WANT (Complete ✔️)

Chapter Eighty Six

 Xavier

She didn't make it to my first race. That fact alone gnaws at my insides, tearing them apart and leaving me miserable and fucking pissed.

She broke her promise.

Thankfully, I was able to lock my affliction in the deepest part of my heart and focus on my race.

I've played numerous basketball games and won multiple championships. I've street-raced and became the best on The Creek. Yet all those couldn't compare to the complete damn anxiousness I felt when I was sitting inside my car, white-knuckling the wheel and waiting for that countdown. The weight of starting your dream and actually taking part in it is heavy like a crown.

But the moment I slammed on the paddle, this zap of adrenaline-filled faith in myself took hold of me and I started my dream. Nothing had felt so crushingly euphoric before—well, except being between Lia's thighs. Actually, nothing can compare to being with her because I lose all my fucking senses.

Anyway, I won the race.

And the one person I wanted to see me in this moment wasn't here and that crushes me. Alas, all my other friends are here and they all look happy. Zack and Blair can't stop recalling the craziest moments of the race. Viini fawns over me and it's a little overwhelming knowing that without him giving me a chance that night, I wouldn't have fallen in love with racing. I'm grateful they're all here supporting me but I wanted her here.

Nolee notices my sour frown.

"What's wrong, Xavier?" She asks.

We're now outside of the stadium after the crowd has dissipated. It's only mid-afternoon. It's annoyingly cold. I'm hungry and fucking angry. Not a good combination.

Why didn't she come? It's bad enough I haven't seen her for two days and to deprive me of her presence like this. Un-fucking-acceptable.

I shake my head, unable to hide my scowl.

"Where's Lia?"

I wasn't able to check my phone since four am this morning and when I did finally check it, all of twenty minutes ago, I had zero fucking messages. Zero.

I'm going to wring her pretty little precious neck.

"She didn't text you?" She says and I manage to shake my head.

My annoyance is at an all-time high which fucking sucks because I should be over the moon right now considering I just had my first-ever race and won.

But I can't be happy without her.

"She's sick." Nolee drops the bomb with a small, worried frown.

And just like that my anger disappears and here comes the motherlode of worry.

What. The. Fuck.

"What?" My heart starts thundering in concern. How the hell did she get sick? How long has she been alone if all her friends are here? Does she have a fever? Cough? Is she throwing up? Fuck.

"She got caught in the rain coming back from the design studio two days ago. She's been in bed all night and didn't even eat a lot. We took her to the doctors but they just gave her some painkillers." Nolee informs me with a sullen face.

"I honestly didn't want to come today. I didn't want to leave her alone." Blair says.

"Me too." Nolee adds.

And I don't blame them. I'd rather they stayed with their best friend. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them coming today to watch me race.

Since I've been with Lia, I have developed a close friendship with her girls. They're batshit crazy at times but they're caring and loyal. And it doesn't suck that they've got my friends whipped.

"But that girl practically kicked us out the door. Said we had to be there for you. There was no way I was fighting a sick girl." Blair's face lights up with a smile.

Of course my Lia would do that.

My selfless, kind Lia.

I bet she didn't tell her mother that she was sick because she wouldn't want her to worry. I hate it when she keeps things inside. It bothers her and when she gets stressed, I panic because she starts crying. And Lia crying is the one thing I loathe.

I don't waste another second before I'm asking Blair for the apartment keys, getting into my car, and speeding to Lia. And as I'm driving, I can't help but get irritated at her recklessness.

Why the fuck would she walk home in the rain? Did she not have an umbrella? Why didn't she get an Uber? Since coming back from Hawaii, I've been giving her rides home from her studio but two days ago, my schedule got hectic that I couldn't. She said it was not a big deal but now I'm mad at myself for abandoning her like that.

It's moments like these that I wish we didn't have that stupid friend pact. My soul yearns for her. It never forgets her. And when she's in pain, I'm in pain.