Chapter 4
1453 Words
My heart drops into my stomach the moment he says that.
The alarm bells in my head begin to ring, my body stiffening as different thoughts race through my mind.
What does he want to talk about? Is it about Aaliyah? Did he find out she's his -
No, no.
I cut off the thoughts.
There's no way he'd have already found out. He doesn't know about it. And he must not know.
With that in mind, I recompose my face and make sure my face is void of the dread I feel inside me.
"What do you want to talk about?"
Just then, Aaliyah shifts slightly in my arms, and I watch as his gaze falls on her again. Before I can stop myself, my grip on her tightens even further, and I use my palm to close her eyes.
"My eyes are up here, Sterling."
He looks up at me immediately, his jaw clenched before he clears his throat.
"I didn't come here to disturb you," he says, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. "I'm here because I have an offer. A business deal. And you're the only person who fits it."
That makes me frown. "What does that even mean?"
He doesn't answer immediately.
His gaze flicks once more toward Aaliyah, and I step slightly sideways again, blocking her fully this time.
"Stop looking at her," I say.
His eyes return to mine, his lips pursed into a thin line.
He looks like he wants to ask something - I can see it in his eyes how much he does - but he manages to suppress it with that controlled energy, focusing on whatever business deal he's talking about.
When he doesn't say anything at first, I open my mouth, ready to send him away before he gives me a heart attack.
Before I can, however, he beats me to it.
"I'm proposing to you a fake relationship."
I frown. "What?" I have no idea if it's just me, but what he just said seems too slow for my brain to process. "You need what?"
"A fake relationship," he repeats flatly. "Something public and temporary."
I don't realize when a laugh falls past my lips.
What he said is not funny. In fact, it's a bit disturbing.
What makes me laugh is the audacity he has to show up in front of my house like he didn't f*****g disappear on me without a single explanation.
"This is what you came to tell me about?" I ask, disbelief lacing my tone. "That you need a fake relationship? From me?" When he says nothing but raises a brow, I sneer at him. "You really do have that much audacity. But news flash, I won't be doing that with you."
He grits his teeth. "Jazlyn-"
"Don't f*****g call my name, you son of a b***h!" I snap, hating that tears have to sting my eyes right now of all times. "Go find someone else. Maybe one of the hoes who you had all around you for the past five years."
"You're the only one who is fit for the deal," he says, sounding still so confident in the s**t he's spewing out. "That's why I have a compensation for you."
Anger courses through my veins.
"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to accept your deal," I say, already making my way past him so I can get inside. "Get away from here. I don't want to see you ever again."
My hand is already on the door when he speaks again.
"Name your price."
I freeze.
Slowly, I turn back to see he's already looking at me. "What?"
He clenches his jaw, like he's forcing himself to be patient. "I said name your price," he repeats. "Whatever you think this is worth. I'll pay it."
A dry laugh almost leaves me, but it doesn't.
Because this is insane.
"You think I'm for sale?"
"I think you're practical and sensible enough to take a good deal when you see one," he says simply. "There's a difference between that and being for sale."
I tilt my head slightly. "And if I choose to say no?"
A pause follows my question, and he says nothing, like he's weighing an answer.
It's like he doesn't even have one since clearly, he expected me to say yes to his deal.
Just when I think he's not going to say anything, he does.
"Then I'll find someone else," he says coldly. "But you're the only one who fits what I need."
The words send irritation through me, and I glare at him. "You don't even know me anymore, Sterling."
"I don't need to," he replies immediately. "I just need the deal."
There's a stretch of silence between us. And when I get tired of it, I shake my head once, already turning again.
"No, thank you."
I push the door open, but before I can step inside, he speaks again.
"I'll double it."
That stops me again.
One would think it's because I'm tempted to take the offer, but it isn't. It's because I feel insulted he thinks he can just buy me with money, and I turn to face him again, anger clawing at my throat.
"I said no, thank you," I almost snap. "Why do you think I'll want to take your money?"
Xavier's gaze holds mine, his expression still calm. "Because you're struggling," he says. "And I don't need to pretend I don't know that. I know you're in debt, almost due your rent, and being a journalist isn't helping because the pay is -"
"Enough," I cut him off, embarrassment washing over me. "I don't need to hear what you know about me."
I don't even want to know how he got access to all these.
Xavier Sterling is the type of man that gets anything he wants, so it won't take much time for him to get all the s**t he needs to know about me.
I shouldn't be surprised he knows this about my measly life that I, refuse to even think about, myself.
Xavier raises a brow, and I purse my lips, hoping my embarrassment isn't showing on my face.
Then, I lift my chin and say. "No." A beat passes. "Thank you."
He exhales lightly like he's talking to a small kid who loves being difficult.
"I can increase it," he says again. "And you can move in with me."
That makes my brows pull together. "What?"
"It solves logistics," he says simply. "And it ensures safety." He looks briefly toward the house behind me before holding my gaze again. "This environment isn't good for a ... kid."
Aaliyah. That's who he's talking about.
And I hate it from the depth of my heart that he's right about it. Right about how the environment isn't good for her - proof of that being the nights when she'd fall ill because of mosquitos, stay up all night coughing whenever it got too cold.
My silence must be all he needs to confirm he's right - that he's gotten into my head - because he steps closer, closing the space between us that the familiar minty scent of his cologne wafts into my nostrils.
"The deal is simple," he says. "All I need is stability."
A strange look flashes in his eyes before he continues.
"After what happened on the ice with Dominic earlier today, the club is watching me closely. My family is watching even closer. They're already pushing me into situations I don't want. Father is already asking me to go out with a woman I don't know s**t about just to look like I'm not an unstable single man who can't control his anger."
A pause.
"And you-" he pauses for a while again, looks at Aaliyah, then back at me, "-you need something you don't have right now."
He lets out an exhale.
"We already know each other. We don't need to pretend otherwise. We can use that instead of fighting it."
His tone softens slightly at the end, sounding controlled.
"Make it useful."
That sends a feeling worse than the anger I'm already feeling inside me. Because he must be so bold to assume something as stupid - and logical, I hate to admit - as this to me.
Before I can respond, he pulls out a card, presses it lightly into my hand, and closes my fingers over it.
His hand lingers for half a second too long, the feeling of his skin on mine sending tingles through me before he lets go.
"Think about it," he says quietly, looking straight into my eyes.
And then he turns and walks away.
- Writer
