"Rick, why didn't you tell me that she will be here?"

New Orleans is the last place I wanted to be. But, I must admit that this is the perfect time and perfect place to forget about work after a long day of, well, work.

The Crescent City offers enjoyable food, fascinating arts, soul-catching music, and of course exquisitely aged whiskeys. It also has a great deal amount of history to tell which I refuse to know. I'm really not in the mood to be a student as of this moment.

After arriving in New Orleans at exactly 4:50 PM, I went straight to the hotel near Bourbon Street where Rick made a reservation for my stay overnight.

I don't understand why Reynolds asked for a meeting in San Francisco if he knows I was in New York. I had to cancel because I can't physically fly there for an hour.

After I freshen up, I went to the nearest bar and of course ordered their finest whiskey.

The whole bar was made of wood. It gives you the air of the 90's or something older. Its old fashioned demeanor can take any customer back to the time it was first built.

The bartender gave me a glass. I settled myself in a stool as I took a drink. I sigh in content. I stared at the glass, thinking to myself. Why the hell am I doing here?

As if on cue, I heard the marching band outside. The street musicians must have started their little festivals. The Mardi Gras Festival was over and done. That was their most celebrated festival here. If this is the little festival I have to see, I would rather mope around my penthouse.

I finished my drink and left my payment at the bar. I went outside and to my surprise, there she was. My little Angel Face. There were tourists following the street musicians and she was among them. I clenched my jaw as I noticed the genuine smile on her face. The smile I always wanted to see. The smile that I will never see unless I look at the picture I have in my wallet. Her arm was held high above her head as the man next to her made her twirl. And then she laughed. Her head throwing back just like back then. Her blonde hair cascading from her shoulders to her back. That was the laugh only I could give. The same laugh that could definitely brighten anyone's day.

I went back inside the bar to call Rick. If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed that this was just a coincidence. But this, this is a set up.

"Your father was the one who arranged this meeting."

I scoffed. "You are my butler, Rick. You should have told me my father's plans."

"Yes, I am your butler, but I still answer to your father's wishes. And if I told you that she will be there, you wouldn't have come."

"Of course I wouldn't. I was avoiding her. I can't see her. I don't want to."

"Your father wants you to settle down, and she chose her to be your bride. You should be grateful that you already knew your future wife."

Rick was smart enough not to mention her name. He knows that would only piss me off more. "Settling down is far from my mind, Rick. And father knows that."

"Your father wants what's best for you. And I can see that she will do well for you, sir. She always manages to put your head back on track."

Not going to argue with that. Angel Face is the only person who could control my temper. She's the only person who could talk to me in any manner. She had me wrapped around her pretty finger the moment our eyes met. I was willing to give anything to her. I was willing to make all of her dreams come true. She's the best part of me that I lost, aside from mom.

Because of my recklessness, I have put my precious mother to her end and endangered her life as well.

My father never said a word, but I know deep down he blamed me.

I blamed myself.

I can't marry her. She will only meet her end if she will be with me. And I, I could never forgive myself if I was the cause of her pain. I don't want to repeat the same mistake over again.

I can't marry her.

"I can't marry her. I will not marry her."

I ended the call. I was about to walk out but the door swung open and in came her. The smile she had earlier faded as she laid eyes on me.

"Xander."

Fuck. That hurts more than I thought it would. Just a mere change in name made feel like dying.

"Xander?" I snapped my eyes to the man beside her. This was the same man dancing with her on the street. The same man that made her smile so brightly earlier. I had the sudden urge to beat the guy to death as I noticed his arm around her waist.

"Alexander Kinsley," I gritted my teeth and held out my hand. Control. Control. Control.

"Jonathan Myers," he said and shook my hand firmly.

I stared at him as I put pressure on our hand shake.

"Joe, could you go on ahead first? I'll just talk to Xander for a bit," she said. She must have felt me sizing up her date. He looked at me and then at her. She offered him a smile before nodding.

"Sure, sweetheart." I kept my eyes trained on the man who called my woman sweetheart. If looks could kill, he's probably dead on the spot by now.

"Stop that." I turned my head towards her. "You are not allowed to do that anymore," she said as she walked out of the bar.

"You can't threat the people around me, Xander."

"Xavier."

"What?"

"You always call me Xavier. What happened to that?" I prompted.

She looked up at me. Her eyes full of hurt.

"He was long gone."

Fuck that.

"Angel–"

"Don't call me that! Xavier and Angel Face were long gone. You no longer have the right to call me other than my real name."

"What are you doing here?" I asked suddenly.

"What?" She asked, her forehead creasing.

"I said, what are you doing here?"

"It's no longer your business to know what I'm doing here, who I'm with, or how I'm doing."

How could she think that? It may not be my business but I want to. I want to know her every move. Even if I avoided her, I still keep up on the things she'd been up to, the place she'd been to. I may have avoided her but I care about her too much to not make her my business.

"It's my business to know what you're doing because I'm still–"

"Stop. Please. Just stop. I don't know why you're here and I don't care why you're here. Please just leave me alone. Stop whatever you're planning. I want to stay out of it. I want you to leave. I want us to just avoid each other. You know you can do it because you're good at that."

She held her head high as she kept her composure in check. My little Angel Face is hurt. I can see her struggling hard to keep her emotions in, but a single tear escaped. I tried to wipe away her tear but she turned her head.

"Just go," she said then walked back in.

I stood there for a few moments, willing her to come out before forcing myself to walk back to the hotel. The drink I had earlier tastes even more bitter despite it no longer in my mouth. The music on the streets was drowned by her voice.

Just go.

I don't care why you're here

I want us to just avoid each other

I somehow managed to stumble to my hotel room. I crashed myself on the bed and let everything that happened today sink in.

Is this my punishment for threatening that sweet little princess?

Xavier and Angel Face were long gone

I took out my wallet. Her picture always gives me comfort. Even though it was taken years ago, I still find it comforting. It may sound crazy but seeing this picture helps me fantasize that somehow everything will be alright between us. That every scar, pain, and bitterness in our hearts will soon be replaced by love again.

I stared at the picture. At her beautiful face. She was just a mere seventeen-year-old teenage girl when this picture was taken. Her beautiful curly blonde hair falls perfectly on her left shoulder as she tilted her head sideways. Her ivory skin glows whenever she smiles or laughs. Her lips. Her rosy kissable lips. And of course, her eyes. The piercing blue eyes that have captivated my heart and soul the moment I saved her from that so-called wishing well.

She really is an angel. My beautiful Angel Face.

Don't call me that.

"Alexandra Vera Karlsson. You will always be my Angel Face."