Beautiful Stranger (Completed)

CH 5

Charlie

We ended up going into town for the hospital a few days later. Xavier had started acting...distance. He was pulling away which was weird because he kept saying I didn't need to go.

"Want to grab dinner after the hospital?" He asked as he drove us into town in his truck.

Henry was in the back. It was too cold to leave him by himself all day in the cabin.

"What about, Henry?" I asked looking back at him.

He was in his own little world, chewing on a dog toy and looking quite content.

"If I go into town, I normally just let him roam. There are woods nearby he likes to go too." Xavier explained. "Besides, he knows I won't leave him alone for more than a few hours."

Oh. "Why can't we just go back to the cabin? I'm not sure I'm dressed for having dinner anywhere."

I was wearing his clothes. I had been wearing his clothes for the past month.

"I was going to get you a few things." He said, turning to glance at me. "I figured you were sick of washing your panties everyday in the bathroom sink."

I felt my face go hot and he laughed, "Am I not allowed to use that word?"

I turned my head, feeling my body go even hotter.

"I'm teasing." He said softly.

"I know."

"Look at me, Charlie." He said gently.

I turned back to look at him. "I want you to be comfortable with me, all right."

"You don't have to buy me anything. You've already helped me so much."

"I don't mind." He shifted in his seat. "Besides, you're still not fully healed yet. You should stay until you can walk by yourself."

His cabin wasn't a bad spot to hide out in. He was four hours away from the nearest town. It meant someone couldn't easily get to me.

"Okay."

He nodded.

We were quiet for a long time before he said, "I meant it when I said you can stay with me."

I turned back to look at him. He kept mentioning that. "You keep acting like I'm trying to leave."

"No, I'm just letting you know how I feel." He glanced at me before looking back at the road. "I like taking care of you."

I liked him taking care of me. I liked being with him. Xavier was surprisingly extremely chilled for a man living with only his dog off the grid. "Why did you move out here? Are you running away from something."

He didn't act like he was hiding from something. He was too comfortable with going into town. "No. I just wanted to take a break." He said.

"From what?" I wondered if he had a secret wife somewhere, though he didn't act like a man in a relationship.

"Just things."

"What about your father?"

"What about my father?"

"You're obviously close to him. You talk about him a lot. Doesn't he miss you, don't you miss him?"

He smiled slightly, "Why are you so concerned?"

"Humor me."

He was quiet for a bit before saying, "Why were you with a man who was abusing you?"

"It's complicated."