CHAPTER 7: PAST SHADOWS
765 Words
The week passed in a blur of classes, whispered glances, and stolen moments. I kept trying to focus on my studies, but Xavier King was impossible to ignore. Every corridor, every classroom, every quiet corner seemed to hold him.
And every time he appeared, my heart betrayed me.
I knew I shouldn’t be feeling this way. He was arrogant, reckless, infuriating—and dangerously unpredictable. But there was something beneath that reckless exterior. Something raw. Something broken.
It started with a glance.
I was walking back from the library, arms full of books, when I noticed him sitting alone on a bench near the fountain. Usually, he was surrounded by friends or admirers, laughing or teasing. But today… he wasn’t.
Curiosity—or maybe foolish bravery—made me pause.
“Hey,” I said softly.
He looked up. His blue eyes softened for a moment when they met mine. “Rose,” he greeted, voice low. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I shifted nervously, setting my books down on the bench. “I… I just needed some air.”
He nodded, leaning back on the bench, arms draped over the backrest. For a moment, we just sat there in silence, the gentle rustle of leaves filling the gap between us.
Then, almost abruptly, he spoke. “You’re curious about me, aren’t you?”
I frowned. “Curious? No. Not really.”
His smirk appeared, soft this time, not teasing but almost sad. “Don’t lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. You want to know why I am the way I am. Why I… do what I do.”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t—”
“Yes, you do.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His gaze was intense, searching, almost pleading. “You see… everyone thinks they know me. Xavier King. The rich bad boy. The reckless heir. The troublemaker. But they don’t know anything. Nobody does.”
I stayed silent. There was a vulnerability in his voice I hadn’t heard before. A c***k in his perfect armor.
“I wasn’t always like this,” he continued quietly. “I wasn’t born to be feared or envied. I had a family once… a different life. And then it all… ended.”
My heart tightened. “Xavier—”
He raised a hand to stop me. “Don’t. It’s not your burden. But you need to understand. The people who get close… they can get hurt. The people who care… they can get destroyed. That’s why I push everyone away. That’s why I have rules. Rules to keep people safe. Rules to keep myself safe.”
I swallowed. I wanted to reach out, to tell him that it was okay to let someone in, that maybe I could be trusted. But something stopped me. Fear? Caution? Or maybe the whisper of my own heart telling me that getting involved with him could destroy me, just like he said.
He leaned back, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not asking you to understand, Rose. Just… be careful. Because once you care… it’s different. You won’t be able to ignore it. And I… I won’t let you walk away.”
I looked down at my hands, fumbling with the strap of my bag. I couldn’t breathe. The weight of his words, his presence, and the undeniable pull between us was suffocating.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said softly, almost gently. “Just… know that the closer you get, the more dangerous it becomes. For both of us.”
I nodded slowly, unsure what to say. Because he was right. The spark between us wasn’t just attraction. It was a storm waiting to break. And I wasn’t sure either of us was ready for it.
He stood suddenly, brushing off his pants. “I have to go,” he said, but before walking away, he paused. His eyes softened. “You’re strong, Rose. Stronger than you know. Don’t let me… break you.”
And just like that, he was gone, leaving me alone on the bench, my chest tight, my mind spinning.
I wanted to hate him. I wanted to run. I wanted to ignore the pull that had begun between us.
But I couldn’t.
Because deep down, I already knew: whatever this was… whatever Xavier King was… it was only going to get more intense.
And I wasn’t sure I was ready for the truth of his past—or the future he would drag me into.
- Writer
