CHAPTER 11

Ava's POV

Noah's birthday was just an hour away, and we were bustling with excitement, making the final touches on the arrangements. Xavier had been tasked with bringing Noah to the party, and anticipation was high.

As the hour approached, we dimmed the lights and prepared ourselves for the surprise. When the door finally opened, we all burst into a chorus of, "Happy Birthday, Noah!"

The look of surprise on Noah's face was priceless as he took in the festive decorations. "Thanks, guys," he said, his voice full of gratitude. "I thought you'd forgotten my birthday."

Mia had baked the cake, which was a centerpiece of the celebration. Noah cut the cake and shared it with everyone, including Mia, Xavier, Lia, and the rest of us. The evening was filled with laughter, good food, and cheerful conversation. As the night wound down, guests began to leave, each one bidding Noah farewell and offering their best wishes.

"Now for the surprise," I started to announce, but Lia cut me off with excitement.

"We're going to watch a movie!" she exclaimed.

We all moved to the home theater, where we settled in for the movie. The evening was a blend of drinking, eating, and enjoying each other's company. I ended up falling asleep on Xavier's shoulder, feeling comfortable and content.

After the movie ended, Xavier gently woke me up and informed me it was time to head out. Lia, Xavier, and I left together, leaving Mia behind—perhaps something special might happen between her and Noah later on.

The next day, Mia and Noah skipped college, and I was left feeling unusually bored. Since Xan and Lia were classmates of mine with aspirations of becoming doctors, I decided to spend the day with them. We had lunch together, though I had to endure the company of an irritatingly persistent bee that seemed intent on making my life difficult.

Returning home, I took a long, relaxing shower and changed into my nightwear, feeling relieved to be alone. Just as I was about to dry my hair, my phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was Xavier. What could he possibly want now?

"What's up?" I answered, irritation evident in my voice.

"Could you speak a bit more softly?" Xavier's tone was laced with annoyance.

"Why did you call me?" I asked, confused.

"I'll be at your place in about five minutes," he said nonchalantly, dropping a bombshell on me.

"WHY?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I looked around my cluttered apartment.

"Oh my God, Ava, stop yelling. I nearly lost my hearing," he snapped.

"I'm coming over to study. How could you forget?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

"When did you even ask me?" I demanded, trying to recall if I had missed anything.

"Yeah, right. You were too busy chatting with Xan and Lia to pay attention to me," he retorted.

"I'm a minute away. I can see your apartment from here. See you soon," he added before hanging up.

"OH, NO!" I shouted, looking at the mess of clothes and books scattered around. I hurriedly gathered everything, tidying up the living room as best as I could. My hair was still damp, so I rushed to dry it.

"Ava! Where are you?" Xavier called out as he entered my apartment.

"How did you get the code to my place?" I asked, rushing out of my room.

He looked me up and down, his gaze darkening. I suddenly felt self-conscious in my short dress.

"I just know," he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Whatever. Sit on the couch. I'll be back once I've finished drying my hair," I told him, heading back to my room.

When I returned, Xavier was already seated on the couch.

"Hospitality is a concept you might want to learn about," he said sarcastically.

"You're here to study, aren't you?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation on track.

"Fine, let's get started," he huffed, clearly annoyed.

We both pulled out our books and began working through the assignments. I plugged in my earphones and handed him one.

Half an hour later, we had made good progress. Xavier finished his work first, while I was just wrapping up.

"I've got a problem for you. Solve it if you can," I challenged him.

"Okay," he replied, taking on the challenge.

I watched him as he worked. He looked incredibly handsome—more than just handsome, he was irresistibly attractive. During the football match a few days ago, I had found myself staring at him for the entire game. Thankfully, he hadn't caught me, or I would have been mortified.

Xavier's voice broke through my thoughts. "Am I so irresistible that you can't stop staring?"

"I wasn't staring," I retorted defensively.

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night," he said with a smirk.

I glanced at the clock; it was ten minutes past eight. "I'm tired. After dinner, you can leave."

I ordered two large pizzas, and while waiting for the delivery, Xavier's attention was drawn to a photo frame on the shelf.

"Ava, is this you?" he asked, holding up a picture of me as a child, with my two front teeth missing, making me look somewhat comical.

I turned and saw him snapping a photo of the frame. "Xavier Knight, delete that photo right now!" I demanded, marching towards him.

"No way!" he said, laughing as he darted away from me.

We ended up running around the living room, with him evading my attempts to retrieve the phone. Eventually, he collapsed on the couch, panting heavily.

I sat down next to him, both of us catching our breath. "Xavier, delete that photo," I asked, leaning in closer.

Our breaths mingled, and I found myself drawn to his gaze. He looked at me intently, his lips slightly parted, and I couldn't help but focus on them.

In a daring move, I snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the photo. "No man can resist a woman, jerk," I said, smirking triumphantly.

Before I knew it, Xavier had pushed me onto the couch, hovering over me and pinning my hands above my head. His close proximity made my heart race.

"You shouldn't provoke me, sweetheart. It could be dangerous for you," he said, his voice low and husky.

His gaze locked onto mine, and I realized, with startling clarity, that I had developed a crush on Xavier Knight, the very person I had once seen as an adversary.

He stared at my lips, his breath warm against my skin. I closed my eyes, feeling the tension build as our lips were nearly touching.