Chapter 53

Xavier froze, his bravado crumbling the moment my tone shifted. He sniffled, his lip quivering as he tried to form a response. "I-I…" he was stammering, but I wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. "Who told you I'm unfair?" He was only a child. He would only talk about such things if someone fed him the idea. "Was it your Mom or Jared?" I pressed closely to watch his reaction. "You're not allowed to talk about Jared!" he snapped, his little fists clenching. Jared? For someone he supposedly admired so much, where was Jared now? Why wasn't his favorite adult taking him on a fun trip? "If your precious Jared cared so much, why isn't he here with you?" I said, unable to stop myself from pushing his buttons. Xavier's cheeks flushed red, and I couldn't help but smirk. The next moment, his face crumpled, and he burst into tears. "Cole, don't scare him," Lorraine interjected gently, stepping in to defuse the tension. Though I could tell she didn't have much patienc