Beautiful Protection

Let Him Go

Erin turned her room upside down. Her hands moved with rage, no care, no reason. Clothes tumbled out of the wardrobe, falling in heaps to the floor. Designer bags, once displayed proudly on their shelves were now thrown violently onto the bed before sliding to the ground. Shoes, perfumes, scarves, accessories, all of it, scattered and broken across the carpet. Every gift Will had ever given her became an object of hatred.

She couldn’t stop. With every item she tossed, her chest heaved harder, her throat tightening with both anger and pain. How could she have been so blind? How could she mistake material things for love?

The last pair of shoes in her closet met the wall with a loud bang. The thud echoed, mocking her, reminding her that she never once had the courage to throw anything in Will’s face when he deserved it.

Breathless, her fists clenched, she stood in the middle of the chaos, surrounded by the wreckage of her own foolishness. Each gift was nothing but proof of a lie. Will never loved her. Not on the first day they met, not when he courted her, and not after they married. Everything was an illusion. A carefully crafted play where she played the fool.

Erin bit her lip hard, her eyes stinging, but no tears fell. She had shed enough already. What was left inside her now was fury.

The door burst open.

Xander stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the disaster. His gaze lingered on the torn-open closet, the piles of clothes, and the broken order of the room.

“Are you throwing all of those?” His voice was steady, though laced with surprise. Without waiting for her answer, he crouched down, beginning to gather some of the scattered items into one place.

Erin’s chest rose and fell rapidly. She looked around at the mess, the brands, the labels, the expensive things. All of them connected to Will. She suddenly felt her legs weaken. Everything in this room tied her to him, from the curtains to the pillows to the jewelry box on her dresser. Even here, in her most private space, he was in control.

“I want all of them gone!” Her voice cracked as she began pacing back and forth, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her anger was slipping into hysteria.

Her eyes caught the stack of papers on the table. Without thinking, she grabbed them and flung them into the air. Sheets fluttered like leaves, scattering across the floor.

“And these!” she shouted.

The documents were Will’s, she knew that much. She didn’t care what they contained, only that they were his. Xander moved quickly, catching the papers before they could scatter further. He gathered them neatly, then slipped them inside his jacket pocket with a practiced motion. Erin didn’t notice, too caught up in her storm.

For the next hour, he worked silently. He cleared the mess she created, folding clothes, piling shoes, stacking bags together in one corner. Erin didn’t stop him. She had no energy left, only a hollow ache in her chest.

Later, as if nothing had happened, they were outside, driving into the city. Erin insisted on shopping, on buying new things, things that had nothing to do with Will Ferguson.

Bag after bag, store after store, she moved through the boutiques like a whirlwind. Xander trailed behind her, his arms filling with her purchases until both his hands were weighed down, his tall frame nearly hidden behind the mountain of glossy shopping bags. Erin didn’t care. For once, she was spending her own money, not his.

Hours later, they sat in a quiet, secluded café. A small table by the window. The sun had shifted lower in the sky, casting long beams of light across the floor. Erin rested her chin in her hand, her eyes fixed on the steam rising from her coffee cup.

“Do you think I’m a little bit extra?” she asked suddenly, her lips curling into a half-smile.

Xander only shrugged, placing the bags carefully on the empty chair beside him before sitting across from her. He didn’t answer with words, but his calm presence said enough.

Her eyes lowered back to her cup. The question slipped out before she could stop herself. “How’s my father?”

Xander didn’t flinch. “He’s fine. He’s coming this Sunday to the villa for dinner.”

Erin’s lips pressed into a line. “With Will.”

It was always the same. Her father only ever appeared with Will by his side, as if her husband had replaced her as the favored child.

Xander leaned forward slightly. “If you don’t mind me asking… why haven’t you filed for divorce?”

Her eyes lifted to meet his, sharp and cold. For a moment she thought of ignoring him, but something inside her wanted to answer.

“It’s his call, not mine,” she said at last. “And my father strongly agrees.” She lifted the cup to her lips, sipping slowly.

Xander’s next question came quietly. “Do you hate your father?”

The words pierced deep. Personal. Intimate. Erin stared at the swirling surface of her coffee, focusing on the faint steam. “A little bit,” she whispered. “But who can really hate their own family? I just wish he trusted me enough to believe me instead of Will.” She finished the rest of her cup before it turned cold.

“I can’t blame him. The evidence looked genuine.” Her voice was quiet and resigned.

Xander nodded slowly.

“Do you believe it?” she asked, almost afraid of his answer.

He shook his head firmly.

For the first time in a long while, Erin smiled. It was small, fragile, but genuine. It warmed her chest in a way she hadn’t felt in years. If only her father could do the same, if only he could look her in the eyes and say he believed her.

“Everything will be alright soon,” Xander said gently.

But Erin didn’t hear the words fully. Her eyes had dropped to his hand, resting close to hers. And then she felt it—the warmth of his fingers as they wrapped briefly over hers. A touch, steady and reassuring. Comfort seeped through her chaotic thoughts, calming the storm inside her.

Her breath caught when he pulled away.

“I’m sorry if I stepped over the line,” he said quietly.

“It’s alright,” she answered, though deep inside, she wished she could ask him to keep holding on. She shook the thought away quickly. She didn’t need comfort from Xander Grant. She couldn’t need it.

The drive back to the villa was heavy with silence. Only the low hum of the engine filled the air, their breaths so controlled they barely sounded human.

Suddenly, the car stopped short. Erin yelped, her body jolting forward slightly.

In the distance, she saw it. A black car parked outside the villa. Her stomach turned.

“What is he doing here?” she hissed, her voice filled with fury.

“You can stay here in the car,” Xander said calmly. “I’ll go check on him.”

“Thank you, but no,” she replied firmly. “I should face him. Besides, you’re here with me.”

She stepped out, her chin lifted with defiance. Together, they entered the villa. Erin hurried upstairs, only to find her room in disarray once again.

“What are you doing?!” she screamed, her voice sharp enough to cut.

Will was inside, his hands tearing through drawers, rifling through her belongings like a madman. His eyes were dark, his movements frantic.

“Where are my documents?” he demanded, tossing aside everything in sight.

“I threw them all away,” she said without hesitation.

He froze, turning slowly, his expression murderous. “What?”

“I threw all of them earlier,” she repeated, her voice steady.

“Those were important documents!” His tone was sharp, his body tense. Erin saw it instantly. His panic, his desperation. Whatever those papers were, they mattered to him more than she imagined.

“I don’t care,” she said softly.

His fury exploded. He lunged toward her, hands reaching for her shoulders. But before he could touch her, Xander moved. His hand snapped around Will’s arm, twisting it back with a brutal efficiency.

“Keep away from her,” Xander commanded, his voice like steel.

Will groaned in pain, his face contorting. Erin’s eyes widened.

“Let him go!” she cried, torn between fear and relief.

Will gasped, his teeth clenched. “Who the hell are you?”

Xander’s grip tightened.

“Will, please leave!” Erin begged, her voice trembling.

Xander released him, but his stance remained protective, his body a shield between them.

Will straightened, fury burning in his eyes. “I’ll be back,” he spat. His glare lingered, first on Erin, then on Xander.

Xander only smirked, a cold grin that carried no fear. He could already sense the weakness beneath Will’s rage.