The night had been incredible. Waking up in Xavier’s arms felt like a dream, but a bittersweet dream, because I knew that in a few hours I’d be getting on a plane and heading back to Cape Town.

“I got you something to remember me when we’re apart,” he said getting up from the bed.

He came back with a box. I opened it and inside was a gold chain with a little rainbow coloured enamelled heart.

“I know how much you love colourful things and I wanted to give you my heart.”

“It’s lovely, thank you.” I took it out of the box and handed it to him so he could fasten it on my neck. I turned and kissed him. “It’s so beautiful.”

“You’re crying,” he said, wiping the tears from my cheek.

“Am I? I’m just so happy.”

He kissed me. “Me too.”

*****

Back in Cape Town I felt sad being away from Xavier, but I had to get serious about my youth centre project. My drawings were barely done and I still had my model to do and the presentation was on Friday. My advisor was worried too.

“You’ve never been behind like this for a deadline. Is there something wrong?”

How could I tell her I was in love and building a model out of toothpicks was just about the last thing on my mind?

I tried my best to concentrate on my work. Each night Xavier would call me and we’d talk, sometimes for more than an hour. After hanging up, I’d stay up until the early hours working on my project. I’d get a few hours of sleep, rush to Go Monate for the morning shift until lunch, attend lessons, and start all over again.

By Thursday I was panicking. I had just dismantled a big part of my model that I realised was wrong, when Mmakola came in from the sitting room.

“I think you should come and see this.”

“I don’t really have time for TV.”

“No, I mean it.” I could tell from her voice it was something serious.

I sat down in front of the TV and at first I was surprised. There was Xavier. It was some interview show with a loud, shaven-headed man.

“So tell us X-man, what’s the deal with you and Tebby? She’s hot, neh?” the interviewer asked.

“Sure, but a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” Xavier said.

Then an image flashed onscreen of Tebby and Xavier in the backseat of a limo. He was kissing her; his hand was inside her blouse. It cut back to the studio.

“So what was that?” the interviewer asked.

“It was what it was.”

“There are rumours that you and Tebby are an item and there might be wedding bells in the near future.”

“Listen, you’ll be the first to know,” Xavier said.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. It cut to commercials just as my phone rang. I knew who it was and I wasn’t interested.

“Maybe it’s nothing,” Mmakola said. “You know these paparazzi.”

“Did the paparazzi force him to kiss her?”

I ran to my room and locked the door. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Every few minutes my phone would start ringing and it would ring until it shut off. I couldn’t hear his excuses, not now.

I cried myself to sleep. I woke suddenly, just before sunrise, remembering it was my presentation day and my model sat unfinished on the kitchen table. I had three hours to finish and get myself to university ready to present! I’d never been in such a situation before. I could fail. This project was 60% of my term grade. After three years of hard work I wasn’t going to lose it all because some man broke my heart. That just wasn’t going to happen.

I got to work. By eight I was on the bus, my project finished. Not my best work, but it was done.

I tried not to think about Xavier and what I saw, but my hand went to the enamelled rainbow heart still around my neck. How could he have done this to me? What did he gain from breaking my heart so completely?

I could feel the tears coming and shook my head in anger. No. I had a presentation; I could cry all I wanted afterwards – but not now.

“Not bad,” my lecturer said as I left the presentation room. That was high praise from her, so I knew, though it had been a crazy mad rush, I would be passing. That was a relief. I’d nearly ruined everything. I’d been so stupid.

I walked out to the parking lot and headed toward the bus stop to go home, and there was Xavier, standing by his car.

“You didn’t answer my calls and I couldn’t get on a flight so I drove down here,” he said.

“You drove here?”

“Yes, last night. I’ve been waiting here for you to finish. I saw you go in, but I knew you didn’t need drama before your presentation.”

Then I heard something. I looked and it was Tebby – climbing out of the passenger door! My heart dropped. So they were here to tell me in person, was that it? He needn’t have wasted his time. I headed for the bus stop.

Xavier ran after me and grabbed my hand. “Wait. Please just listen. Tebby came too so we could explain together.”

I looked at her.

“Hey, I’m sorry about all this,” she said. “My agent and TT said that footage was for a video we’re doing together. I was thankful. I’m new to this business and collaboration with X-man is a big deal, so I agreed. But they had other plans. Trying to make it like we’re a couple and all. They think it will sell more music that way.”

I looked at Xavier.

“It’s true. It was a video shoot. I didn’t know anything about it being aired until last night when I was on that show. It was live and I was trying to be cool about it, but I laid into TT when I got off camera. I fired him.”

“I’m in serious shit with my fiancé too,” Tebby said.

“Fiancé?” I said.

“We’re not an item. We never were going to be. I told you that,” Xavier said.

“Yes but…”

“I love you. Do you hear me? I love you. I’m not that kind of man; I’d never ever do that to you. I’d never hurt you like that. Do you believe me?”

I did. I thought I knew him and I’d been right. I ran into his arms.

“I love you too,” I said.

I rubbed my rainbow heart and knew this one was for keeps. I now had a new policy – My One Man Policy, and I was going to stick to it for the rest of my life.

***

Tell us: What do you think about what TT did to Xavier?