Recap -

"So, what do you like to play? The kicking you to death protagonist?" Xander asks with a smirk as he starts to drive.

"I like the sound of it."

"You are impossible," Xander says shaking his head in disbelief but a smile plays on his lips.
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Jasmine's POV (Continuation) -

"So, why have you abducted me and where do you exactly plan to kill me?" I ask Xander while looking out of the car window.

We had settled into a comfortable silence after we left the campus. But, I figured out that 15 minutes of silence is the best I could give him.

"Mhm... and here I thought something was wrong with you," Xander replies, his eyes trained on the road.

"Avoiding the question, I see Mr. Lennox," I said humorously, but the way Xander jerked his head to me, I think I just said something that I was not supposed to.

"Are you alright?" I ask, noticing his hardened jaw and tight grip on the wheel.

Really? Just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber. You ask the most obvious dumb questions in the history!

"So, which year are you in?" Xander asks, clearing his throat.

"Huh?"

Idiot! He is trying to change the topic. Get the hint and grab the opportunity, woman!

Oh-okay.

"I am doing h-honors in English. This is my last year in UCSD," I reply, stammering.

"I see. So, you are a writer kind of person?"

"That's so stereotypical. Just because I like English, doesn't mean I have to be an author," I say, rolling my eyes.

"But do you want to be a writer?"

"Guilty," I reply, as Xander's lip tug upwards in smile.

"And you said I was stereotypying," he mocks me, shaking his head.

"Enough about me. So, are you a student too?"

"Nope."

"You didn't go to college? It's okay, you can always try and get into the best--"

"Why did you assume I didn't go to one, out of all the options?"

"You do know, you never gave me an option and seriously what do you expect me to draw out of a monosyllabic answer. Give the girl a break, mister!" I reply, playfully hitting him on his shoulder.

"Hey, no manhandling the driver!"

"Seriously, this hurts you?" I reply, again hitting his shoulder.

"God, I miss the 15 minutes of peace," Xander murmurs.

"So, which college do you go in? Wait, you said you are not a student. You already graduated?" I ask, more to myself than him.

Xander looks really young, around my age. Maybe one or two years older? God, if he says he's six or seven years older, I am seriously going to stop assuming people's age with their face.

Ikr! These days creams and those plastic surgeries make people look so young. FYI, I think you may need a nose job.

Seriously, again you are on with the abbreviations? And puhlease I am not taking my body anywhere near those clinical instruments.

"I graduated two years ago from Columbia University," Xander's voice, breaks my thoughts.

"An Ivy League University? Wow, that's great. Which subject did you go for?"

"Business management."

"So, you are like an entrepreneur? Wait, if you graduated two years ago, then you are like two years elder to me?" I ask, while placing my hand on the deskboard of the car.

"Yes, we have a two years gap, considering you are 23 and yeah I am sort of a business man."

"I will be 24 this year."

"I'll be 26."

"So, family business?"

"How did you know that?" Xander asks, occasionally turning his head towards me as a frown mars his face.

"Just a guess. I mean you do live alone in a big mansion kind of house, that may I add is located in one of the richest localities in San Diego."

My reply seems to relax his tensed muscles as the frown disappears.

God! It should be a crime for guys like him to wear sleeveless tops! I can so see his--

I block my inner voice and instead focused on Xander's words.

"Well, not alone. I have Oreo and other friends in the city too," he replies, momentarily looking in my eyes.

"Hmm... So, after being a Coffee sadist, you are becoming a hot kidnapper?"

My face immediately burns as I realize the words that had tumbled out of my mouth.

"Hot kidnapper? Great profession, but, you know too much physical labour and God forbid if I have to kidnap teen girls then they'll make me deaf with their tantrums."

"But I like the sound of it - hot kidnapper," he says as a smirk plays on his lips.

"It was a slip of tongue, no need to hold onto it," I grumble while folding my hands across my chest.

Freudian slip of tongue?

What?

Freudian slip also called parapraxis, is an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of an unconscious subdued wish or internal train of thought.

How do you even know that?

One of us had to store this knowledgeable information and FYI I paid attention in pyschology classes!

"So, why coffee sadist?" Xander asks, while taking a left turn.

"You do remember how cruelly you wasted so many precious lattes," I ask, while grimacing at my friends' helpless state.

Xander chuckles at my reply, "You are one of a kind."

"Obviously, if God had made my xerox copy, this place would be a heaven."

"Heaven for coffee addicts and hell for people allergic to it."

"I always knew we were destined to meet," I reply, as we both laugh.

"So, where are we going and what were you doing at my university?"

"Alexia asked me to pick you up."

"Oh, I am so sorry, you had to come all the way here especially for me. You must have wasted so much of your time--"

"You are not a waste of time. I, I mean  Oreo and I like spending time with you, Cocoa. Besides, you are worth every trip, especially since I got to meet the kicking you to death protagonist today."

Aww, he's so sweet. Seriously, God only knows what he sees in you and your lame jokes and your crooked nose.

My nose is not crooked.

"Wait, let me see," Xander says as I mentally curse myself for speaking out aloud again.

Xander stops the car in front of Al's house and turns towards me. Slowly, his fingers turn my face - first right, then left. He comes closer to me, more closer, till our faces are barely a centimeter apart. We both stare in our eyes. His blue ones, crashing into my black ones.

"Nope, looks fine to me from every angle," Xander replies, as he let's go of my chin and sinks back in his seat.

I release a breath that I wasn't aware I was holding. I blink a few times to knock some sense into me. As I realize, how close we were, my cheeks immediately flush and I try to get out of the car ASAP.

So, YOU can use abbreviations, but not me?

Ignoring my inner voice, I focus on getting out of the car. But as usual Lady Luck's never on my side and my ass ends up kissing the road.

Stop blaming luck, you are the clumsy one.

Stop interrupting my life!

What life? The one we still have to buy on eBay? Or the one you took rental from a library?

Shut up!

"You alright?" Xander asks, as my cheeks flush more, if that was even possible.

"Yeah," I reply, letting the stinging pain go away.

"Then what are you doing there?"

"Here?" I ask, while patting the road and finally getting up.

"You know just some... random gravity.. check?" I reply, which sounded more like a question.

"Random gravity check?" he asks, amusement evident on his face.

"Gotta go. Thank you for the ride Xander, give my hug to Oreo!" I scream as I dash towards Lancaster house at full speed, saving my last ripped piece of dignity.

Are we describing clothes? I mean ripped jeans are the only ripped thing I am aware of. I like black ripped jeans, they look so sexy!!

Here goes my last shred of dignity.

Wait dignity is being sold in shreds these days?
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Hey guys!
I am back! How's everyone?

TGB crossed 300 reads and I want to thank each of my readers. Thanks to all of you we are here.

So, what did you think of this chapter? Was it humorous? I tried to make it, but you can be honest.

So, we had a Cocoa and Xander moment. Any thoughts?

Till the next update, keep shining ;)

- Love Addy :)