Maya had been surprised that Xavier had even remembered his promise of having a movie night with her.
In fact, he had gone out of his way to bring along Melissa, which had been a pleasant surprise for Maya.
And Melissa, in turn, had rung her boyfriend to join them a few minutes later because according to her, it felt like she was a massive third wheel.
Which Maya considered understandable since she considers she and Xavier an item.
Bryan was his name and though Maya couldn't say she liked the guy immediately she saw him, she couldn't exactly chalk it up to him being a bad person since she didn't know him but Xavier had stiffened beside her making her paranoid about what the evening held in store for her because of the addition and had to pinch him to gain his attention.
"Be nice, please." She gritted her teeth as she smiled at Bryan who was being as courteous as possible.
And then she had thought the worst was over when Xavier had not said a word, even though it had been disrespectful for him to ignore Bryan's hand when he brought it out for a handshake gushing about how nice it was to meet him, obviously trying to impress, Maya knew she just had to count her little Victories.
No snarky comment, No lingering glares that was enough to make sure they both left with such high spirits as they came.
***
"Don't tell me you decided to pick a cliche high school romance movie after I begged you not to make me regret my decision," Xavier whispered into Maya's ear. The latter was huddled up next to him.
Maya rolled her eyes, surprised he even thought that low of her movie selection expertise.
"Your sister had done the selection process." She clarified, her eyes on the screen as she tried not to bang her head on the table at how cliche all the male protagonist lines were.
"What?" Melissa said who noticed she was the subject of Xavier's glare. "This is a great movie!"
"Melissa has been gushing about this movie ever since it came out on cinemas. We've watched it more than a dozen times already," added Bryan who had been trying to start a conversation with Xavier by all means.
"Really?" Maya said as Xavier opened his mouth deciding to intervene and divert a conversation that Bryan will wish he never had the initiative to begin.
"Mel, I'll have to side with your brother on this one__"
"He is your boyfriend so of course, you'll forget the girl's code." Melissa teased chuckling as Maya rolled her eyes.
"This is horrible, cringe-worthy," she turned to meet Bryan who was a great chap by the way and not the obnoxious rich guy she was expecting, "Watching this trash more than once with her, can only be pure love. There are no two ways about it."
Bryan and Melissa chuckled then stared at each other making Maya wonder when anyone will ever stare at her like that.
She was happy for Melissa, she had made the right choice. obviously, Bryan adores her and loved her which was like her living a Fairytale.
She turned to look at Xavier who was staring at the couples grimly.
"Hope you ain't another idiot just trying to get into her pants by heaping her thoughts with romantic fictions?" Maya almost spits out the popcorn still in her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at Xavier.
Melissa raised her brow at him and her hold on her glass of wine glass tightened making a shiver of panic roll down Maya's body.
It could only get worst from here if nothing was done.
"He is just joking," she rushed trying to do collateral damage, smiling at Bryan who looked gobsmacked, "He has a weird sense of humor like that."
"No, I'm not." His face had a serious expression on them, "Since Melissa has a knack for being attractive to crappy men, you could just be another gold digger in disguise attracted to the thought of marrying into money."
"Excuse me," Bryan said rushing to his feet not believing that the man in front of him could hurl such insults at him and still keep a straight face like he was making a red wine commentary.
Maya tried to nudge him as discreetly as possible, hoping he could just keep quiet. Melissa was sniffing.
He glared at Maya, making her shiver, "Don't touch me and can you stop lying so effortlessly on my behalf. I don't want you to be that kind of woman."
Blinking at such cold words being flung towards her, she coiled at a side in total silence blaming herself for interrupting a conversation that has nothing to do with her.
"What are you still doing here?" Xavier angrily asked Bryan regarding him like he was gum clinging to his pair of Italian shoes.
"Xavier," Melissa screamed, annoyed, her glass toppling from her hands. All kinds of finesse and courteous training flew out of the window as she met Xavier's gaze.
"You have no right to speak to my guest like that. I asked you if I can bring someone and you had answered in affirmative," she cursed under her breath, staring apologetically at Bryan while Maya just stared still not saying a word because she had nothing to say.
"Because I didn't expect you to bring one of your glorified idiotic male company with fancy shirts and pants, all ready to just dig in and take from you,"
"I'll be waiting for you outside," Bryan said to Melissa storming outside angrily.
"How could you?" Melissa charged at Xavier, her eyes were already red with tears she tried to keep at bay.
"He proposed to me," Melissa announced flashing an engagement ring on her finger, "And I decided to use this opportunity to get you to meet him."
She closed her eyes, "Even though you don't deserve it, I wanted you to be a part of my life but as always, you ruin everything!" Xavier gulped, "How many times will I try to show you," she paused cleaning her tears, "I'm not mother and I'll never be a woman who lets a man rape me!"
Xavier's eyes widened and the champagne glass he had been drinking from fell off his hand shattering into little tiny pieces.
She laughed hoarsely feeding off his shock, "Hope you now know that the little bravado you had exhibited to have a pure foolish sister had all gone in vain and I'm scarred than you could ever imagine," she glared at him, "Yet you don't see me acting like a bag of scum to a woman that loves me."
Melissa shook her head, she couldn't stop now wanting to create as much dent, cause him as much pain as he had her, she had a sardonic smirk on her face as she picked her bag, "So funny how we turn into people we claim to detest a lot Xavier because no matter how you deny it, you are just like your father. Treating Maya just the way dad had mom."
Then she was gone, the clicking of heels against the tiled floor reducing as she covered more distance.