Chapter 438 - Hello, Neighbour

Her mind thought about a million things in five seconds.

Okay… let's go back to last night…

She remembered coming to sit down with Xavier and Zac, then she drank alcohol…

That was all she could remember. What else happened last night? Her head was almost splitting in two, and now she wanted to vomit.

Jumping down from the bed, she pushed open the adjacent door, and thankfully, it was the restroom. Bending over the sink, she threw up.

''God!'' Ari exclaimed as she held her stomach painfully; she hated having a hangover. Throwing up was so painful.

Ari washed her mouth and stepped out to think of where she was at the moment.

As she walked into the room, flashes of the events from the previous night came back to her.

Her eyes widened in shock as she remembered kissing Xavier and begging him to sleep with her…

No… no… no…

Her hands flung to her head as she turned to the bed, as more memories seeped in;

She even cried when he told her he couldn't sleep with her, and she had asked to shower together...

Ari wanted to pass out. She prayed the grounds would open and swallow her whole.

How would she raise her head in front of him again? How the fuck did she ask him to sleep with her, Maria? Are you that horny?

As though she was not already embarrassed enough, the door opened, and Xavier walked into the room.

His hair was a little messy, and he was not putting on a shirt. Ari's eyes drank in his body unintentionally, and she quickly pinned them to his face.

He had a smirk on his lips, and she was sure she was beet red from embarrassment, so there was no way she could pretend that she didn't remember what happened.

''How was your night? You had a lot of alcohol to drink. It was unsafe to take you to your room. I hope you didn't mind sleeping in my bed?''

Ari shook her head, ''No… not at all, thank you for taking care of me, I didn't know that there was that much alcohol in that glass, I don't get drunk this easily, forgive my manners. ''

Xavier smiled; ''you're forgiven. ''

Ari panicked, and she grabbed her boots; ''Thank you for taking care of me last night, and letting me sleep here. I'll be going to my room now. I'm deeply sorry for the inconvenience. ''

She said, and without waiting for his reply; she turned towards the door and fled. Xavier laughed as he watched her leave in a hurry, he knew she was embarrassed about the previous night and would not want him to remind her of it, so he decided not to, but it was fun seeing her being so vulnerable in front of him, and accepting her innermost desires.

…

''You must be joking!'' Lu exclaimed as Ari narrated her encounter with Xavier to her. The moment they got back to the states, she ran to Lu's house. She desperately needed words of comfort at that moment.

She had avoided Xavier like a plaque, too ashamed to look at him in the face. He didn't speak to her too, and she wondered which of the actions made her feel more embarrassed. What she did or the fact that he didn't even try to speak to her. 

''Ari, you kissed Xavier and begged him to sleep with you?!''

Lu asked again, as though making sure she had not misheard. Ari glared at her and she shook her head;

''No, I'm not laughing at you or anything, I'm just in shock, I can't imagine what he would have felt at that moment, he's such a gentleman to not have even kissed you back, even when he had wanted you in his bed all along.

He could have easily kissed you back and there was nothing you would have done about it, so I think you need to thank him for not touching you. Only a few men would resist the urge.''

''I thanked him.''

''Maybe he's not as bad as you think him to be. Maybe he actually likes you.''

''What? No, don't even go there. That is where the problem begins when you think a playboy is capable of love. You know, he might have been a gentleman to show me he is a gentleman and make me fall for him. You don't know the extent these men can go to get what they want.''

''But you were vulnerable on his bed and he didn't touch you, so what did you say he wanted again?''

Ari shrugged, ''I did not say I'm not grateful, but you don't expect me to go fall over him, simply because he didn't touch me.''

''Well, you've already told him you dreamed of him almost every other day and can't get that night out of your head. I don't think there's anything you can be embarrassed about again. '' Lu said as she burst out laughing.

''burn in hell, Lu.'' Ari glared at her. This was certainly not the emotional support she had here come for.

…

Work continued as usual. She did not see Xavier for days, not in the parking lot or anywhere. She wondered if he came to work, but when she overheard her manager asking someone to take some files to him one day, she knew he was around.

Ari unintentionally looked out to see him, but she did not. After a few days, she got used to the fact that she wouldn't be seeing him as often.

Zac had lunch with her a few times, and they hardly talked about Xavier, although she wanted to ask. She held back.

But the unbelievable happened one Saturday morning; Ari was practicing yoga in her house when she heard the doorbell ring; she wanted to ignore it but there were a few more rings and she grudgingly stood up and walked to the door;

Peeking through the CCTV, she was shocked by who she saw; Xavier stood outside with a box of cupcakes in his hand;

Ari was stunned for a second, after which she opened the door.

''hello neighbor, I just moved into the house across the street, and I'm having a welcome party this evening. You are invited. ''

Xavier said, handing the box of cakes to her. Ari's lips opened to say something, but no words could leave her mouth.

''Time is 6 pm, would love to see you.. '' Xavier said with a smile and walked away, leaving Ari dumbfounded at the spot.