Chapter 3: Chapter Three
Tiara
I stared down at the dress Ms. Davis had selected for the evening, it was a simple floral dress that perfectly hugged my figure but was still long and stylish. It was one of my favorites because it always made me look good. I cant believe I had to wear this for Xander.
Sighing, I pulled the dress on. Xander and his family were already on their way, they'd called Dad a few hours ago. I put on some light makeup and gathered my curls into a low ponytail. By the time I was done, Ms. Davis was already knocking on my door. They were here.
Ms. Davis and I exchanged a look before we parted on the stairs, she heading into the kitchen and me going downstairs were I was to meet my husband to be and his family. I heard them long before I saw them. Dad's voice was loud, excited even as he welcomed them into our home.
They were already seated at the dining table when I arrived and Dad immediately stood up, all smiles as he walked me over to the table.
"Everyone, meet my daughter, Tiara." He was the perfect host, brimming with pride to introduce me to his new saviors.
"What a lovely name for a lovely girl," Mrs. Stone, Xander's mother stood up and kissed my cheeks. Then she held me at arms length as her gaze inspected me. I'd seen her a few times when Xander and I had been schoolmates and from what I'd heard over the years, she was a lovely woman. A complete opposite of her husband, the now late Mr. Jeffery Stone.
"Good evening ma'am," I greeted, offering her a polite smile.
"Just Cheryl is fine please. Come sit my dear."
Dad returned to his seat as she led me to the one beside her which was directly opposite to Xander's. My heart race increased as we stared at each other. I don't know how I expected him to look exactly the same but he had grown.
Xander had filled out over the years, his lean build had bulked up with muscles and he seemed to have added a few inches in height. I couldn't tell since he had not bothered to stand up when I walked in. His eyes were still as startling as the first time I had seen it, a very light blue and his lips looked a bit fuller. There was a piercing on his lower lip, it was one more thing that had changed.
My gaze trailed down, skipping his well built chest and resting on his arms on the table. I could see the beginnings of a tattoo on the back of his two hands but the rest was covered up by his dark long sleeved shirt.
"Hi princess," he drawled, his voice deeper than before but sounding almost the same. I recoiled almost immediately, my eyes snapping back to his face where he was smirking at me. I'd never forgotten that voice for a moment, it had plagued my waking moments and had featured in a few nightmares.
"You still look as beautiful as before," he continued. Xander was such a liar, he'd never referred to me as beautiful before. He called me Princess not as a sweet nickname but to mock me because my name was shortened to Tiara. It was one of the first things he'd picked up all those years ago.
"And you look exactly like the sixteen year old boy that bullied me." I didn't even know I'd said that aloud until one of his brothers choked and the other started laughing. I turned to look at them, recognizing only Michael since he was the closest in age to Xander. The other had to be Sebastian, he looked to be the same age as Timi.
"Tiara, don't talk to guests that way," Dad admonished.
"Ah, that's fine Mr. Williams. This is just one of the many things I like about Tiara." He winked at me and I forced my body to remain still.
Anger fueled me and for that I was glad, at least it was better than the fear he used to incite in me.
"I heard you two had a rivalry in school," Cheryl said, attempting to defuse the tension. "That must have been fun to witness."
Rivalry? I wish that had been the case but I kept my mouth shut. I could feel Dad's heated gaze from the head of the table and the last thing I needed was for him to berate me in front of guests, most especially Xander.
"We're so glad you could make it to our home," Ade said and got into small talk with Michael.
Ms. Davis and a new help I don't recognize came out with trays of food and began to serve it. Maybe they'd hired the new staff for tonight, to keep up appearances. Even though the Stones were going to save us, Dad still wanted to look good in front of them. I wasn't really surprised.
The rest of dinner went well since I kept my mouth shut and my head down. I barely touched my food while conversation flowed. I could feel Xander's gaze on me but I refused to give him the time of day. After dinner they cleared the food away and wine was served. Xander swirled the drink in his glass but never sipped it. His brothers on the other hand indulged themselves, along with my brothers and in no time they were making plans to go out together for the evening.
Dad and Mrs. Stone retreated to his office at the same time as the guys left the house, leaving just Xander and I at the table.
I braced myself for what was going to come, knowing Xander, he'd try to find something that would make me tick.
"You're still as quiet as you were those years ago. It's a shame your family has no idea that you have a smart mouth," he teased.
I stared at him across the table, my brows scrunching up in confusion. What was he talking about?
"You were such a busy body the first time we met. Remember when you came into the classroom trying to stand up for your friend? And even today when you snapped at me."
Yes, but what had that gotten me? Years and years of being abused by most of my school mates. It was just better to keep my mouth shut. "She was not my friend," I found myself talking. Why couldn't I ignore Xander the way I used to do in high school.
"Ah, so not only were you mouthy, you were a brave fool, fighting for someone you didn't even know."
"You and your friends were bullying her." I glared at him.
"Really? Is that what truly happened?"
"Yes!" I know what I saw. It was so typical of him to try to bend the situation and make me seem crazy. Same way he'd denied everything when I had reported him after months of being tormented in school.
"Are you sure that you didn't misunderstand what you saw?"
"I'm sure. I saw you slap those books from her hands!"
"Really? And you didn't think we had a reason? You didn't consider the fact that maybe your friend had started it." He grinned at me.
Xander was truly a handsome man but when he smiled, he was devastating to look at. How could I hate him so much yet be unable to look away? I blinked, confused as to how just one smile had made me lose track of the conversation.
"It doesn't matter what I saw. That doesn't change how you and your gang of friends treated me for the next two years!"
"Hmm." That was all he said. Why had I expected him to apologize or even try and explain why they'd picked on me all those years. He just leaned back in his chair and stared at me.
"Bastard," I muttered under my breath. Xander's smile widened.
"Yes, the same bastard you have agreed to marry."
"I didn't agree to any of these." I glared at him.
"You didn't? Really?"
"Of course I didn't. Why would I ever want to marry you?"
"I can list a lot of reasons why you should want to marry me, but that aside, your father said you agreed to my proposal. If I'm misunderstanding anything, please call your father back in here so we can call it off. One of my conditions was that you had to accept being my wife."
I bit my lower lip in frustration. If Dad got in here and heard this conversation, he would not be happy with me. When I didn't say anything else, Xander picked up his phone.
"What are you doing?" I reached for the phone but he held it above his head.
"I'm calling your father to tell him this deal is off. I refuse to force you to marry me."
"Don't call him!"
"So? It is your decision to marry me?"
"Yes." I glared at him some more, wishing I truly had a way out of this. Why had my family been so reckless with their business all these years? I'm sure with good business management, most of their current issues would have been completely avoided.
"Good, now stop looking so glum like I'm making you do something you don't want to do. You're marrying into the Stone family and we have a reputation to uphold."
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