The Red Lounge

Chapter 11

Morena:
Hey X, Sorry for being a stubborn ass earlier. I'd appreciate it if you picked me up.

My phone buzzed in my hand.

Xavier:
I'll be there in 10 mins.

I grabbed my bag and made my way to the back of the building. It was pitch black, I didnt know how Xavier was going to find me. I stood against the cold brick wall for what seemed about 15 minutes.

Bright lights beamed from the streets and a car pulled into the back of the building. I stood in front of the car, looking completely deflated. The driver door opened and I could hear the gravel being stepped on.

"Mo, are you okay?" Xavier asked as he held onto me tightly.

"No, not really," I sniffled. "I feel like shit."

It felt good to be in Xavier's embrace. There was nothing sexual about the hug, it was purely about comfort which I needed. He placed my head under his chin and gently rubbed my back.

I muffled a cry against his chest. Why couldnt Elijah comfort me like this? Why did he have to use me? Why couldn't he care about how I felt?

"Oh no, hey...its okay," he whispered in my ear. "Let's go into the car."

He opened the door for me and closed it once I sat on the passenger seat. I had told myself that if I was going to ask Xavier to drive me home I would compose myself. That went downhill when I saw his friendly face.

"What's going on?" He asked, as he placed strands of hair behind my ear. "Did someone hurt you?"

Yes, but I couldnt tell him that. How could I tell him about Elijah? I didnt even know how to describe my relationship with Elijah. He just came and went; he was like a ghost who was able to interact with the human world.

"No, its just my boss being a jerk," I lied.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I can go talk to him."

The corner of my lip turned upwards at the idea of Xavier approaching Ronny. Ronny had a tough demeanor and although, sweet to us girls, he didnt care about anybody else and could happily put them in their place. "No, dont do that."

"Okay," he huffed. "I just dont like seeing you upset."

I wiped the tears from under my eyes and looked down. "I'm sorry, I didnt want to cry in front of you."

"Its okay, I dont want to see you upset but if you are, I would like to comfort you."

I nodded and sighed. He reached over for my hand and placed a light kiss on it. I blushed and gave him a weak smile.

"Want to get some McDonalds?"

"Yes, please."

We parked at my apartment's parking lot and started to feast on our junk food. I hadn't eaten McDonalds in a long time, but being reunited with it again brought a smile to my face. Junk food used to be a treat for me as child and only associated with special days such as one on one hang outs with my mom.

"I used to eat this with my mom," I admitted in wistful tone. "We would usually go to the park, zoo or the mueseum and get a quick bite at McDonald's. It was one of the few positive memories I have with her."

"Is she dead?" He asked, quietly and not wanting to offend me.

"Eh, dead to me," I sighed.

"Oh... well, do you mind if I asked what happened?"

"My step dad kicked me out of the house and she didnt stop him nor did she run after me."

"Geez, I'm sorry to hear. You're doing okay, though. You're in school, you live in a nice area, you have friends that care for you." He held my hand and created small circles with his thumb.

"I'm lucky to have you in my life, X." I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. That peck on the cheek was out of admiration, not lust and he knew it. He bashfully smiled and laid back on his seat.

We sat in his car with the windows down for the rest of the night. We talked about our ourselves and got to know eachother at a deeper level.

His family were from Spain and he had two younger sisters which explained why he was so sweet and knew how to make me feel better. Although he's majoring in exercise science, he wanted to be a singer. He was in a depressive state at the age of 14 and joined a baseball team to cope. He owes his life to the field for helping him get out of a dark place which is why he pushed himself to do exercise science.

I told him my typical story, it seemed like a sobbed story but that genuinely was my life. There wasn't much positivity and love until now.

We ended up falling asleep in his car. I woke up when I felt my phone vibrate uncontrollably from under my feet. I quickly pick up the phone and answered the call when I noticed that I had 10 missed calls from Pia.

"Omg, where the hell are you at? Are you okay? Are you dead? Who's on the line and where is my best friend?!" She shouted.

"Aww, I'm your best friend," I mocked, flattered.

"Bitch, you know you are. Where are you? I was worried sick when I passed your room at 6 AM and didnt see you there."

"I'm in the parking lot."

"What?" I heard her shuffling and then I peaked out the car window and saw Pia open the curtains of our living room. I waved at her and she waved back. "Yeah,  I see you. You could've texted! I almost called the police."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, trying not to wake up Xavier.

"Who's Jetta is that anyways?" She asked.

"Xavier's."

I could feel her face beam. "Ohhh, Xavier," she cooed.

"Oh shut up," I whispered.

"I know you're talking about me," Xavier whispered back with his eyes closed.

I sheepishly smiled. "No, we aren't."

"Mhmm...anyways want to get some donuts?" He asked.

"Yes!" Pia yelled from the phone. "I'll be down in a few seconds." The call ended.

"Yeah, I guess she can come too," Xavier said with a chuckle.

We arrived at the bakery and sat at a table by the window. It was a beautiful day and not too hot for Septermber. The three of us chit chatted about our classes and shared our best impersonations of our professors. I had been surrounded by so much warmth and love, that I forgot about last night's drama with Elijah. It seemed like parting ways and not getting intimate was for the best.