Morphing into a sadist
"Where is Maya?" Jared rushed towards him but he shook his head slightly.
"She left. She left me." His words expressed raw pain but his eyes were blank, empty, cold. Jared recoiled. Now, this was the Xavier he had seen in high school, the golden boy that was rumored to be tortured.
Tyler chuckled heartily but if Xavier heard him he didn't show. He slightly pushed Jared from his road and brought out his car keys, disengaged its alarm, and slowly walked towards it.
"That's it?" Jared howled. Steam came out of his mouth even as he readjusted the neck scarf around his neck. The weather was way cold and it was suddenly becoming icy as Xavier turned to look at him. His eyes were blank, all emotions drained. He didn't look worried, helpless, happy, or sad. He didn't feel anything.
"She doesn't want me." He curtly replied and then opened his car door.
Jared watched Xavier start up his car, watch Tyler smirk flashing him a wolfish grin.
Jared wondered what the hell was wrong with the two men, while the former was just accepting defeat without fighting for the love he so much professed, the latter was slowly morphing into a sadist.
He needed to get to Maya himself, he needed to tell her the truth. Someone owed it to her, to hear the honest version of everything, someone needed to come clean to her, to fight for her happiness. He was going to be that guy because even though he couldn't have her, he wouldn't have her slowly become the person Xavier was.
That's what loving a person and not being able to be with them could do to a person. It happened to Xavier when regardless of how much he loved and adored his father, he couldn't be there for him. It finally made sense and Tyler? The guy has just had the consistent short stick of love in relationships.
He brought out his car keys from his pocket, wanting to hurry toward his car.
"Where are you going?" Tyler cocked his brow and Jared rolled his eyes not believing how ridiculously happy he looked with himself.
"I'm going to try to repair what you damaged, fool." He snickered and wondered why the guy was his best friend again.
"I spent months studying Maya even before she gets engaged to Xavier," his eyes glinted with so much happiness, "She is just like Diane."
"She isn't Diane!" He snapped, "She won't get crushed by a hit and run driver, she isn't suffering from unreciprocated love either. She is Maya."
"And she would be trying to hide now." He deadpanned suddenly serious. He frowned, "Because let's face it. What would you do when you love somebody and the only thing stopping you before was his inability to feel the same way and now he does? You are not so sure of how strong you could resist him?"
Jared's eyes widened, "You hide."
Tyler resumed chuckling like a world genius. He had schemed this for a while now, fantasized and play it in his head over and over again, but he could never have been able to guess that it'd bring him this immense pleasure to see it all playing out.
***
Melissa stood up from where she sat as Xavier entered the house and dropped on the couch.
He had done lots of thinking and although it was tempting to shut everyone away, it was easier to pretend to be invincible and not feel anything. But he didn't want to be the Xavier that had failed his little sister, he didn't want to be that man who would fail the woman he loves.
It was no use acting all high and mighty like the first time because no matter how hard he tried this time he couldn't ignore what his heart wanted. He couldn't ignore how hard it would be to pretend like he couldn't feel a thing because he did feel and it was a lot more than he would like to admit to himself.
"Look what the cat dragged in literally." She sat down on the seat adjacent to his, "You look battered. What happened with Maya?"
Apart from Jared, she was the only one aware that he was meeting Maya today.
"Gone for good perhaps," he chuckled lightly then shook his head looking around him, "This is becoming a regular pattern. Coming to your house looking all pathetic." He shook his head in bitter amusement.
She shrugged, "Isn't that why you would have been miserable if you were an only sibling. Because, trust me nobody can be trusted with seeing the almighty Xavier shatter like this except family," she smirked and then sobered almost immediately. "That is why you have family, Xavier to be with you at your lowest okay?"
He nodded.
"Where is Mom?" He whispered and Melissa could tell he was purposely stalling but played along.
"I told you last time that she is seeing someone. Went on a date."
Xavier rolled his eyes, "I don't know why you seem so excited about this but I'm not so enthusiastic about my mom going through such heartbreak that comes from relationships. I'm not sure she can handle it." His comment was half-serious and a joke.
Melissa grinned, "I just believe she deserves a second shot at love. Everybody does."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Maya left. I told her I loved her just like you said I should and told her as much as I could with the usage of English, how I feel about her but she just left."
Melissa was quiet.
"What do I do now, Mel? I can't live without her."
"You've given her everything Xavier, security, friendship, we do have to work on the trust part," he grimaced guiltily and nodded, "You have given her your love now you just have to give her something else."
He sat up, hope in his Eyes, "Tell me I'd give her anything!"
"Time. There are always four L's in every relationship." His eyes dimmed even as Melissa walked towards him sitting down beside him, "You both have felt lust for each other, then there was the learning process and you both learned hard lessons that lead to the realization of Love. Now? You both have to listen and for that to happen you need to give her time, give yourself a break too."
"And what if after then she doesn't come back to me, what then?"
She forced a smile, "Then you should learn to let go and just be happy for her," he gave her a saddened look and she nodded, placing her arms around him, "I guess that's what love is all about anyway."