Her voice choked with tears. �Weren�t you a clean freak who wouldn�t let women touch your clothes?�

Leia was delighted to hear that, and did not hold back. �Yes. As you can see, I�m special to him. So I suggest you show some tact, leave, and perhaps you might just not humiliate yourself.�

�You�re just wearing his clothes, and you think you�re special? Don�t be so full of yourself you may be special to him, but there are plenty of special people around him. They all came and left, but I�ve remained his one-and- only. I�m irreplaceable.�

�What��

Shirley remained composed and confident as she argued, and that left Leia shaken.

She knew that Xavier was infamous for being a flirt, marred with scandals involving

numerous ladies. Still, they were willing to throw themselves at him. Only Shirley was

different-because Xavier was the one enslaving himself to her. And that alone was why Leia paled in comparison.

�If my hunch is right, you must be the thick-skinned type who chased Xavier around for a long time before he finally got interested, right?"

Shirley studied Leia from head to toe, shaking her head with disdain. �If you�ve been around Xavier long enough, you�d know that you�re not his type at all. He just happened to need someone to help him through this painful time-or, if I had to put it plainly, beggars can�t choosers. Anything is fine, and even if it wasn�t you, it would be someone else.

�And now that I�m back, you�re pointless as a replacement.�

�Enough!�

Xavier snapped, unable to restrain himself any longer. �How unreasonable can you get?

You�re the one who gave up, and now you�re being clingy?

How did I hurt you when you were the one who refused to let me be happy?!

His bloodshot eyes were reddened in pain.

Shirley was the first woman I was willing to be serious with, the one he�d given up his

womanizing for. He gave her his heart and then some, and he was hell-bent on making her the happiest woman in the world.

And yet, that heart of passion was trampled all over, leaving a bloody mask. So what if he loved her? So what if she was his one and only?

He was tired of it all and refused to play this game. All he wanted was someone he was

comfortable with, to live with her in plain contentment�

�I was just confused and made a mistake, Xavier. Give me a chance to make things right, alright?�

Shirley held his gaze, demolishing the fort he had built around his heart with every step.

�You know you love me, and you just needed someone to rebound. But that won�t work, and you�d only hurt others in return. Don�t you think this is very selfish of you?�

Xavier�s eyes flash, his fingers clenching. JrNovels.com