As the car rolled into the estate, Xavier's grin widened, that signature mischievous smirk dancing on his lips.
Becca sighed. She knew that look all too well. He was plotting something—probably another round of teasing or torment. Just as she began thinking of a possible excuse to dodge his antics, her stomach cramped sharply. A wince escaped her lips, and without thinking, she reached out, grabbing Xavier's arm for support.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern replacing his usual smugness as he glanced at her pale face.
Fred brought the car to a stop at the security gate. The guards scanned the license plate, and the gate swung open. The moment they pulled into the driveway and the car parked, Becca flung the door open and hurried inside.
She made a beeline for the mini elevator and punched the button for the upper floor, heading straight to Xavier's room. Once inside, she locked the bathroom door and leaned against the sink with a relieved sigh.
"Knew it," she muttered, fishing into her black handbag for her sanitary pads. She quickly cleaned herself up and fixed the pad into place. Her dress was stained, so she tossed it into a small bucket, turned on the tap, and began filling it with water.
Just as she reached for the detergent, a strong hand gripped her wrist and pulled her back.
"What's going on?" Xavier asked, his brows drawn in confusion.
She froze, flustered, and looked down, avoiding his gaze. "I… I'm sorry, sir… I didn't expect it today."
Xavier blinked, clearly lost. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm on my period…" she said quietly, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
He stared for a second, then slowly released her wrist, stepping back. Without another word, she rushed back into the bathroom to finish cleaning up.
Seriously? Xavier thought, pacing slightly as his mind tried to process what just happened. On her period… today of all days—when she promised to finally give herself to me?
He shook his head. He didn't fully understand how it all worked. He'd only heard vague things in high school and from a few guy friends—most of whom would whine about their girlfriends using it as an excuse. He wasn't going to be that guy. If he wanted her to be his, really his, he'd need to understand her world too.
He pulled out his phone and did a quick search on female menstruation. Articles, blogs, even health pages came up. He read a few and leaned back, nodding slowly as he absorbed the basics.
Alright. So it's normal. Painful sometimes. Definitely not something to mock or get mad about. Got it.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Becca was still red-faced. Telling Xavier—of all people—about her period wasn't something she ever imagined. The only people she'd ever spoken to about it were her mum and a few close friends, like Jennie.
Jennie.
The name brought a shadow over her heart. For a moment, her gaze dropped to the floor as the bitter memory returned. Jennie was gone. God had avenged her, but a piece of Becca still couldn't fully grasp it. She pushed the thought away and stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in one of the robes she'd found earlier.
Xavier was sitting on the couch, laptop now closed, his expression unreadable.
"Come here," he said softly.
Becca obeyed, stepping closer with hesitation.
"Do you really think you can get away by just telling me you're on your period, huh?" he asked, a playful glint returning to his eyes as he shut the laptop.
She blinked, unsure how to respond. "I… I don't know what else to do… sir."
His expression shifted again. "Call me Xavier," he said firmly. "I'm not an old man, Becca. I'm twenty-seven. Stop making me feel like your boss."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"And besides…" he added, leaning back with that teasing smirk again, "you're going to be my woman from now on. So start getting used to calling me something sweet. Like… I don't know—'honey' or 'love.' I think I'd like that."
Becca's cheeks lit up like fire. She looked away quickly, but Xavier caught it.
"There it is," he teased " That blush"