As much as I want to talk with someone who understands Xavier, I refuse to tell someone who’s almost like his mother what happened yesterday. I’m sure my appearance screams that I’m hurting. I don’t need to make it worse.

“No. I mean, we aren’t together. We’re just friends. He can be with whomever he wants.”

Nettie leans against the counter and her mouth quirks. “The two of you still pretending you are just friends?”

“We are just friends,” I say adamantly.

“Sure you are.” She winks at me. “Like Carl and me. The sooner you learn to set your foot down with that boy, the better off you’ll be.”

“Xavier doesn’t want a relationship with me.”

She cocks her head and gives me the are-you-kidding-me-face. “Honey, you’re the first girl I’ve ever seen him stick with for longer than a night. He cares for you, and I know that may be hard to believe, but I know my boy. Xavier was the most carefree I’ve ever seen him the nights he brought you in here. Give him a chance, he might surprise you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know Nettie. He was…seeing someone else the entire week. How can I trust him after that?”

“That boy…” She shakes her head and clicks her tongue. “I was hoping he was finally settling down. He’s a good man, Anna. Just had a rough life, is all. Poor kid was out on the streets at fifteen.”

“Fifteen?” I repeat in disbelief. “Was his family that bad? He refuses to speak about them. The only thing he ever told me was his mother died when he was eight.”

“Tragic, isn’t it? When he came in here that first time, hungry, I could see in his eyes the boy was just desperate. Carl and I took him in, gave him a job and got him off the streets.”

“So, when you say the streets—you mean homeless?”

Nettie frowns. “Yes and no. Xavier, like most runaways around here, found refuge with a local gang, but he was still very much on his own and didn’t trust a soul. It took a long time for him to really believe Carl and I wanted to help him.”

“Where was his father in all this? Didn’t he care?” I question. I’m flabbergasted as to where all the support he should’ve had was. It breaks my heart.

“No clue. I know he lived with his grandmother until he headed out on his own.”

I pull my lips into a tight line. “Was she so bad?”

The expression on Nettie’s face tells me that she wants to tell me more, but she’s reluctant.

“I’ve talked about his business enough. I best shut up. I’ll grab Carl from the back and have him cook your pancakes.” She gives me a sad smile as she heads to a wooden, swinging door and out of sight.

I rub my chin as I process everything I’ve just learned about Xavier Cold. It doesn’t change that he fooled around with Deena behind my back, but I believe Nettie when she says he cares for me. It truly felt like he did when we were together. It doesn’t matter if I could ever forgive him for that or not, the fact remains that he’s gone, and any chance we had at ever becoming more than friends is over.

The diner door chimes behind me and before I even see him, I feel him.

I slowly turn and my jaw drops. Xavier stands there in a pair of dark wash jeans and a blue t-shirt staring straight at me. He shoves his dark hair away from his face, but a single strand falls across his forehead, and his blue eyes widen.

He clearly didn’t expect to see me, just like I’m still in shock that he’s standing here before me.

He licks his bottom lip and then grazes his teeth across it. “Anna? What are you doing here?”

I swallow hard. “I, um…I was hungry.”

He takes a couple of hesitant steps toward me, and my heart flutters in my chest as that familiar pull hits me full force.

Once he’s close enough, he reaches out and cups my cheek in his hand. “You didn’t come here for me?”

I melt into his touch and close my eyes. The spicy scent of his cologne and soap lingers on his skin. I inhale deeply and then open my eyes to stare into the deep-blue pools of his irises.

There’s no denying I feel something for him, I’m just not sure what. All I know right now is that I’m addicted to his touch.

“I thought you were already gone, so I didn’t expect to see you here, but I’m glad you are.”

“My flight was cancelled, and I realized I hadn’t said goodbye to Nettie and Carl, so I came to see them before I leave in the morning.”

He studies my face intently as we remain alone in the diner. “Why have you been crying? Remember what I said? I don’t like seeing this beautiful face frown.”

I blink slowly. “I was fired tonight.”

“Why?” he immediately asks.

I sigh and Xavier takes a seat next to me and listens intently as I explain what happened at Larry’s.

“So you stopped here while you were job hunting?” he asks as he puts all the pieces together. “Don’t you find that an odd coincidence?”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugs. “You need a job, and I still need that personal assistant.”

The mention of Deena’s old job causes what happened to flash through my mind and it brings back the hurt I feel.

“You sure you don’t want your old assistant back? The two of you seemed pretty cozy the last time I saw you together. I’m sure she’d be happy to have her job back.”

He flinches and licks the corner of his mouth. “I deserve that. I hurt you, and for that I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. She came over, stripped in front of me and I gave into a moment of weakness. You have to understand, Anna, I’m not used to all this.” He motions between the two of us. “I’m going to fuck up from time to time. Being friends with me won’t be easy, but I want you to give me another shot. Come work for me. Give me time to make it up to you.”

The word friends slice through me. Our connection feels like so much more than just a friendship, but I know at this point neither of us are ready to move our relationship beyond that. Being his employee will create that boundary we need. Not to mention that I still desperately need a job.

“Xavier…”

“Sixty thousand dollars.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

“I don’t want you to say no. I will pay you sixty thousand dollars.”

That’s a lot of money to a fresh-from-college girl like me, but taking this job isn’t about the compensation it will bring. It’s about spending time with Xavier.

I shake my head. “You don’t have to pay me more to make me take the job.”

Xavier reaches over and takes my hand. “I want you to know how badly I want you.”

The way he says it makes me believe he means as more than just as an employee. Maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part, but the thought of him wanting me—in any way—makes my toes curl.

If I want to see what could possibly happen between Xavier and me, taking this job is the only way to get time with him.

“I’ll do it,” I say firmly.

He raises his eyebrows. “Really? You’re not going to fight me on this?”

I shrug, attempting to play it off coolly. “I need a job.”

“Is that the only reason?” His gaze remains glued to me, gauging my reaction.

I might as well be honest…to a degree. “No. It’s not the only reason, but it’s the best one I can give you for now.”

He rubs the stubble along his jawline as he considers what I’ve said before a hint of a smile plays along his lips. “That’s good enough for me.”

Xavier pivots his butt on the barstool and places his feet at the counter, resting his elbows on the counter before calling out, “The service around here sucks!” loud enough for Nettie to hear clear in the back.

He glances over at me and winks before a cocky grin spreads across his face. I laugh and just like that, we fall back into our easy relationship. I forgot how easy it was to just “be” with him, like it was before all the crazy drama came between us.

Friendship with Xavier won’t be easy, but I’ll miss him too much not to try.

* * *

I throw the last of my things back into my suitcase and zip it up, glad that I packed light when I moved here.

Quinn stands beside me and sighs as she wraps her arm around my shoulders. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? I don’t want to see you get hurt again, Anna.”

I smile at her, touched that she cares about me so much. “I’ll be fine, Quinn. Xavier and I are friends. We settled everything the other night.”

She nods. “Yeah, yeah. I know that’s what you said, but you forget that I saw how upset you were when he broke your heart.”

“He didn’t break my heart. We’d have to be dating for him to do that.”

Quinn raises a perfect eyebrow. “That’s what you keep saying, but he wants you and you want him. Both of you are playing with fire, and I don’t want you to be the one to get burned.”

I know she’s right, but it’s worth the risk. Xavier is like a drug I can’t get enough of. The thought of never seeing him again sends panic through me and I refuse to pass up the opportunity to spend more time with him.

I pull the bag off the bed and set it on the floor.

Quinn pulls me into her and hugs me tight. “Call me every day, okay?”

A faint knock on Quinn’s bedroom door catches my attention. Aunt Dee stands there, taking in our goodbye with her glistening eyes. Her dark hair is pulled into a loose bun, and she’s wearing some ridiculous orange shirt with neon green yoga pants. I’ll never get used to her odd taste in clothing.

“Are you all packed?” she asks as she steps into the room. “A black town car just pulled up out front, and I’m thinking it’s for you?”

I pop the handle up on the large roller bag. “Yep. I’ve got everything.”