Two peas in a pud
Chapter 93 Two peas in a pudThis content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
XANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK. Nina saw how nervous he was and felt bothered that she might have said something she shouldn’t. Relaxing her shoulder, she sat on the couch and faced him. Xander held up a weak smile. “Why don’t you tell me what you must say first?” He urged. She exhaled slowly and took his hand in hers. “We are not kids, Xander. Neither are we immature. Even though my first marriage was a wreck, I believe life continues. Being heartbroken does not mean one’s life has to come to an end. Ever since you came into my life, I have been able to see things differently. I am learning to love and embrace life as it should. One thing I promised myself after being betrayed by Asher and Andrea was never to trust anyone. Also, I vowed off men, telling myself all I needed to do was work hard and get back on top. What mattered was getting back at the people who made my life a living hell.” Nina chuckled, still caressing his hand, “But I was wrong. I couldn’t find a stance because they dealt with me without mercy. And then you came along, reminding me of how beautiful it was being your woman. Still, I tried not to get carried away. Only for you to stay despite my constant refusal of you. Getting the company from Asher didn’t make me happy; it was knowing you were by my side and I had you to lean on. Why am I saying all this? I want you to know I will love you for life, Xander. I am no longer running. I want to be with you. I promise Winter and I won’t be a burden.” “You will never be a burden. I love you both.” Xander chipped in. She thinned her lips, blushing shyly. “Thank you. All I want is to be by your side and grow with you. Maybe it is too much for me to ask, but I don’t want to live without you anymore. I want to ensure you want this as much as I do.” He covered her hand with his free hand. “Yes, mama. I want you; I want Winter. I want all of you.” “Then what are you hiding from me, Xander.” Xander gulped hard at her words. “W-what? You know something?” “Not exactly, but I can tell there is something you are not sharing with me. If you claim you love me as you say, why do you keep things dear to you away from me? I can’t love you right if you keep pushing me away. Please.” “I am not pushing you away. I have just been worried about everything going on.” He added in a rush. “See, here is a restraining court order signed by Asher. I even employed a family friend to keep tabs on him in case he intended to do something stupid. We won’t have to worry about him ever again.” “Xander! Xander!” Nina repeated when he kept talking. She collected the envelope from him and placed it on the side. “Yes, baby, and I thank you for it. But that is not what I am talking about. Look at me; you claim to want me, and yet you do not indulge me when I initiate sex with you. Why exactly is that happening?” Xander’s arms weakened at the question again. When he thought it best to evade it, he was caught on the web and had no way out. Inhaling sharply, he sat upright, putting both hands on his thigh. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Nina.” He admitted, gulping hard. “As long as you are being sincere with me. I promise not to take it any other way. Just tell me everything. When I mean everything, I am also talking about the one that involves Dawn.” “Are you sure?” “Believe me, baby. I mean every word.” Sighing, Xander smacked his lips. “After we went our separate ways in college, nothing mattered to me anymore. I didn’t realize how much I loved you until that moment. I missed you every single day. I got involved in so many activities to distract myself. I began working on the initial company project I shared with you, and you assured me it was the best. To keep me from seeing your face on everyone else. I stayed put in my dorm, married to my laptop, stuffing myself with junk food, and nursing major depression. To keep myself active, I took antidepressants for a long while. I never consulted a doctor; I just read about it online and found a drug to use. Had a pharmacist as a friend that would get them for me as long as I paid him.” His hands shivered as he spoke. “For years, I was like that, shut my family out. Jace was persistent, though.” Xander laughed at the memory. “He has always been. Man loves me too much; I feel undeserving of his love. He would take me out to clubs and insist that I get a willing girl to ease off whatever tension I had tied to my balls. But every time I hung out with a lady, they never interested me, even when I got drunk and forced the intimacy. I wouldn’t even last. It was becoming a bother, so Jace dragged me to see Uncle Jason. He is an Andrologist.” Xander couldn’t remain on the couch, so he got up and paced the room, still speaking. Nina sat patiently, listening to him. “He diagnosed me with Erectile dysfunction. But somehow, he realized that I still could get better. The antidepressants that I was taking were ruining my chances of being able to perform sexually or father a child. Before the treatment went further, he asked if I would like to freeze my sperm, just to be safe for the future, and handed me the form.” “So, Dawn found out about it before I did?” Nina questioned. “No, baby. She was snooping around. And she intended to get back at me for refusing her for you. She is crazy; let’s not talk about her, please.” “I am sorry.” “It’s okay. I did collect the form, but I didn’t apply for it. I was frustrated and didn’t need to plan for the future. I doubted I would ever love anyone as I loved you. And there was also no chance of seeing you again. So I refused, and that included my treatment despite everything my brother and uncle did to get me back on track. I refused and buried myself more in work. Depriving myself of anything that would make me feel better.” He huffed, sitting back on the couch with tear-filled eyes. “Xander,” Nina called out softly. He sobbed into his palm. “I tried, Nina. Ever since you came back into my life, I tried to get serious with the treatment. But you kept pushing me away. I just saw no reason to be better. Even though I feel less of myself every fucking day. Maybe Viagra would work, but I want to make passionate love with you. And my damn condition won’t allow it. There is so much to do; I am scared that I might lose you before even getting a chance to heal.” He turned to her and held her hands tightly. “Listen, Nina, ever since you made it known that you felt the same way towards me. I have been consistent with my pills. If you stay, I promise I will do everything possible to get well, even if I drink water alone for months. Just don’t leave me, please.” The sob got louder, and Nina felt the pain in her chest. She has never seen him look so vulnerable, making her feel guilty for being inconsiderate of his feelings. “Look at me, Xander.” She mumbled gently, caressing his face. “I am not going anywhere, baby. I promise to stay with you until the end. You are stuck with me for life.” She chuckled. Xander couldn’t say anything and only pulled her into a tight embrace. “Thank you, baby. Thank you so much.” “You have always been by my side. It’s my turn to take care of you. I will always be here.” She assured, embracing him tightly. Never again will she doubt him without asking. ******************
TAYLOR’S HOME, NEW YORK. Asher let out a frustrated yell, slamming his phone against the floor. He never thought the day would come when he would be abandoned and betrayed by his parents. They refused to pay the mortgage without him knowing and moved on to the country home with the rest of the money in the account, leaving barely anything to feed. He had returned from jail after calling his mother countless times to bail him out, only for her to announce that they were set to leave. The bank had already taken the house, and they sealed it. He had sneaked his way in unbothered about what might become of him. His entire life has come crashing down on him in a twinkle of an eye. His mother had advised that they could only help him if he returned to their country home and started afresh. His father might be willing to spare him money to start something. The only thing he could do was curse them out. Everything he had boasted of having has been snatched away from him. Feeling the tears rush to his eyes, Asher settled on the floor, clueless about where to go next. Nothing appeared pleasant to him anymore. Gnashing his teeth, he winced at the pain that struck his jaw. He can’t even look at himself in the mirror because of the number that Xander did on him. Going next to Nina will only mean getting locked up. Still invested in his thoughts, he heard the doorbell. Convinced that there would be no way someone would come by a sealed house, he ignored it. In a few seconds, it came on again and more intense this time. Asher cursed under his breath at the thought of the officials being around to see who might invade the house. Inhaling deeply, he grabbed his backpack, covered his bruised face with his hoodie, and went where he came in. Not intending to know who it might be, he turned to leave. But then he paused when he noticed the person at the door didn’t seem like any official. Curiosity gnawed at his mind. Clearing his throat, he walked towards her. “Who are you here to see?” He queried. Dawn gasped in shock, almost losing her footing. With a hand to her chest, she glared at him. “Goodness, you scared me.” “Did I? What are you doing at a house that is locked?” She squared her shoulder, adjusting the dark shade she had on. “You are Asher Taylor, right?” Asher held up a defensive glare. “So? Do I know you?” Dawn grinned in satisfaction. “Well, you are just the right person I was looking for. My name is Dawn.” “How did you know my house?” “Well, technically, it is no longer your house. The bank owns it now.” “Yet, you came here.” “I had someone on the lookout for you. Just in case you returned, and my guess was correct.” He scoffed, taking cautious steps towards her while holding firmly to his bag in case he needed to bolt. “So, it is safe to say you have been spying on me. For what reason exactly? I do not know you, and I wonder how you even know my address.” “You are quite an open book, and I am sure it is undeniable. I will cut to the chase; I have a proposal to put you out of this…..” She gave the house a cold look. “This shamble you have been plunged into.” “What sort of proposal?” “An interesting one, trust me. We both have the same enemy.” “How much do you intend to give me?” “I shouldn’t go this far, but I will give you half a million dollars if you are ready to do the job.” “What makes you think I would be interested?” “Well, if you eat lunch with me, which I will pay for, I will tell you my plan. You can then decide whether you want to be a part of it.” Asher looked closely at her; she didn’t seem like someone who would lie about what she could give. Her bag and clothes look expensive. He would know since his luxurious life only ended a while ago. He could do something with the money and keep up with his life. “I eat expensive.” He stated in a warning tone. “Yeah, right.” Dawn scoffed. “Do you have your car, or will you come with me in my car?” “No, I will drive behind you.” “Alright, suit yourself.” Dawn kept to her promise to buy him lunch. Asher didn’t realize his hunger until he started eating and ordered more without restraint. She didn’t say anything, letting him have his way. If Asher gets to act on her plan, everything else will work out just fine. She wouldn’t mind leaving New York and never returning. Asher let out a satisfied belch that made Dawn cringe. He wiped at his mouth and sniffed. “So, tell me, what do you want to discuss?” She rolled her eyes. “Took you long enough. I am sure you know Nina Ruiz, and from what I heard, you two will never see eye to eye.” His eyes color at the mention of Nina, “Don’t ever mention that bitch to me again. She took everything away from me. I have nothing to my name because of her. Acting like she is the first woman ever to get dumped.” “I am sorry, but that is why I am here. Just as Nina took your lifestyle away from you, she took my man. I was seducing him with her pitiful nonsense. Now, he doesn’t trust me anymore. Someone who does everything for me, now he doesn’t even want to see me. I want to get rid of her; she can’t have him when I end up lonely.” Silence reigned between them while Asher let her words sink in. “So you plan to have her killed? Who then do you intend to employ for that?” “You, of course. Do you think I intend to pay you such a huge amount for free?” “I don’t know what made you think I am the right person to speak to. Sorry, but assassination is not in my CV. I am not interested.” He said, standing up to leave. “Are you sure? You will lose out on that huge amount of money for a conscience that does not exist. Nina is a problem, so what would it take to snatch everything from her? After that, you will get to spend the money you earned without any bother.” “If it was easy, why not do it yourself?” “You think I didn’t try? But it’s okay if you don’t want it, I will take it to someone else. If you agree, I will pay you a hundred to keep on until the job is done.” She said, picking up her bag. Asher thought hard and long; he would use the money well. How hard can it be to kill the one who made his life miserable? He would love to see Xander become less confident. Knowing he has nothing to lose and can quickly run off without being caught, he called out to Dawn. “Miss, wait.” Dawn grinned to herself before turning to him. “You have something to say?” “Make it two hundred, and she will be dead in no time. But you have to keep your end of the bargain.” “Alright, two hundred it is then.” She replied delightedly.