“When did you talkwith Xander?”
“Yesterday. We looked at apartments, and he was heartbroken. Or he seemed it. He told me about his dreams and that you kicked him out of your place and car. Oh, and that Damon is harassing you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sigh. “It all happened this week. It’s been a roller coaster.”
Let’s get off of it together.Xander’s voice flies through my mind. My heart rips open wider.
“What did Damon do?”
“Viv, I don’t want to get into it right now. Can I tell you about it later?”
“Okay.”
After a few minutes, she says, “Char, I know you think you saw what you saw, but are you sure Xander would do that to you? He told me he didn’t love her, that he loved you. He was distraught yesterday.”
“She was in his arms. He called her Billie. His lips were against hers. What else is there to know?”
Vivian nervously scans my eyes. “I don’t know, but maybe you should talk to him. He kept saying you had it wrong. Maybe you do?”
I sneer. “Not quite sure how I could get that one wrong.”
Vivian’s phone buzzes, and she types to someone, back and forth for a bit. She finally looks up and says, “I think you need to talk with Xander.”
“Tell me you aren’t texting him right now.”
“No, I’m texting Chase. But he said he saw Billie and her friend and that Billie is wasted and you need to talk to Xander.”
“Just because Billie is wasted doesn’t excuse Xander kissing her!” I snap.
“Chase says she kissed him, and he didn’t kiss her back.”
“Coming from a guy who cheats on girls with a calendar,” I shoot back at Vivian.
She appears slightly hurt.
“What?” I ask her.
“He isn’t cheating on them. They know about it. Those girls agree to it.”
“That makes it okay?”
She looks at me. “Yes, it does. If they didn’t know about it, then fine, but everyone involved knows about it. So he isn’t cheating on anyone, and it’s not fair for you to say that about him.”
She has a point I can’t argue with her about. “I’m sorry. I’m just upset and pissed at Xander.”
“Maybe he’s not to blame for this, either.”
A tear slips down my cheek. “Why did it have to be her? Why couldn’t he have been kissing some other girl?”
Vivian puts her arm around me. “I know it sucks it was her, but if he kissed someone else, you wouldn’t like that, either.”
She’s right. I don’t want Xander kissing anyone except me.
“Char, do you really think Xander would do that to you? I just don’t see it.”
I only love you.Xander’s words roll into my head and cut me like a knife. Do I think he would do that to me? No. But thoughts and reality are two different things, and I learned that along time ago.
“You didn’t see it. I did.”
