Contrary to what people thought of him, Xavi wasn’t completely oblivious. Sure, he could be a little dim-witted and reasonably slow on the uptake, but he also knew that stuff about himself just as much as the next guy did. He was acutely aware of his own shortcomings, just as he knew that Elena was one of the first people he’d ever met in all his life that didn’t seem to mind them at all. In fact, she didn’t seem to view them as shortcomings at all. She was the prettiest girl he’d ever met and a damn good kisser, but it all came second and third place to her warmth. Right off the bat, Xavi had wanted to be Elena’s friend. He’d wanted to bask himself in her energy and enjoy the glow of her sweet disposition. She never made him feel small or stupid and always went above and beyond to make him feel good about himself.
He’d always hoped he could do the same for her, in some small way. She was the kindest, funniest and most deserving girl in the whole wide world as far as he was concerned. Whatever had happened to her tonight to dim her light, he would make it his life’s mission to bring that spark back.
“I’m always gonna worry about you, little snoop, We got each other’s backs,” Xavi told her easily, leaving no room for debate. It was the plain truth. He was ride or die for Elena, and nothing she said could change that.
Fingers drumming lazily against the wheel, Xavi stared out at the empty road as they waited at the stoplight. He was brutally aware of the silence that was now stretching out between them, and he wondered if he’d made Elena uncomfortable. For the most part, they didn’t really talk about sex and stuff. He was a no-strings-attached kinda guy, whereas Elena had always struck him as a little more romantic. Even when he’d waxed lyrical about the pretty girl he’d made out with in the club, desperately hoping she’d see his tiktoks and stumble back into his life, Elena’s own comment had been so sweet and bashful, as though she was genuinely surprised to discover he’d been out there looking for her. Xavi always wondered if she knew how special she was, or that was lost on her too.
He was about to change the subject, find a new way to ease her back out of her shell, when her words hit him square in the chest. He sat there, brow furrowed in disbelief, the light ahead of him turning green though he remained unmoving. His foot seemed incapable of pressing the gas, and instead his head turned slowly to face his best friend, his heart aching as he watched her hide herself away from him.
“What the fuck?” Xavi whispered, the curse word spilling from his lips, soft on his tongue as his tone carried him through several stages of disbelief.
The quiet roads stretched out far beyond the traffic lights, and yet he couldn’t move. Maybe he’d get a ticket for this, he wasn’t sure. Was it a crime? He couldn’t say for sure, but right now he didn’t care. He’d pay for twenty tickets if it meant getting to sit with Elena for a little longer.
“Whoa, babe, nah,” Xavi gasped, eyes wide as he shook his head rapidly. He was so floored by the jackass's behaviour that it hadn’t even occurred to him that Elena might be blaming herself.
For the second time that night, his hands tightened around the wheel, frustration brewing in his chest. What kind of loser kicks a girl out after sex, leaving her hopeless and embarrassed? He couldn’t get his head around it, and even moreso when he added the context of that girl being Elena. As far as Xavi knew – and he tried not to pry or make shit weird – Elena had never been with a guy like that before. And as first times went, he understood why she might feel humiliated.
“No, Elena, that ain’t it. It’s not you.” he insisted, this time following through as he slide a hand across to touch her. He wrapped his fingers delicately around her ankle, giving a gentle squeeze. “That guy’s a total dirtbag, are you kidding me? He never should have done that. I would never – I wouldn’t... He shouldn’t have done that shit.”
It seemed redundant, waxing lyrical about all the times he’d practiced aftercare with girls he took home. Win had always said one of their favourite things about Xavi was the post-sex cleanup, which usually involved Xavi carrying them to the shower and washing them before going down on them again beneath the warm spray. He cared about making it good for whoever he was with, but Elena’s own experiences hadn’t been reflective of his. The last thing she needed was for him to rub it in right now.
“Guys like that don’t care about making it good for you, but that don’t make it your fault either,” Xavi sighed, sliding his hand along her calf before letting it come to rest on her knee. He squeezed again, seeking comfort in her now just as much as he hoped she was in him. “You deserved to be treated like a damn princess, babe.”
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