A Guide on How to Love Jules Everett

Chapter Three

The Elusive Guide

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XAVIER PARK STOOD before us like a god standing before mortal worshippers. His eyes were slightly hooded over, a nonchalant expression oozing from his features. Lightly smacking his lips together, he took another sip of the drink he had in hand, head turning to stare back at us.

He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing once before he bit the inside of his cheek. Raising a hand to his head, he offered a two-finger mock salute, not once showing any other emotion on his attractive face.

"Yo."

Seeing that he wasn't a threat, I stepped out of Harr's shadow. Surprisingly, Xavier looked much calmer than I would've thought. There weren't any red eye bags under his eyes nor was his nose and cheeks tinged scarlet. That just further proved that Xavier Park was not a boy who cried. He kept everything inside, including his woes and his joys.

"What are you doing here, and uninvited at that?" Harr asked with a frown, walking over to snatch the cup from Xavier's hands when he raised it to his lips again. "And get your filthy hands off that cup. It's my favorite."

Xavier shrugged. "I was going to enlist your help but you seem otherwise occupied." Slowly, Xavier pivoted on his heel, tilting his head one side questioningly at me. "Aiko, right? Harr's girlfriend?"

That assumption made my lips curdle into an ugly smile, pinching them together as I squinted at him. I turned my head, sighing deeply at how instead of backing me up, Harr simply raised his eyebrows in a taunting manner. His words from before had been entirely accurate— apparently more than a handful thought we were dating just because of the amount of time we spent together.

"Just a friend." I waved the label off, dismissing the idea. "Just because we're of different genders doesn't mean that we're dating. Everything's platonic in my all too bland love life."

"Right." His attention was switched from me back to Harr, staring for a second too long before facing me once more. Xavier clicked his tongue, doubt in his tone, "Whatever you say."

"But my love life isn't what's interesting around these parts. It's yours. I've heard that you're still upset over Jules's rejection?"

My words made Xavier stiffen, his posture straightening with surprise. But as I continued to speak, that shock dimmed down into a frown. The corners of his lips were pressed downwards, the skin in between his eyebrows scrunched and wrinkled.

"I'll find my own method to deal with that. It requires no concern from you, rest assured," he spat. Gone was the friendly tone. All his words held were venom and a fractured ego.

He took a step forward, fists clenching at his side and ready to attack. At that point, Xavier Park was a cat that had been provoked to its limit. Any more would be past his breaking point.

Sensing that, Harr took a small inconspicuous step forward. He rested a hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer into his embrace. My shoulder knocked against his ribcage as he did so, squishing me close to him.

"Xavier, Aiko is Jules's best friend. She can definitely give you some pointers if you, I don't know, asked nicely?"

"As you said, she's Jules's best friend. Why would she help me instead of batting me away?" Xavier scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

His pupils trailed after Harr's hand, studying it with great intent before shaking his head. Running a hand through his dyed brown hair, Xavier walked towards the couches and away from the bar counters before slumping onto the cushions tiredly. He threw a leg up over one armrest, his left arm over the backrest, and eyes shut.