The bully's redemption

Kamsi stepped out of her apartment building, clutching the all list of ingredients and Mom had given her

Just a quick errand, she told herself, though her mind remained scattered—caught somewhere between guilt and regret. The winter air bit at her skin, but the chill didn't register as she descended the steps.

Then she saw him.

Xavier.

Crouched low against the cold ground near the building's entrance, his back against the brick wall, his head bowed. The sight stopped her dead in her tracks, the list crumpling in her tightening grip. He looked... broken.

Her breath hitched as guilt clawed at her chest. What is he doing there?

Kamsi stood frozen, her gaze locked on him. It wasn't just his posture—so still, so hollow—but the dark bruises blooming across his face, the split in his lip, the dried streaks of blood tracing his jaw. Xavier had walked away from school earlier that day without a scratch, but now…

What happened to him?

Her legs began to move before she realized it, dragging her closer to him, compelled by something she couldn't name. But as she neared and the bruises came into sharper focus, fear curled up inside her like a cold hand. Her steps faltered.

"Xavier?" Her voice was tentative, uncertain.

At the sound of her voice, his head slowly lifted. Dark, swollen eyes met hers. Eyes that once carried an unshakable edge now seemed hollow, almost empty. For a moment, she couldn't breathe.

"Xavier," she whispered again, rushing forward, her heart lurching. "What—what happened to you?"

He blinked at her, as if pulling himself from some distant place. Then, just as quickly, the hardness returned.

"Get the fuck off me," Xavier muttered, his voice ragged and cold.

Kamsi flinched at the venom in his words but stayed rooted, her guilt outweighing her fear. "Xavier, please—"

"Why do you care?" His voice cut sharp and cruel, like shards of glass. He pushed himself upright, leaning heavily against the wall for support. His gaze pinned her in place. "You didn't care earlier, did you?"

Kamsi's throat tightened, guilt pouring in like a wave. This is my fault. She had seen his darkness at school—seen what he was capable of when he beat Jimmy—and yet, somehow, this was different. He looked lost, and it gutted her.

"Why care about a monster?" he spat, throwing her own word back at her like a dagger.

Kamsi's eyes stung with tears. "I didn't mean it." Her voice trembled. "Xavier, I'm so sorry…"

Xavier let out a bitter laugh, his lip splitting further as his face contorted with mockery and something else—something raw. "Sorry?" He stepped closer, his presence both magnetic and dangerous despite his battered state. "Are you sorry, or just feeling guilty?"

The tears she'd been holding back spilled over. "I'm sorry. You're like this because of me."

Her confession hung heavy between them, the truth more painful out loud than it had been in her head.

For a long moment, Xavier stared at her. His harsh expression wavered, softening just enough for Kamsi to see the exhaustion hiding beneath it. His shoulders slumped, his breath shaky as he looked away. "Don't cry," he murmured, his voice rough but quieter this time. "Don't cry because of me."

Kamsi sniffled, wiping at her cheeks. She didn't know why his words unraveled her more, but they did.

Xavier's gaze returned to her, lingering longer this time. There was something unreadable in his dark eyes—something softer, something searching. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he reached up, his knuckles brushing against her cheek. His touch was featherlight, careful, like he thought she might break. He had promised Internally to be the source of her joy especially after watching her in the bonfire but here she was crying because of him .

"Can I touch you?" he asked, his voice low and rasping.

Kamsi froze, her heart slamming against her ribs. She wasn't sure if it was fear, confusion, or something else entirely, but every nerve in her body was suddenly aware of how close he was.

"I…" She faltered, unsure how to answer.

Xavier's lips curled faintly—not a smile, but something close—as he leaned in. The cold in the air seemed to vanish, replaced by the warmth of his breath brushing against her skin.

"Can I kiss you again?" he whispered, his voice dangerously soft, seductive.

Kamsi's breath caught, her heart pounding painfully loud. She didn't move. Didn't answer. She could feel the tension in the space between them—thick, electric, pulling them closer.

Xavier's eyes searched hers, waiting, his bruised face so close she could see the faint rise and fall of his chest. A spark flickered deep inside her, unfamiliar and frightening.

And then she turned her head, breaking the moment.

"Xavier…" she whispered, her voice shaky. "You need help."

For the briefest second, something flashed in his eyes—disappointment, maybe—but it vanished almost instantly, replaced by the cold, distant mask he always wore. He straightened slightly, his hand falling away from her face.

"Don't bother," he muttered, stepping back into the shadows. "I'm fine."

He turned his back to her, his steps uneven but deliberate as he walked away. Kamsi watched him disappear into the night, her heart aching with a mix of guilt, fear, and something she couldn't name.

You are not fine,she thought. And neither am I.

--

Kamsi wasn't eavesdropping—not exactly. She was walking past the library corner when Julianne's voice stopped her in her tracks. It was low, urgent, and tinged with something sharp, like a secret she wasn't supposed to hear.

"…Xavier and Jimmy."

Kamsi's footsteps stilled. She tilted her head just enough to listen, the rustling of pages masking her movement.

"Jimmy had it coming," Julianne muttered, leaning against the bookshelf, arms folded. "People think he's untouchable because of his daddy's money, but they don't know the half of it."

Joanne arched a brow, skeptical but intrigued. "You really think he deserved what happened?"

Julianne let out a slow breath, the kind that seemed to carry the weight of frustration. "Do you remember… what he did to her?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, but the words hit like thunder. "Left her shattered. And no one could do a damn thing about it. Not with his parents pulling the strings."

Kamsi's chest tightened as the words floated toward her like broken shards of glass. Shattered. Strings. Untouchable. The phrases seemed to weave a picture of something dark and unspoken, but the details were maddeningly out of reach.

"Xavier's no saint," Julianne continued, her voice softer now, "but at least he had the guts to stand up to him. People have been waiting for someone to knock Jimmy down for years."

Joanne hesitated, her lips parting as though to argue, but instead, she sighed. "Maybe you're right. Xavier's just… defending his pride."

Kamsi's curiosity coiled tight, twisting in her gut. She didn't understand Xavier—his sharp tongue, his relentless teasing—but hearing this? It made her pause. Could there really be more to him than the arrogant, devilish boy she thought she knew?

"What did Jimmy do that no one talks about?" The question pounded in her head like a drumbeat.

Julianne glanced over her shoulder suddenly, as if sensing someone nearby. Kamsi ducked behind the bookshelf, heart pounding. She waited a beat, two, before sneaking a look—Julian was shaking her head, Joanne chewing her lip thoughtfully.

The conversation had drifted into whispers again, the words slipping between the cracks where Kamsi couldn't reach them. But it didn't matter. The damage was done.

Whatever Jimmy had buried, Kamsi was going to uncover it. And if Xavier was tangled up in this mess too, well… she needed to know why.

She slipped away, her steps quieter than before, but her mind roared with questions she couldn't ignore.