Late September

Bonus Chapter: Coming Clean

Almost a month later, Yumi had just finished up her morning classes on the first day of the semester. She had been double checking her afternoon schedule while eating lunch in the cafeteria when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hi, Yumi," She looked around and was surprised to see Xavier!

"Um... Hi..." she replied awkwardly.

"Hey, I won't make it weird if you don't." He said with a disarming chuckle.

"Alright," she replied, slightly more at ease. She gestured to the seat across from her. "Want to sit?"

"Sure." He dropped his book bag to the floor and plopped down. "I just stopped by because I heard a rumor that Jacques and some of his buddies got arrested for assault... and a few other things. I thought you'd like to know, given your previous run in with that piece of... sludge." Yumi scowled at being reminded of the jerk, the trips to court she'd already taken, and knowing she had more visits coming up!

"I know, I'm the one they attacked..." She replied darkly.

"Whoa! Are you ok!" He exclaimed and sprang forward in surprise, catching the eyes of a few other students present.

"I'm fine. They weren't able to do any serious or lasting damage." Xavier sighed in relief and sat back down. Yumi figured she may as well tell him the rest of the story. "All my friends from high school were coming into town for a get together that weekend and Ulrich came that afternoon. I got lucky that he happened to be around the corner when I started calling for help. He fought them off then called the police."

"Well, I'm just glad that you're ok. I heard there were a bunch of them, he must be one heck of a fighter!"

"There were five of them. He's probably about as skilled as Sissi and me, but he's way bigger and stronger."

"Dang! That sounds like the wrong guy to mess with!" The young man shook his head then sat thinking for a moment. "You never told me your friends were all coming here..."

"Yeah, it kinda never came up. I would have told you eventually if we... well, you know." He chuckled and waved his hand.

"I get it, it's not a big deal." There was a few seconds of silence. Yumi looked down at her schedule and noticed that the way she had been holding it in her left hand had been concealing her ring. She stared intently at where it would be if it wasn't hidden while thinking about how much to tell Xavier. She looked back up to see him eyeing her curiously and decided to tell him the whole truth.

"There's something else I never told you..."

"Oh...?" His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"It's about Ulrich... we dated for a long time, and a little over a year ago I broke up with him. It wasn't anything he did. It was because of the distance and schedules."

"I'm not surprised to hear that. I wasn't sure exactly what the story was, but I figured that there was more going on between you two just from the way you talked about him. It just always sounded more... affectionate than when you spoke of anyone else." Yumi blushed, though after his last display of perception she was hardly shocked to hear of his suspicions.

"Yeah... and after you and me broke up I figured out that I missed him much more than I wanted to admit..."

"At least you thought about what you really wanted. That's good," he said quietly.

"Yeah... I'm sorry. I really wasn't trying to lead you on or..." Xavier put his hand up.

"It's ok, really. We tried and it didn't work. That's life sometimes and I'll be fine. While I liked you, still kinda do if I'm being honest, it never got to the point where I would have said that I loved you. Truthfully, when I asked you out I wondered if you still had at least some feelings for the guy anyway. Though, at the time I didn't realize just how strong they were..."

"Me neither." Yumi replied softly.

"I take it he knows what went on during your high school late-nights?" He asked and Yumi smiled slightly.

"He was part of all of it, but that was over with before we started dating... actually it was a big part of why we waited to start dating in the first place."

"I see," said Xavier, clearly not knowing what to make of that, but feeling that it wasn't his place to ask. "Then I guess the only question left is whether or not you've told him how you feel." Yumi looked away sheepishly.

"I didn't have to..." she said cryptically as she put down her class schedule and turned the back of her hand upwards. When she looked toward Xavier he was staring at her ring with wide eyes.

"Alright... I didn't see that one coming," he muttered. "You're happy then?" He asked a little louder when he looked back up at Yumi.

"Very happy," she answered quietly with a smile.

"Well, then I'm happy for you. Good luck, Yumi." Yumi saw just a hint of sadness in his face as he stood up. "I'll see you around." He turned to leave.

"Xavier, wait!" Yumi called after he only got a couple steps and he turned back around. "You're a good man, and you were a perfect gentleman. Thank you for that. Whoever you end up marrying will be very lucky." He smiled halfheartedly. "I mean it!" His smile grew into one that was a little more genuine.

"Thanks, Yumi." He turned around again and left.

"Good luck, you really do deserve to be happy," Yumi whispered sincerely before going back to her lunch.

A/N: I just wanted to give a little closure for Xavier. I really tried to make him a good man who was very likable, but not romantically compatible with Yumi. That was a hard balance to strike at times. Let me know if I succeeded!