that monster?” She raged.

Xander rubbed his face with his palms.

“I know and I am sorry. I was scared, Eve. I have lost you once I don’t want to lose you again.” He spoke sincerely.

Evelyn looked away to blow over her temper. She still trusted Xander and indeed he wasn’t lying.

Xander knew he messed up but it was his duty to rectify his mistakes. Taking a deep breath, he took one step closer and grabbed her hands grabbing her attention.

“I know you don’t think of me more than as a friend but I want you to give me one chance. I would prove you to be the man of your dreams. I love you a lot, Evelyn but please forgive me.” He begged.

His words thawed her cold heart but she feared the repercussions.

Evelyn was in a conundrum. She couldn’t bring herself to assure him with empty words because she hasn’t figured out her feelings yet. But that wasn’t her concern right now because she had a bigger reason to worry.

Dylan Black.

A violent shiver of bone-chilling dread crept inside her chest.

Dylan would kill Xander for sure if he even gets a hunch that Xander is planning on taking her away from him.

Sweat beads adorned her forehead. Her face turned pale as her fear intensified but fortunately, Xander noticed it.

Evelyn flinched when he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer.

“Don’t worry. This time I won’t let him win.” He spoke.

Evelyn could see the determination in his eyes. But why did he sound so confident?

Xander saw how she peered at him through dampened eyelashes. She was scared.

“You don’t know him, Xander.” She mumbled, her voice came out shaky.

But what left her surprised when Xander smirked at her.

Cupping her cheek, he caressed her cheekbone with his thumb before speaking in a husky voice.

“And you don’t know me, Eve.”