Xavier's girl

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to go, Alan," I say into my phone as I crossed LA's morning traffic. 

"I've told you, Xavier won't be a problem. He's calmed down after New York." 

'After New York' that was a couple of days ago..... we haven't exactly spoken. I've been too busy moving into my new apartment and getting the house ready. Every time I stopped by to spend the afternoon with Amelia he was never there—just Cara and Scott watching me. 

I was fine with the system we came up with, I was fine with his relationship with Cara. I've told myself I should happy he was happy. We needed to focus on Amelia now, she was more important than our problems. Which was why I was glad Xavier didn't bring up the kiss we shared. Let's just say I wasn't ready to talk about it. 

"Besides, I don't have a dress yet," I tell Alan. He still wants me to attend the charity ball with him tomorrow night. 

"I've taken care of that, your concierge has a package waiting for you." I could feel him smiling through the phone. 

"Fine. But if anything goes wrong I will hold you accountable." I give in, it might be fun to have a night out of unpacking boxes. 

"Great, will pick up by 6 pm. I'm picking up Chinese for dinner tonight by the way." He changes the subject

"That's fine with me, make sure to tell them no mushrooms," I tell him before hanging up. 

I was having a great time with Alan—if you can believe it. This past two days, he would spend time with me at the apartment. I'm not complaining, he does must of the heavy work. I think he was becoming lonely in his penthouse on the other side of town. He was used to having another person always at his side, but with Stephanie gone he was alone. 

Just as I was about to drop my phone into my white Chloe's straw white bag, the one second I looked away I barged right into someone. I stable myself on my wobbly wage heels, immediately looking for the person—hoping they weren't on the floor. 

Out of everyone in the world, this was the last person I expected I would barge into: I recognise her curls straight away. The sunglasses she was wearing were able to hide some of her features but I could still recognise her. She looks completely the same, nothing seems to have changed. She had on white trousers with a cami top. Her face free of makeup, she's looked amazing. 

"I'm so s—" she stops talking when she looks at my face. 

"Vanessa?" she takes off her sunglasses but I kept mine on. 

"Mary," I acknowledge her, still reversed. 

"Oh my god! I thought I'd never see you again." Mary pulls me for a hug, surprising me. 

"Wow, you look amazing." She looks at the brown pocket dot tight sundress I was wearing. The sun was out this morning, so I went with something light and short sleeves. 

"What are you doing here? In LA." She pulls back her hands still gripping mine. 

"Staying for a while, though it would be best for us." 

"Us? Are you and Xavier back together? I thought he got back with Cara?" Her eyes widened in shock 

"He did. I want Amelia to have her father as well. Our baby," I reminded her 

"Oh, I completely forgot." She covered her hands with her mouth. 

"I'm so stupid. There I was living in Paris doing nothing and you were having a baby, I wish I was there to help."

"I never expected that of you, you had to live your own life," I tell her sincerely because she looked upset. 

"I know I did some horrible things but I regret every single one. Is there a way you can forgive me and we can be friends again?" She was begging. 

I wanted to scoff at her. we were never friends, I thought. She was part of a cult that wanted me dead, she was sent to bring me in. Everything we ever shared was fake, the only real friend I had was Stephanie. 

"Sure. All forgiven and forgotten." I smile instead of telling her the truth. As long as I don't run into her again, it should be good. 

"Do you wanna get coffee, you can tell me what you've been up to lately." She was already dragging me with her before I could tell her I had plans. I guess I will have to get my table set from IKEA another day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm so glad I ran into you," Mary takes a sip of her iced latte

"Same," I smiled tightly drinking my Starbucks frappe. 

"I still can't believe you and Xavier aren't together, we all thought you were meant to me." She reaches for my hands giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"I guess we weren't," I shrug, maybe if I hadn't gone to New Zealand it would be a different story. 

"Cara never gave up," 

"What do you mean?" I looked at her oddly

"It just we all knew she was brought to please him....." she hesitated, I already knew the story of how Cara met Xavier. She was bought to take his virginity. 

"But after your father ran away with you, Xavier chose his second." I paused my drink mid-air when I hear the new information. 

"What do you mean his second?" I asked Mary, 

"I don't wanna cause any problems," she looks at me softly "just remember this was a long time ago and Xavier didn't know you."

"Okay," I nod but my heart was already beating. 

"You know how you were the perfect match for Xavier and you had to have his children," she looks as comfortable as I felt 

"Well after you were gone for a while, Xavier wanted Cara instead. He tried everything to make his father changed the written words. But the elders said you had to be the one, after a while of Xavier begging they let him pick Cara as his second." 

"What does that mean?" This was completed fucked up and confusing. 

"It meant that Xavier could be Cara, as long as he got you pregnant with the next heir. The elders would have let them be together as long as he gave them a baby first, but it had to be your child." my face pales. I started panicking, was is she telling me the truth?

"That's why he went crazy looking for you but after he laid eyes on you it seems like he forgot Cara." I could hardly hear what she was saying. 

All I kept thinking about was how I got pregnant and now my baby was with him and Cara. He got what he wanted, my baby and Cara. Did he play me? He planned this all along, that was his end game. And I was stupid enough to get pregnant, I was stupid enough to believe him. When he sign was right there, he always sort out Cara. She was at the Cottage after all, did they plan this together? 

"Vanessa!" I jumped when I felt Mary shaking me.

"You completely spaced out on me there," she laughs but still looks worried 

"Mary, they have my baby," I whisper 

"What?" she asked puzzled 

"Why would you give them your baby?" 

"He came and took her! I have to go get her away from them!" I yelled getting up, 

"Vanessa, your not making sense. Sit down for a minute, I know what I said upset you." I listened because the people around us were staring. 

"What if this was his plan all along? I'm so fucking stupid." I wanted to hit myself, I should have seen it. They were right in my face. 

"Vanessa, believe me. Xavier was in love with you, why do you think he got you pregnant?" 

"He didn't, it was an accident," I tell her, we didn't plan on having Amelia. It was surprising to both of us.

"It wasn't, don't you know about the fake pills he gave you. I thought that why you left him." I started hyperventilating at this point. 

"What fake pills?" I whisper too scared to know the answer.

"You don't know?" Her face pales in horror.

"He gave me fake pills?" The pills he gave me were fake, he planned this. He knew I was pregnant. 

I suddenly remembered, I never told him I was pregnant that day. Josh had attacked us and kidnapped me. I didn't get to tell him, I want to slap myself for not figuring it out. He didn't seem surprised when the nurse was telling me the baby made it. He already knew. When he saw me bleeding on the road, he already knew. I assumed he didn't react cause of shock but it was because he already knew. 

"I need to get my baby out of that house," I look at Mary.