7.An unexpected sleepover

IN A BIT

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

Dinner smelled amazing, a warm reminder of what I had missed for so long. Isabella had always had a way with food simple, comforting, yet utterly perfect. The table was set with two plates of steaming pasta, a salad, and a loaf of fresh bread she’d warmed in the oven.

"Sit." She said, gesturing to the chair across from hers.

I obeyed, feeling strangely out of place in this cozy, intimate setting. She poured water into two glasses and sat down, her movements graceful yet casual.

“This looks great." I said, genuinely impressed.

"It’s nothing fancy." She replied, brushing off the compliment as she twirled some pasta onto her fork.

We ate in relative silence, the clinking of cutlery against plates the only sound between us. I wanted to say something, anything, to break the tension, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment either.

"This reminds me of that dinner you made for my parents when they came to visit." I said finally, hoping to spark a conversation.

She looked up, her expression unreadable.

"The one where your mom spent the entire time criticizing my table settings?" She asked.

I winced. It is because my mother likes Ana, but I no longer want to be with her anymore.

"Yeah… that one."I said.

To my relief, she chuckled softly.

"I think that’s when I realized I’d never win her over."She said.

She shrugged, taking another bite of pasta. As we finished dinner, she stood to clear the plates.

"I’ll get that." I offered, standing up as well.

She gave me a look, half amused, half skeptical.

"You? Doing dishes?" She asked.

"I’m trying to turn over a new leaf here." I said, taking the plates from her hands.

She let me, watching as I awkwardly maneuvered around her small kitchen to rinse and load the dishwasher. When I was done, I turned to find her leaning against the counter, arms crossed, an odd expression on her face.

"What?" I asked, wiping my hands on a towel.

"Nothing." She said, though her lips curved into the faintest smile. "It’s just… strange. Seeing you like this."

"Strange good or strange bad?"I asked.

"Strange." She repeated, not giving me a clear answer.

I nodded, not pushing her for more. Instead, I leaned against the counter beside her, the silence between us stretching but not uncomfortable.

"You can stay in the guest room if you want."She said.

I blinked, sure I’d misheard her.

"What?"I asked.

She straightened, brushing her hands on her jeans.

"It’s late, and I doubt you’ve made any plans to leave. You can stay in the guest room for tonight."She said.

For a moment, I couldn’t find the words. The offer was unexpected, especially given how guarded she’d been.

"Are you sure?" I asked carefully.

She nodded, avoiding my gaze.

"It’s just one night. Don’t make a big deal out of it."She said.

"I won’t." I said quickly, though my heart was racing with an excitement.

"The linens are clean. Don’t mess up the place."She said.

As I followed her to the small guest room, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope. It felt so nice to stay closer to her. Xavier's POV

The appartment was quiet, the kind of silence that settled deep into your bones, filling every corner with a calm I hadn’t realized I needed. The dinner was over, the dishes cleaned, and I found myself restless. I quietly made my way to the kitchen, the low hum of the refrigerator the only sound breaking the stillness. I opened the fridge, and pulling out a bottle of water, trying to focus on the cool relief it would bring. But my mind kept drifting back to her. Isabella. It was strange, being here, standing in her kitchen like this. So much had changed, yet so much had stayed the same. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she looked at me there was still something there, something that hadn’t completely disappeared. I twisted the cap off the bottle, taking a slow sip as I leaned against the counter, my eyes wandering across the room. Then, I heard it. A soft sound coming from the hallway. I followed the sound, drawn by it like a magnet until I reached the doorway to the living room. There she was, curled up on the couch, her body tucked into a ball, her face peaceful as she slept. The soft glow from the lamp cast gentle shadows across her features, making her look even more delicate, more fragile than I’d remembered. I stood there for a moment, just watching her and I felt an overwhelming urge to go to her. To sit beside her, to reach out and touch her hair, to apologize again and again until she understood how much I regretted everything. I hadn’t even realized how much I missed her until now. How much I missed the way she made me feel like I mattered. How much I missed the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention, her eyes soft and full of something I couldn’t quite name. But I knew one thing for certain I wasn’t ready to leave her. Not yet. Not until I could prove to her that I could be better.

The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the kitchen. I woke early, my mind racing with thoughts of Isabella. I hadn’t been able to sleep much, tossing and turning, replaying everything in my head. But now, I was awake, and for some reason, I felt like I needed to do something something more than just apologize. I needed to show her. So, I found myself in her kitchen, trying to figure out how to make breakfast.

I’d never been much of a cook. Hell, I could barely make toast without burning it. But today, I was determined. I cracked eggs into a bowl, added a little milk, and tried to whisk them together, hoping it would turn out okay. The smell of sizzling eggs filled the air, and I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of accomplishment.

As I was flipping the eggs, I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned around, startled, and saw Isabella standing in the doorway, her hair messy from sleep, eyes wide with confusion.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice thick with sleep.

I froze, a little embarrassed, but I tried to play it off. “Making breakfast.” I said, the words feeling strange coming from my mouth.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, clearly not sure what to make of the situation.

“You? Cooking?” She asked, clearly surprised.

I chuckled, feeling a bit sheepish.

"Yeah, well, I thought I’d try something new. You know, show I can do more than just sign checks."I said.

She raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching as if she was trying not to smile.

"Is this some kind of... apology?"She asked.

I hesitated, then nodded.

"Maybe. But also... maybe I just wanted to do something for you. I know I’ve messed up, but I want to show you I can change."I said.

She didn’t say anything at first, just watched me with a look that I couldn’t quite read. Her expression was a mix of confusion and amusement, and I wondered if she thought I was just playing some kind of game. Finally, she stepped into the kitchen, still looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I’ve never seen you cook before. This is... weird."She said.

“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly a pro. "I said, giving her a small smile as I finished scrambling the eggs. "But I figured I could at least try.”

She crossed her arms, her gaze flicking from the eggs to me.

"I never thought I’d see the day where Xavier Sinclair was cooking breakfast in my kitchen."She said.

"Life’s full of surprises."I said.

Isabella took a step closer, her eyes softening just a little as she looked at me.

"I don’t know if I’m more surprised by the fact that you’re cooking, or that you’re actually doing something for me without expecting anything in return."She said.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I just stayed quiet, focusing on plating the eggs. I didn’t expect anything in return. I just wanted to do something that might make her feel like I was trying. As I set the plate down in front of her, I looked up to meet her gaze.

"I know I’ve been a terrible partner, Isabella. But I’m trying. I want to show you that I can be better."I said.

She looked down at the plate, then back up at me, her eyes searching mine.

"I’m not sure if breakfast is enough to fix everything, Xavier."She said.

“I know." I said softly. “But it’s a start.”

She didn’t respond immediately, just took a small bite of the eggs, chewing slowly. Then, after a long pause, she set her fork down and looked at me.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "It’s... nice. But we need to talk about everything else.”

“I know." I said, my voice steady. “We will. But let’s take it one step at a time.”

She didn’t argue, just gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod. And for the first time in a long while, I felt like maybe, just maybe I was on the right path.