At 4:00 a.m., a Cullinan pulled up outside the Aqua Sonata entrance. Xavier stepped out of the car and walked toward the building where Lily lived.
On that cold winter night, his solitary figure paused under a streetlamp, looking toward a small window.
He couldn't explain why he had come here. His heart was still simmering with anger, yet he couldn't resist the urge to take a look.
Had she just celebrated Hayden's recovery with another man in this humble one-bedroom apartment? And what about what he had done earlier that morning?
She shared her joy with Terence, but had she ever considered that it was his efforts, the risks he took, that made this moment possible?
Under the streetlamp, his tall figure stood in stark contrast to the soft glow of the light.
Meanwhile, Lily hadn't slept well. She was on edge, worried that Hayden, having just recovered, might have troubling dreams at night.
She was also afraid that his recovery might be temporary, just a fleeting hope that would vanish by morning.
Unable to sleep in the latter half of the night, she got up and walked to the living room. She saw a man standing below as she approached the window.
The silhouette was indistinct, but it unmistakably resembled Xavier.
The misty light from the streetlamp illuminated his towering figure, hinting at the intricate emotions and simmering anger within.
His fiery gaze suddenly locked with Lily's drowsy eyes, and Lily's heart skipped a beat. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and looked out again.
The streetlamp still cast a thick, white mist, but the space below was empty. No one was there. She must have imagined it. How could it have been Xavier? In fact, no one was there at all.
She turned and sat back down on the sofa, reassured that she must have been mistaken, though her heart remained unsettled for a long while.
By dawn, she entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast. At 7:30 a.m., Hayden woke up and left his room just as breakfast was ready.
"Lily, why are you up so early?" he asked.
Lily smiled with relief, her heart swelling. Hayden was really getting better!
"Your dad's busy with work." Hazel seemed to remember something and loosened her grip on him. "He heard you were doing better, so he sent me to pick you up. Come on, Mom will take you home!"
She began pulling Hayden toward the car.
"Wait a minute." Hayden stopped and turned to Lily, who was still standing in the same spot. "Lily, let's go home together!"
Lily parted her lips to speak, but Hazel interrupted before she could say anything.
"Your dad only asked me to pick you up. She's not coming."
Hayden wasn't naive. The reason for staying in the small apartment for his treatment no longer made sense.
Besides, Lily had bought so many groceries, clearly planning to spend the New Year in this small place. He couldn't ignore that something must have gone wrong between her and Xavier.
"If she's not coming, then I'm not going either."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)