Continental Life (15 page)

Once she was released from her soft bondage, he held her close until the end of their time together. As he walked back to his class to gather his things, he wondered how Bella’s evening had gone and who had been the one to handle her. It had been a blessing in disguise that he had been separated from her this round because deep down, he knew he couldn’t have dealt with seeing her being punished by another man after what he had put her through that afternoon.

When he reached his desk, he found a small stack of napkins and a piece of paper with the most beautifully written notes. He knew the handwriting well. It was his Princess’s. The words… God, the words contained on the notes couldn’t have touched him more deeply.
When had she written them?
When he reached the final letter, all the little bits and pieces of Bella’s soul came together like puzzle pieces.

You should have told me.

Xander’s body warmed with the emotion spilled out on the page, but the icy coldness in the air around him tore at his heart. He had to tell her everything,
all
the ugly details of his past relationships. And how he came to work for the DDTC. He owed it to her.

Xander hadn’t quite made it out the door of the DDTC when he heard Dominic’s voice over his shoulder.

“Can I have a word with you?”

Facing him, his eyes seemed strangely veiled. With his briefcase and jacket in hand, Xander was led to the conference room on the top floor where all the board members were awaiting around the table except for Dalberg who was standing in a corner, leaning against a wall. He noted that half of the men in the room were in street clothes and he wondered what the emergency meeting had been called for.

Dominic pulled out a chair at the front of the table and gestured for him to sit. It wasn’t his usual spot and suddenly he felt as though he were being put on trial.

He looked around the room but all their expressions were as blank and indecipherable as water. Refusing the chair, he remained standing. “What’s this about?”

“It’s been brought to the board’s attention that you and Bella have had
physical contact outside of the DDTC,” Dom finally answered when he refused to sit.

Casually he set his briefcase and jacket on the table and crossed his arms over his ches
t. “Where did you hear that?” he asked without answering.

“It makes
no difference. Is it true?” Garret asked as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. He had been one of the members who had voted against Bella’s acceptance and by his bold, black eyes and smirk, he was happy to hear a rule had been broken.

“Yes, we have,” Xander admitted knowing that denial
would only hurt his reputation further.

Dominic shook his head and sighed while the other men began mumbling about what should be done.

“You think the rules just don’t apply to you, do you?” Dalberg blurted as he glared at Xander through blue eyes hidden under thick yellow brows.

Xander turned his body and stared in his direction with deadly concentration.

Dominic promptly joined in. “Let’s not start this again…”

“Why not? It’s the same old bullshit as before…” Dalberg snapped at Dom before casting his gaze back onto Xander. “Same old Xander. You never change. You snuck your way into your position here by fucking one of the instructors,
you married a former student who you were probably fooling around with while she was attending the program, you make your own rules as to what you will and will not do here as an instructor, and to top it off - you get your girlfriend accepted into the program without her so much as filling out a proper application by threatening to quit. And now this. Un-fucking-believable.”

Dalberg might as well have declared war between them. “So that’s where all this is coming from,” Xander’s arms fell to his side
s and he fisted his hands in rage. “All right, let’s get into it then. As for
fucking
one of the instructors to get my position here, how about you get your facts straight about that situation before you open your mouth…” he moved forward, ready to break Dalberg’s jaw for having made a heinous accusation about Joy. “How dare you accuse me of fooling around with a student. You know what kind of person Joy turned out to be. She lied to us all about her intentions for being here. You never gave a shit about the reputation of this school, did you? You didn’t want Bella here because you just don’t like me. And that
girlfriend
you’re referring to is my fiancé!”

Their eyes locked in open warfare and with blood-chilling anger
, Dalberg’s face twisted. Straightening up, he pointed his bony finger in Xander’s direction as his fury spilled out of him. “This school’s best interest has always been one of my top priorities!”

Their tempers were at a flashpoint and once again, Dominic stepped in as well as Hutchens, each of them standing guard in case push came to shove.

“Enough!” Dom bellowed. “Jesus Christ. If I had known letting Bella Darcy into this program would cause this much dissension amongst the members, I never would have allowed it.”

Xander’s ragged breathing and pounding heart betrayed his usual calm demeanor. “Bella has nothing to do with
this. You heard him, he’s had issues with me since the first day I stepped foot into this role.” He turned his attention back to Dalberg in a sudden flash of anger. “You two-faced asshole! Why did you wait until now to bring all this shit up? Why not a month ago? Or a year ago? Why now?”

“Because I’m sick and tired of the favoritism shown around here! Why the fuck can’t my
significant other attend this program? Tell me that? Why was she denied and Bella accepted? Why the fuck are you so special?”

Everyone’s
mouths hung open in utter shock and suddenly the room fell silent. No one had even heard of Dalberg’s relationship. Or even knew that he had one.

Dominic sputtered and
hastily pulled Dalberg aside where a heated exchange ensued.

Dalberg suddenly tossed
his arms up, his fists balled. Dominic then strolled over and pulled out another chair directly next to the one beside Xander and motioned for both of them to sit. Exhausted and tired of the drama, Xander threw himself into the chair, defeated. Reluctantly, Dalberg followed suit.

Dominic then seated himself. “First things first: Xander, it was recommended that you be suspended for the remainder of this session due to your failure to abide by the rules set forth for you and Bella.”

Xander couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Never in all the years of him teaching had he been suspended. Hell, he’d never even been written up or reprimanded. Ready to defend his honor, he stood and pounded his fist on the table.

“Sit down and let me finish!” Dominic blared. “However…
” he smoothed his dark hair and lowered his voice. “… since you have no history with this school of having broken any rules or protocols and your reputation with the students remains unsullied, I’ve decided to suspend you for two weeks, without pay. You can return to your station the Monday after next.”

It was never about the money. It never had been. The measly pittance they paid had always been donated back to the school anyway.
Feeling only slightly vindicated, he sank back into the chair. He knew it was a fair sentence considering he had actually broken their rules twice. And at least he could spend the last week of the program with Bella under his tutelage.

“Does this mean I still can’t see Bella during that time?” he inquired, already knowing what their response would be.

“Yes,” Dom nodded. “The rules still apply.”

Two weeks without seeing Bella
at all
? Christ almighty. How was he going to weather that storm?

***

Bella’s body hurt with an intensity far greater than she had truly wanted. All she wanted was to forget about her bad day, but this only seemed to make matters worse. A masochist she was not. Dalberg had asked for her color several times and out of sheer obstinacy she called out green, when in actuality she should have said yellow. It was a painful lesson in honest communication. Xander would’ve read her body and known that he was delivering too much, but Dalberg wasn’t a mind reader and he didn’t know her well enough to go on anything other than her word. By the time Hutchens had stepped in, it was too late and her threshold of pain had been pushed too far. Dalberg was furious with her and for good reason. Thankfully Xander hadn’t been present either or else he would have been livid with her as well. Then again, if he had been there, things might not have gone as far as they did.

Angry with herself for not having been honest in her assessment of the situation
and her limits, she prepared the shower in hopes that the water would ease the wounds inflicted on her by the Loopy Johnny. On first glance, it was such only an ordinary-looking piece equipment that no one would guess could deliver such an extreme amount of pain. Heck, the thing looked more like a wire whisk or something you might find in a kitchen next your mixer, and hid the evilness in disguise that it really was. Even the name elicited a smile and a giggle. What a cruel joke.

She glanced at her watch before removing it, then up at the camera in the bathroom. It was almost
show time and she would have to undress for Xander. Not wanting him to see what she had basically brought on herself, she dimmed the bathroom lights and undressed with her back facing away from the camera. Right on time, the red light of the camera flickered on and pulsed in time with the music she had cued on the stereo,
Blue Eyes
by MIKA.

Whether or not she was up for it,
she was
on
. She stood motionless for nearly a minute trying to coax herself into giving Xander something to remember, but her heart just wasn’t in it. It, along with her body, were too tattered and worn out from the day’s emotional and physical turmoil. Turning the shower off, she decided on a bath instead. Seated on the ledge of the large whirlpool tub, she let the cool clear bathwater fill up until it nearly reached the edge of the porcelain. With as raw as her flesh was, despite Hutchens and Dalberg putting salve on it, she didn’t think she could bear to have any kind of soap on her skin.

Standing, she reached
for a hair tie and her phone – the phone she laid on the edge of the tube and her hair she pulled up into a high ponytail away from her neck and face. A big toe dipped in the water alerted her that the water was far too cold, but anything warmer would be unbearable on her back.

Slowing easing herself into the water, her nipples puckered and body chilled and she began to shiver much the same way she had after her episode with the Loopy Johnny. She closed her eyes tightly and eased herself down further until the water cover
ed her lips.

The upbeat song held fond memories of happier times and she recalled the first time she and Xander danced to it under the starry night on his balcony. He sang along with words and dipped and twirled her like he was some kind of hero straight out of a fluffy romance movie. He was a hero – her hero. If only he were there with her right now, reminding her why she had foolishly insisted on enrolling in the DDTC or why he had even allowed it.

She needed him to remind her that they were still okay and that everything they were going through would be worth it when all was said and done. God, she just wanted him to hold her. Feeling a sudden burst of emotion threatening to break loose, she sat forward and grabbed her knees and pulled them against her chest as she hid her face from the camera.

Her phone immediately rang out. Xander’s face flashed on the screen but
she could only stare at it. She couldn’t answer right now. Not just yet. She wouldn’t know how to explain what she was feeling or why. She looked up at the camera and shook her head
no
as it continued to ring. Just as quickly as it had rang out, it went silent. Sinking back into the water, her phone chirped.

XP: What the hell is that on your back?

Bella’s stomach churned. In her effort to hide her face she had forgotten about the view of her back. She looked away and hid her face again.

C
hirp.

XP: Pick up the phone when I call. We need to talk.

Again, she glanced up at the camera and shook her head. She didn’t want to have to explain the horrible events of the night.

XP: If this is about Svetlana, I can explain. But I need an answer about your back. Talk to me.

Knitting her eyebrows together, she frowned up at the camera and blared, “I don’t want to hear your lame explanation!”

She didn’t even know where the anger was coming from.
Well, yes, she did but she still felt ashamed at her outburst. She stood, wrapped a towel around her body and walked into the bedroom with her phone in hand. Getting up close to the camera in that room, she stared into it as if she were looking into Xander’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m tired and sore and… I’m sorry. I need time to think.”

Chirp.

XP: Think about what?

Texting was so impersonal and indecipherable. There was no way to know how his question should be interpreted. Was it cynical? Blasé? Alarm? She had no idea…

“Everything. Svetlana… Us… what happened tonight… I just can’t talk about it right now. I’m too emotional and I don’t want to say anything out of anger. You know I need to think…”

Chirp.

XP: There is no time.
I’ve been suspended from the school for two weeks. I won’t see you for TWO weeks. I need to hear your voice. PLEASE talk to me.

Ring.

Bella burst into tears at the words on the
screen but refused to take his call.
Two weeks?
How could they do that to her and Xander? “Why?” she cried at the camera.

Silence.

Chirp.

XP: Someone saw us together. Answer your God damn phone, Bella.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Svetlana?” she sobbed at the lens as she gripped the base of the camera and shook it violently. “You should have told me! Oh, God, Xander. You should have seen the look on her face when she told me. It was like she knew she had sliced my heart open. Like she knew you wouldn’t tell me because you won’t marry me!”