9. Xavier

CHAPTER 9

XAVIER

This week has been the fucking worst. I walked into work on Monday morning, feeling pretty confident that the meeting I had scheduled with my dad would result in the announcement that he is retiring, and I will take over management of Jimmies. I soon learnt that would not be the case, and the meeting was just to discuss all of the upcoming holiday functions we were hosting. There was absolutely no mention of me taking over and no mention of retirement. The man looked exhausted and kept complaining of back pain throughout the hour we sat in his office. I don't understand why he won't give it up. Stubbornness, most likely. I am beyond ready to take over the business, I've worked my arse off, and I've proven that I am more than capable. I need the challenge. What more do I have to do to prove to him that it's my time?

The rest of the week consisted of one bar fight resulting in a cracked window (on a Tuesday night mind you, the quiz nights here get really competitive), a fox attempting to enter my chicken coop but thankfully not succeeding, some dickhead backing into my car at the supermarket leaving a dent in my passenger door, and a migraine that forced me to take Friday night off of work. The only things that got me through this absolute shitshow of a week were my conversations with Ella. I didn't call her again after our chat on Sunday, but we've been texting every day. I've been giving her chapter updates on the book she lent me, and I somehow managed to finish it despite the water damage. I am ashamed to say, I really enjoyed it. I told her it was okay, a bit of fun, but I think she saw right through me.

She's been updating me on the chaos of her own work week. The school year is wrapping up for her, which means books are being returned in bulk. She's been sending me pictures of all the fun things she's discovered in the books (seven books so far with dick and balls graffiti, chewing gum stuck to pages, a used tissue as a bookmark… they're teenagers, so you get the picture). I've found myself looking forward to receiving her messages throughout the day. On top of work updates, she's also been sending me more book recommendations. My Tbr pile is growing with rapid speed and I've only known this girl for like a month. She's become one of my favourite people to talk to, it still shocks me how quickly we've become friends. I'm still conscious to not try and lead her on, but I'm finding the more we talk and the more I get to know her, the more attracted to her I am becoming. Which is fine, as long as I don't act on it. We have to remain friends and friends only.

It's now Saturday morning and I'm currently stuffing my face with bacon and hash browns at Ella's favourite café for brunch. I've never been to this particular spot, but the coffee here revived my tired soul like nothing ever has before, so I will definitely be returning. She's sitting across from me talking animatedly about her book wish list and how she's limiting herself to two books today when we go shopping.

"I honestly have zero self-control when I enter a bookstore so please hold me back if I try and buy more than I need," she says with maple syrup dripping down her chin. She's eating French toast like a fiend and it's oddly endearing. The urge to reach across the table to kiss the syrup from her lips takes me by surprise. I take a sip of water to quench the rising heat in my cheeks as I try and ignore the image that's forming in my head.

"I can definitely restrain you if you need me to. Remember though, you'll be going home with three books after I buy you a replacement copy," I say. She blushes a little and clears her throat at the mention of me restraining her. Interesting .

"It's not the same. There's nothing more satisfying than adding new books to your Tbr pile."

"Mmm… and how long do they sit on that pile waiting to be read?" I ask with a smirk.

"That is a question I refuse to answer," she says. I know full well that some of her books have been sitting unread for years.

"I thought as much. Don't worry, I promise to not let you overspend today."

"Thank you." She continues eating and talking and I just sit there, listening. She's so passionate about books, I just nod along and take it all in. I smile at her as I listen to her gush about her favourite fandom, something about Bat Boys and wingspans. She notices and she stops talking. "What?" she asks.

"Nothing, I'm just really enjoying listening to you. You love all of this so much, it's infectious. I could listen to you talk about it all day and not get tired," I say. And I mean it. She's making me want to read more just from her passion alone.

"Oh." She smiles. "Thank you. That's… actually really nice. Most people get sick of hearing about it. But I guess you like reading, so..."

"Not just that. When someone is passionate about something, I like to listen. There's nothing more enchanting than watching someone express their love for something so deeply. You do that." She just looks at me and blinks. I get the impression that she's been misunderstood by a lot of people, and she doesn't hear this sort of thing often. I make a mental note to encourage her passion as often as I can. "Anyway," I continue, "are you finished with your breakfast? That last rasher of bacon has my name on it if you're not planning on eating it."

She shakes out of her stupor and chuckles. "I'm so full, it's all yours."

I scoop up the bacon and eat it in one mouthful.

"Classy," she says.

"Always." I reply. "Right, ready to go shopping?" I watch as her eyes light up. We pay the bill and split it, "because this isn't a date" she says. I don't respond, which elicits a small frown from her. I'd love to know what's going on in her head. I even wonder, does she want this to be a date ?

We walk down the mall, admiring the hustle and bustle of the city on a Saturday morning. We reach Dymocks and walk in, going up the escalators. I look back at Ella as we crest the entrance. She closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath.

"Honey, I'm home!" she exclaims. I laugh, she really is such a book nerd.

The store isn't too busy today, which makes the experience so much more enjoyable. This is definitely one of my favourite book stores. I remember walking in for the first time and being in awe. The high sculpted ceiling, the arches, the new book smell. It was perfect. It's located in an older building, with crown-moulding and a chandelier hanging high in the centre of the room, basking all of the books in a soft glow. It's super easy to navigate, and Ella knows exactly what she wants. She marches straight over to the fantasy section. We spend the next 20 minutes discussing our favourite fantasy authors, pointing out our favourite series and talking about how if a book has dragons in it, it's an immediate yes. I find the book she lent me and grab a copy off the shelf to buy as her replacement. Thankfully, the cover hasn't changed and it's the same size. She probably would have refused it if it didn't match the rest of the series she has at home. After a while, she wanders off towards the romance section as I continue to browse, giving my attention to the sci-fi collection. I spend about 10 minutes browsing, choosing for myself a new Brent Weeks, before joining Ella in the romance aisle. I'm betting on the fact that she has at least four books in her arms that she plans to buy.

I round the corner and find her talking to some random guy. He looks familiar, but I can't figure out why. He's tall, not quite as tall as me, blond, with a chiselled jaw and a cocky expression that seems like it's permanently etched onto his face. I walk up to them and can immediately tell by Ella's body language that she's uncomfortable. I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her into me. I look down as she looks up at me, and our eyes meet. She instantly calms with my presence and relaxes her body into mine.

"Hey, you've only got two books! I'm so proud." I look at the guy. "Oh. Sorry, who are you?" I ask.

"I'm Conor. Who are you?" he asks, his eyes darting between my arm around Ella and her face. I start running my fingers up and down her arm reassuringly, goosebumps appearing on her skin. The way he's looking at her has me feeling all sorts of protective. Conor. Have I heard that name? And then it hits me. I've seen his face before, Ella showed me a photo of him. He's the guy who stood her up. Immediately, I see red.