Xavier Sterling

My driver pulls into Wheeler's Reality and I close my Laptop. Now more than ever I need a home that I can escape to. I haven't slept well in days and my focus at work is slipping because of it. Opening the car door I don't hesitate before walking to the large dark stained oak door. Just as I hit the first step the door opens to a very pregnant Elizabeth.

She smiles. "You look exactly the same." She says, greeting me warmly.

"So do you." I reply. "Minus the belly of course."

She closes the door and I see Aaron walking towards us. "Xavier, long time no see. How are you, man?"

"Great. You?"

"Never better, my friend. Come on in. I pulled a couple properties you may like. Its mostly upper New York, I've got some city, rural and lake front. I thought you'd like to know what your options are."

I nod. "Like I said on the phone. I want something fast."

"I hear you. All the properties I'm about to show you are from motivated sellers. Obviously, with money not being an issue we can get you in a house within a couple weeks, possibly even day's." He replies, confidently.

"I didn't know you both worked together on the properties. I thought Elizabeth was the the primary realtor and you ran the day to day operations." I say, looking behind me noticing Elizabeth hadn't followed us.

He shuts the door to the office and gives me an awkward smile. "Yeah, she usually does. But, her and Piper are still really close friends." He gives me an awkward shrug.

I nod. "Piper didn't want her working with me." I state, knowingly.

"Oh, no. Piper wouldn't ask her do that. Its just a loyalty thing, you know?"

I scoff. "I didn't get much loyalty when Piper slept with my brother. I doubt she knows the meaning of the word." I state, unable to keep the venom from my voice.

He laughs uncomfortably and shakes his head. "You can't be serious. Our Piper? A cheater. No, way. Where'd you hear that?" He questions, finding the idea laughable.

"A friend of mine seen her leave a bar with my brother the same night she called to break up with me. A little coincidental don't you think?" I ask, my jaw clinches tight.

He shakes his head. "Listen, I know you're not here to rehash the past and neither am I. So, Lets find you a house." He responds, clearly wanting to move on.

    Spending the next half hour narrowing down the list of houses I want to see isn't easy. My irritation with the Realty couple is growing. If Elizabeth didn't want to work with me I would've sought out a different realtor. Aaron is trying his best but its evident that he's not familiar with the house listings and has no idea what he's doing. Finally, my patience runs out when he pulls up a house that I asked to see, only to find that it had sold two days ago.

"Aaron, I know you're trying, but if Elizabeth doesn't want to work with me I'll find someone else." I state, standing up ready to leave.

    "Wait hold on. Let me talk to Elizabeth. I mean it was years ago, everyones moved on. There's no reason for there to be any hostility between anyone." He motions for me to sit as he stands up to leave. I sit as he exits the room. What did he mean, everyones moved on? Has Piper moved on? Not that I care...

    Minutes later Elizabeth comes into the office. "I hear Aaron's doing a crap job. I told him he needs to start learning the system, but of course he thinks he knows everything already. He is after all, male." She jokes.

"Like I told Aaron I can find someone else if you're not comfortable working with me." I reiterate.

"Its not that. Its just weird. Pip's my best friend." She replies, explaining her hesitation.

"Well, are you working for me or not." I ask, not liking the way I feel hearing the nickname I myself gave Piper.

She sighs. "Honestly, with the baby on the way we need the commission. And if Pip's okay with it, so am I."

"You told her." I reply, wanting to hear more about her reaction to me coming back in her life, indirectly of course.

"I did." She confirms, giving nothing away. Then she adds, "She's over it. Over you. She's moved on with her life." She adds with a careless shrug. Irritating me beyond measure.

"I'm glad." I say, coldly.

Elizabeth picks up where Aaron left off and we schedule to see three houses tomorrow. I leave without hearing another word about Piper. For some reason feeling a slight loss because of it.

Piper Keller

    "He's gone!" Elizabeth yells up the stairs. Taking a deep breath and standing up straight, I meet her at the bottom of the stairs. "You know, for not caring about Xavier Sterling you sure did your best to avoid him."

I roll my eyes at her mocking tone. "Just because I didn't want to see him, doesn't mean I care that you're working with him. Really, Its fine. Plus, I know we could use the commission right before the baby comes." I congratulate myself on sounding removed and professional. Flat out ignoring the smirk she gives me as I walk past her. Knowing she holds a bigger grudge against Xavier than I do. Not that I blame her. After he broke my heart she was the one that had to pick up the pieces.

    I walk to my office and shut the door, sitting at my desk. I can't help but think about the night my world came crashing down. It was our four year anniversary. I spent months thinking of the perfect gift for him and hours waiting at the restaurant he was supposed to meet me at. It was the first time he stood me up without an explanation, and it was the first time I realized he wasn't mine anymore. He belonged to his work. I was a priority at one time, but for six months before I broke up with him he was constantly canceling plans with me, we went weeks without seeing each other. As I walked home crying I called his cell phone repeatedly. I even called his office, it got me nowhere. In my anger I broke up with him through his voicemail. Not my proudest moment.

    Just as I was a half block from home I ran into Xavier's brother, Pasquale. Seeing me in tears he offered to be a shoulder to cry on at Benny's, a local hangout. When I explained to him that Xavier forgot to meet me at the restaurant for our four year anniversary he informed me Xavier was out with the Ross's, another prominent family in New York. I don't know why, but knowing it was dinner with family friends had me seeing red. I never wanted to see him again. I tried drinking away my sorrows. When I had too many to make it home, Pasquale helped get me into my apartment and into bed, even leaving a glass of water and aspirin on the nightstand. The next day I stayed in bed nursing a hangover from hell and that's how Elizabeth found me.

    I never heard from Xavier again. Knowing he welcomed our breakup was the hardest thing to work through. He walked away from four years with me like it was four days. The blow to my ego was so server that I still haven't recovered.

    Following in Elizabeth's footsteps I became a realtor and invested in her business with Aaron. I own 20% of Wheeler Reality and work behind the scenes in marketing and branding. Desperately trying to make the business more of a success. I'm responsible for the web design and often help Aaron with day to day things, like meetings and taking calls from potential clients. Together we've cornered the market, catering to the rich and famous. Not too bad for two girls in and out of foster care their whole lives. We've become our own little family, which means we tend to be protective of one another.

    Picking up the phone I listen to the voicemails I've missed. When I have to go through them a third time because I can't concentrate, I give up and hang up the phone in aggravation.

    He looked well, more mature than he did four years ago. His hair is different, shorter and in the latest style. He contacted Wheeler Reality because we're exclusive and have a sterling reputation, no pun intended, but there's still a part of me that wishes he wanted to see me. That he was sorry for how things ended with us, but he's Xavier Sterling. If he ever wanted to find me to apologize, all he had to do was pick up the phone. I huff, Xavier knew what he was doing. I need to stop trying to fool myself into thinking I meant more to him than I did.

    Sitting up straight in my chair and squaring my shoulders, I pick up the phone, a new determination to push Xavier Sterling out of my mind for good!