I waited breathlessly. My anxiety made me glance behind me again and again. I shuddered at every little sound. Expecting to see the armed men after me again.

Maybe we can have a little fun first?

I flinched violently as I felt my skin crawling again at his vile words. I was used to handsy people. I had known how to handle them, but it was rare that random perverts had walked up to me with loaded guns. I rang the bell again, shivering in agitation and the night which was suddenly colder. Thankfully, the door opened and a tired Scarlett answered.

"Xav? What-?" Her eyes widened as she gasped at my appearance. She wore pyjamas, her blonde hair flying about her face and I realized she had been getting ready for bed. "Oh my god, what happened?"

She stepped back as I entered. Immediately, I shut and locked the door behind me. Now that I felt secure, I realized my body was aching from the assault. "Can I get some water?"

She nodded and started leading me downstairs to the kitchen. I gazed at the familiar, high ceiling and ornate chandeliers. It was strange to imagine how many things had changed since I had first set foot inside the Atkinson's mansion. I went and sat behind the kitchen counter, shutting my eyes against the dull ache in my abdomen.

I could still taste the blood in my mouth and touched my lower lip to find the glistening, sticky vermilion on my finger. I could still see the men with their guns. Their words that repulsed and terrified me. The metal glinting under the silver moonlight. Their menacing snarls. The smell.

Scarlett returned after a few minutes and placed a glass of water in front of me.She studied me, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. The sleepiness in her eyes had disappeared. "You're shivering. Xavier, will you-"

She sighed as I ignored her question. I raised the glass of water and started drinking from it. Slowly. Deliberately. She sat across me, gazing at me silently. I wasn't ready to recall anything just yet. Maybe wouldn't be for some time. After I realized that I couldn't stretch out the process of drinking water any longer, I set it back down on the counter and gazed at it. The taste of blood in my mouth seemed to have gotten worse, however, my parched throat was thankful. "Thank you."

"Xavier, I left you at the bar and you return almost three hours later looking like you were assaulted," She shook her head as my heart spiralled into my chest, "What happened?"

I remained quiet.

She sighed, leaning back and drumming her fingers impatiently on the counter. "You're hurt," She leaned forwards and touched her thumb gently to my bottom lip. "You're bleeding."

I turned my face away from her, my face hot from embarrassment. She sighed again. "I'll go call the doctor. I think you need someone-"

"No."

"Xavier."

"I said no."

"You're bleeding."

I sighed and looked at her, shaking my head firmly. "No. Scar I just..."I raked a hand through my hair, "I just need some sleep. And a shower. To get this fucking blood off me."

"Okay. I think you should call Grayson and atleast let him know whatever the fuck happened to you. He'll want to be here."

My heart lurched painfully in my chest. I hoped she wouldn't notice when I almost flinched at the mention of his name. I was wrong.

"Xav?" She leaned towards me, her eyes wide. "What happened? Is it Gray? Did you guys have a fight? He got to know about your twisted plans didn't he?" She sighed, shaking her head as she trudged on angrily, "I don't want to be that friend but do you see now what I was saying? Do you understand-"

"I'll leave."

I rose to my feet, cutting her words off as she gaped soundlessly at me. "I just...I need to borrow your car."

She stared at me for a while, shocked, before her eyes hardened and she rose to her feet. "No," I stared at her as she walked erectly towards me, anger etched in her features, "You listen to me Xavier Easton," she poked my shoulder and I took a step back in bewilderment. She was a good six inches shorter than my five eleven and yet, she seemed to tower over me.

"If you want to be a stuck up whiney princess and brood about whatever the fuck happened, I am not going to assist you with that. You can leave. But if you want me to help you, you are going to stop ordering me around and listen to whatever I tell you to do."

I blinked rapidly, stunned by her response. "Okay."

Her eyes widened. She seemed shocked that I had given up so fast, but the throbbing ache in my body seemed to worsen. I decided to make a last plea, "But please, no doctor."

She sighed, leaning back. "Alright. No doctor."

I nodded and rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, "So, mind if I use your bathroom?"

She sighed,looking satisfied as she nodded and started leading me up the staircase.

"Isn't it hard to live in this massive ass house alone?" I asked tactlessly.

She shrugged as she unlocked a door and stepped inside it. I heard the click of a switch as the room was flooded in light. "Not really. This place is mostly bustling with designers and everyone else from the team. It's hard...without mom."

A solid silence fell before she cleared her throat awkwardly and stepped back to let me in. "There's the bathroom-" she pointed at a door at the back of the room, "And I'll send in some clothes," she scrutinized me as she spoke, "Ill set you up with a size medium. It should work," She smiled as she continued "Consider yourself lucky, you'll be the first to wear designs from casually chic from the Atkinson Collection."

I rolled my eyes, "That's some real bad luck."

She gasped and punched me playfully in the arm. Even her little action made me wince in pain. She gazed at me, concerned, "If you don't want, the doctor thing will be completely confidential Xav-"

"No Scar. Please."

She sighed but nodded her head in defeat. "Alright. Take care Xav. I'll send some medicines and stuff here."

I nodded as she leaned forward and kissed me tenderly on my cheek. She leaned back, her eyes soft. "I hope someday you trust me enough to tell me stuff Xavier."

I felt stung by her words. She didn't say anything further as she walked away, leaving me to wallow in a pool of self pity. I walked into the bathroom, my eyes barely taking in the guest room I was in. I stumbled into the bathroom and immediately stripped off my bloody, sweaty clothes. I gazed at myself in the full length mirror, my heart settling somewhere near my naval.

I looked terrible. I turned around and gazed at my back, where a dark bruise had formed from where his knee had pinned me down. I cursed under my breath as I touched it and pain shot up my back. I leaned forward and touched my bottom lip, gently pulling at it. The cut on it had disappeared, but the stinging pain told me it was still present. I sighed and washed my face. My eyes looked haunted.

I wondered silently if Grayson was looking for me. Of course he wasn't. He was with her. His wife. Someone who meant something to him. I got into the shower and let the water run over me. The cold lioqued felt good on my feverish skin, calming my racing heart. My stomach felt like it was filled with lead.

Scarlett's vooice called after a while, "I'm placing the towel and clothes her on the bed."

"Thanks."

Her footsetps receded and the door shut behind her. I felt guilty. I had just got her mother arrested. What was I doing shamelessly intruding on her hospitality? But I had no other place to go. I sighed and walked into the room. I wrapped the soft, fluffy white towel around me and collapsed onto the bed. The soreness in my body seemed to be magnified now that the adrenaline rush had finally faded away. I lay on my back, pulling the covers closer around me and gazing at the high white ceiling.

I had no way of knowing who was the person who was trying to get rid of me so keenly. For all I knew, it could be multiple persons in which case I was even more screwed. How long till one of their bullets finally found the mark?

I sighed and closed my eyes. The mattress felt warm and comfortable, unlike my icy heart. It took me a long while to finally fall into the numbing sleep, my mind fixated on a single entity.

Grayson.