His Beautiful Addiction

She frowned and tried to take his phone, but Xavier shifted it to the side; then looked at her;

\'\'What are you doing?\'\' she asked, her eyes looking at his phone.

\'\'Chatting with someone. \'\'

\'\'A woman?\'\'

\'\'Yeah; \'\'

Melissa was quiet for a moment then she asked; \'\'you\'re interested in her?\'\'

\'\'Maybe. \'\' Xavier said and turned back to the phone. Melissa laughed and stood up from the bed.

\'\'Maybe? You aren\'t even sure yet. Who is she?\'\' she asked, walking over to his vanity. She brushed her hair. The instant question left her lips, she regretted it immediately. She did not want to sound jealous, but she couldn\'t help being a little inquisitive.

\'\'You don\'t know her, \'\'

Melissa was quiet for a moment as she reapplied her red lipstick. She had just come over to spend some time with him, but he had been grossly distracted, barely paying her any attention, so she figured she should just leave.

\'\'She must be pretty. Let me see a picture of her,\'\' she said as she put on her shoes.

\'\'Why do you want to see her picture? \'\'

Melissa frowned at Xavier\'s question and then she laughed; \'\'you never had a problem with me seeing your exes. Why is it a problem now? \'\'

 Xavier was quiet. She was correct, but this time, he wasn\'t sure why he didn\'t want Melissa to see Ari, as though he was trying to protect her.

\'\'Nothing, well, I don\'t have her picture. \'\'

\'\'Mm, interesting. \'\' Melissa smiled and stood up; \'\'are you falling in love with her?\'\'

\'\'What?. \'\' Xavier laughed; \'\'that\'s funny. \'\'

\'\'What do you know? You\'ve never been in love, so you won\'t even know when you do. \'\' she said as she smiled;

\'\'Well, I\'ll be happy for you. You finally feel something with that callous heart of yours. \'\'

\'\'I\'m not falling in love, Mel. That\'s too far-fetched. Didn\'t you just come? Are you leaving already.?\'\'

\'\'Apparently! You\'re barely paying attention to me, and I have other important things to do with my time.\'\'

\'\'Sorry about that. What do you want to do? \'\' Xavier asked. Standing up from the bed, he walked towards her;

\'\'Too late, bro. I have something else to do now. See you next week.\'\'

Melissa turned around and left. She was an excellent actress, so Xavier could not spot the sadness in her eyes. Melissa\'s facade fell the moment she turned around. Her hands clasped her bag as she left the house.

Melissa took a deep breath as she stood outside Xavier\'s house. She didn\'t know for how long she could pretend that she was not affected by Xavier\'s behavior. They agreed it wasn\'t exclusive, but she was already catching feelings and it had gotten out of control.

Melissa sighed as she walked towards her car, but her feet stopped when she saw a familiar figure walking out of the house from the opposite building. She had seen that face a couple of times in Xavier\'s company and if she could remember correctly; she was the one she had met in Xavier\'s office the day she came over.

It took Melissa a few seconds to connect the dots. She looked at Xavier\'s house and then at the house she had just stepped out of, and that was when it clicked. Xavier had bought this house to be close to her.

Her eyes widened at this realization. She remembered asking him why he moved into that average neighborhood even if it was for two months. He had brushed it aside, saying he just wanted to change the environment and it was temporary. But what was the probability that the house he lived in was opposite the apartment of his staff whom she had caught in his office once?

Melissa stared at Ari for a while. She was undoubtedly pretty and looked innocent. Was that what attracted Xavier to her?

Just that moment, Ari felt someone looking at her, and she raised her eyes, and their eyes locked. Her body froze for a second as though she had been caught doing something wrong, but remembering she was not doing anything bad, she looked away and tossed the trash in her hand into the dustbin.

Melissa watched her go into her house before she entered her car and drove off.

Ari stood by the window and watched Melissa drive off before she breathed out. She saw the stare she gave her; like she recognized her. Ari was mad, mad that Xavier was chatting with her while he was with his girlfriend! That was very disrespectful!

Angrily picking her phone, she ignored the question he had asked her and quickly sent him her own message.

\'\'I saw your girlfriend now. She\'s gorgeous. \'\'

Ari sat on the couch as she waited for his reply. It was the audacity for him to do that. He didn\'t even respect her at all, and the look she gave her told her she knew who she was.

\'\'Melissa? we\'re not dating. \'\'

Ari frowned as her eyes read the message a few times; \'\'So who is she then? Everyone knows that she\'s your girlfriend. There\'s no need lying, Xavier.\'\'

Ari tried to control her annoyance, but she was almost fuming. The fact that he was even denying her! Was that how he treated women?

Xavier paced around his room as he stared at his phone. Finding the perfect reply to give her. Although they were in a friends with benefits situation, he didn\'t want to tell her, well, not yet. He would let her know later when she was a little more comfortable with him.

\'\'She\'s like my best friend, but we are not dating in real life. It\'s just for the pr,\'\'

He wanted to tell her about the friends with benefits situation but he held himself, she would not believe that they were not dating if he told her and she wouldn\'t want to have anything to do with him too.