Page 11 of Xander

I blinked. Right, Henry, her dear husband. I bit the inside of my tongue as a familiar bitterness drowned me. “Whatever.”

Jordan’s face fell at my harsh tone.

Turning on my heel, I marched to my old room and slammed the door shut. I stripped for a shower, and even as I told myself I wouldn’t do it, I jacked off under the cascade of water and came with her name on my lips.

Nothing—absolutely nothing—had changed.

This wasn’t the triumphant return I had longed for; I craved a reunion where she didn’t have the same hold over me. But instead, I was a prisoner to my desires and the one affected… again. Spending the night under the same roof as her would be a new test of self-control.

My blood boiled at the thought of Jordan. Not only did she go through with marrying my father, but she also turned a blind eye to Henry’s flaws. He cheated on her, and she ignored it. The facts did nothing to soothe my ire, which intensified upon surveying my old room. It was unrecognizable, the eggshell walls stripped of the old posters, and my collectible items removed.

Henry might’ve cleared out my existence from the rest of the house—for this had always been a house, never a home—but he had no use for this room. He had gone out of his way to tear down the signed posters, including the irreplaceable ones of dead athletes. Asshole.

The only remnants of familiarity were more trophies from my varsity sports days. A vase with freshly cut greenery and inviting bedding added another touch of warmth to the otherwise barren room.

“Xander! You’re home.”

I turned to find Jenna, our housekeeper, standing at the door. She had been a constant presence in this house, enduring my father’s verbal abuse without resentment. After all these years, I doubted he even knew her name. The sweet middle-aged woman never held it against me or Jasper. A smile broke out on her face as she strode inside and enveloped me in an affectionate hug.

Jenna spoke excitedly about watching my games and following my career between asking a million questions about my new life.

My gaze settled on the empty walls as soon as she took a breath. “What happened there?”

“Your father didn’t think you’d want your old things…” Jenna trailed off, not wanting to speak outright against her employer while ensuring I knew he was the culprit. “I know it isn’t the same, but Mrs. Maxwell tried her best to fix up your room. She has been getting the house ready for you since yesterday.”

My eyes widened at the confirmation Jordan had revamped the house for my benefit. “Jordan put these out?” I glanced at the trophies.

“Mrs. Maxwell also ordered wine and food she thought you may like,” Jenna added cheerfully. “She sent me to tell you dinner was ready.”

Of course, she specially ordered the wine I had enjoyed. Moments like these made it impossible to hold on to my resentment against Jordan.

Jenna excused herself when I told her I’d be right down.

I ran my fingers over the expensive white linens before inhaling the minty scent. Jordan had added these small touches to make the room somewhat welcoming.

It was irritating.

After watching me soar, I wanted Jordan to regret her previous choices and desire me for a change. At the same time, I couldn’t stand it when she did thoughtful things that made it impossible to paint her as the villain.

In the end, I admitted what I had been denying all along.

I could handle the pressure of high-stakes games, juggling multiple investments, and adhering to my brutal, regimented schedule.

But I couldn’t handle one measly week with Jordan.

Chapter

Four

XANDER

3 years ago

“Was something the matter with the appetizer selection?” The woman on the iPad screen phrased the question, which was oddly fascinating.

Eyes bluer than the sky. Hair golden like sunshine. She was bright enough to be confused with the sun itself.

The sound of her heels clicking against the cobblestones announced her approach in an enchanting yet foreboding way. Nonetheless, I didn’t look up to see her in real life. Who would be foolish enough to stare directly at the sun? That was a recipe for blindness.