Page 106 of Xavier

"I'm Xavier's friend."

Ah. Yes. The bouncer.

"Oh, okay, yes, he's told me about you."

"Probably not as much as he's told me about you." His eyebrow twitches, but he doesn’t volunteer any more information.

"Oh, okay. But that doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"Xavier asked me to make sure you get around okay today. I'm here to take you wherever you need to go."

The mention of Xavier again turns the pit of my stomach into a centrifuge, spinning until the bottom threatens to fall out. We haven't spoken since yesterday at my apartment. I have no idea what he's thinking, about me, about what I told him, about our past or our future.

"Xavier?" I say, surprised there isn't more of a tremble in my voice. "Um, where... where is he?"

"He'd be here himself but... um, he's taking care of some business. I'm sure he'll get in touch with you soon."

"Oh okay," I say, but I really want to grab him by his mountainous shoulders and shake him and make him tell me everything he knows. "Well, I don't need you to babysit me, I can take care of myself."

"Sure, whatever you say," comes the answer. "Just let me know whenever you're ready to go," he grunts as he pushes himself off his stool, carrying his empty plate to the sink.

"I... ugh, are you always so bossy?" I whine.

"Yes."

"Ram!" I yell out of frustration.

"Look. If you're thinking that either Xavier or I will let you go back to your apartment alone after what happened, then you're even stupider than I give you credit for."

My eyes narrow at him, but he has a point.

"What do you know, Ram?"

"I know everything, Malynda. Now finish your breakfast. Take your time. I have nothing else to do today but keep you safe."

He turns on the sink and drowns out any protestation I might have made.

***

There's a strip of yellow tape outside my apartment door. Crime scene. It seems over the top, but I remember that Xavier was here, talking to the police. So, I guess I shouldn't expect anything less. He organized a bald 7-foot middle-aged babysitter for me, after all.

I take a breath before I go inside.

Jade is right.

This is a violation. I know I can never go back to living here now.

All I can see are his fingerprints over everything he touched. Tainting it. The air is poisoned with his breath. I catch myself holding mine as I walk through the apartment, careful not to touch anything he's touched.

"I won't be long, I just need to grab some clothes," I say to Ram. He just nods, his lips stretched tightly over his teeth, his jaw twitching as he takes in the scene.

They did a really good job of destroying this place. They. Huh. Him.

I feel my stomach turn and I swallow the reflex to retch, as I always do in the handful of times I've allowed myself to think about the attack since it happened.

"Focus," I say to myself. "Grab a bag and some clothes and let's got out of here as fast as we can." I make a mental note of some other things I will need that I will send my assistant to get. I don't want to be here a second longer than I have to.

Ram is waiting for me outside when I emerge from the apartment, cellphone to his ear.