“That is a fucking lie!” She screamed!
“Is he right?” Kyle asked and Malia glared at Draven before turning to Kyle.
“No baby, that is a lie. You trust me right?” She asked giving him a look and Kyle nodded, Xalia rolled her eyes and scoffed at how gullible Kyle was to her.
“Just so you know, your wife was once a whore.” Malia said to Draven and Xalia froze.
Why does Malia have to bring that up now? She is not wrong though but she has tried to bury the memories of it.
“Don’t talk to her like that.” Allison snapped at Malia and she rolled her eyes.
“Well, at least she is married to someone better than the fool you call a husband.” Draven responded.
“You don’t get to talk to my daughter like that.” Malia’s mother said and Draven turned to Mr. McCall.
“Why can’t I? McCall, talk to your family or this won’t end well.” Draven warned and he sighed.
He gave his wife a look and she fumed, Malia became quiet and they all continued having dinner, Henry didn’t say anything about the argument, all he did was eat.
Xalia was still frozen and she looked at her mother, she couldn’t even defend her when her step-sister called her a whore.
She couldn’t hold back her tears and she let go of Draven’s hand, she rushed out of the dining room and Allison stood up, she rushed after her and Draven glanced at Xalia’s mother before facing his meal.
Xalia rushed up the stairs and Allison ran after her.
“Xalia, wait up.” She called and caught up with her when they got to the hallway, Xalia turned to her and burst into tears in her arms.
“Hey.” Allison whispered and wrapped her arms around her, she caressed her hair and whispered soothing words into her ear.
“It’s okay.” Allison said and she pulled away from the hug.
“Does my mum hate me?” She asked in tears.
“No baby, she does not hate you.”
“So why isn’t she saying anything, why is she being mute?”
“I have no idea but you know how complicated your family is.”
“But… ”
“How about we head to your room? The maids are staring.” Allison said and Xalia looked around to see the maids, she sighed and headed towards her room.
*********
TWENTY MINUTES LATER
Allison walked down the stairs alone and got to the living room to see the McCall family getting ready to leave, the dinner was over already.
“Thank you for having us, Mr. Wade.” Mr. McCall said and he nodded in response, he walked out with his family except Xalia’s mother, Allison and Henry.
Burying the shame and guilt, Mrs. McCall walked up to Draven.
Draven stared at her and she breathed out nervously.
“Can you tell Xalia I… ”
“You suck at being a mother.” Draven cut her off and she looked away feeling embarrassed.
“It’s not my… ”
“Leave my house.” He ordered and tears clouded her eyes, she walked out of the house and Allison sighed.
“That was a whole lot of drama.” Henry said.
“Where is she?” Draven asked, turning to Allison.
“In her room, I put her to sleep already.”
“Was she crying?” He asked and she nodded in response.
“Yeah, she cried till she fell asleep.”
“When are you guys leaving for Atlanta?”
“Tomorrow.” She replied and he nodded in response.
“I will be leaving now.” Henry said.
“Same here.” Allison added and Draven nodded at them.
“Please give her anything she wants, she has really been through a lot since childhood, please be nice to her.” Allison pleaded and Draven didn’t give her a response, he just stared at her without an expression.
“Good night.” She whispered and walked out with Henry.
Draven walked up the stairs and headed to Xalia’s room, he walked in and met her sleeping peacefully on the bed.
He slowly walked to her and sat next to her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and used his thumb to stroke it.
“Xalia.” He called softly and she slowly opened her eyes.
“Hey.” He muttered and she stared at him.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She said but her voice came out like a whisper, due to the crying, she was already weak and her eyes were slightly swollen.
Draven stood up and lay beside her, he pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest, he stroked her hair slowly and she inhaled his scent.
“Your mother should be your least of worry right now.”
“She isn’t saying anything to me.”
“Yeah, but you shouldn’t be bothered about that.”
“How would you feel if your mother wasn’t talking to you?” She asked and Draven didn’t give her a response. Instead, he changed the topic.
“Is there anything you want?” He asked.
“The Steiff Louis Vuitton Teddy Bear.” She said and Draven played with her hair.
“How can you think about getting a teddy bear in your state?”
“Cause I want it and you ask me if there is anything I want.” She replied and pulled away slightly from him then looked at him.
“Pick something else.”
“Do something on my list.”
“Okay.” He muttered.
“The dinner is over?” She asked and he nodded.
His phone suddenly rang and he brought it out, he was about to pick up the call and Xalia held his hand.
“What?”
“Please don’t pick up the call.”
“It’s a business call.”
“I know but every time you pick up your call, you always have a reason to leave.”
“But… ”
“Please Draven.” She cut him off and he sighed, he ended the call and dropped his phone.
“Thank you.” She muttered and buried her face in his chest again.
“I want to ask you a question.” Draven said and she lifted her head from his chest and looked at him.
“What is it?”
“Do you think I didn’t know you were once a… ”
“Whore?” She cut him off.
“Don’t do that.” He warned and spanked her slightly.
“I’m sorry for cutting you off.” She apologised.
“And I wouldn’t want to use that word cause you were never a whore, you just did what you needed to do.”
“But it was bad.”
“You were just a stripper, a confused teenager in high school.” He said and she froze. How the hell does he know all that?
“Draven.”
“Yeah?”
“Have we met before?”