CHAPTER 13

Ava's POV

I jolted awake, my heart pounding in my chest. To my astonishment, I found myself nestled against Xavier's bare chest. His arms were securely wrapped around me, offering an unexpected sense of warmth and comfort. The close proximity and the steady rise and fall of his breathing made my head spin with a mixture of confusion and unexpected contentment.

As I blinked, trying to shake off the lingering haze of sleep, Xavier's eyes fluttered open. His gaze met mine directly, and for a moment, we simply stared at each other. The intensity of his stare made my cheeks flush with warmth.

"G-Good morning," I stammered, attempting to extricate myself from his embrace.

"Good morning," Xavier replied, his voice low and smooth. He disentangled himself from the couch and stood up, stretching with a casual ease that only added to his appeal.

"I'll make breakfast for us," I said, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy as I moved toward the kitchen.

"Sure," he said, moving to get dressed.

I busied myself preparing two grilled chicken sandwiches, meticulously arranging them on the table. When Xavier reappeared, dressed and ready, he joined me at the table.

"These are really good, Ava," he said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"I know," I replied with a smile, "I excel at many things."

We chatted casually over breakfast, and as soon as we were done, Xavier rose to leave.

"Well, I should head out," he said, gathering his things.

"Bye, Xavier," I said, giving him a small wave.

"Bye, Ava," he responded with a smile before heading out the door.

Left alone, I sank back onto my bed, the events of the morning replaying in my mind. The sense of closeness and the comfort of Xavier's embrace lingered, making me reflect on how special the night had felt. As I drifted back to sleep, the feeling of intimacy and warmth stayed with me, casting a gentle glow over the start of my day.

It had been a week since that night. I couldn't stop thinking about it, but Xavier acted as though nothing had happened. That was what baffled me the most. Here I was, constantly replaying the moment we almost kissed, and he was walking around as if it had never crossed his mind.

Sure, maybe it wasn't a big deal for him, but for me? It was huge.

Throughout the week, Xavier had been unusually nice, sticking to me like glue, never leaving me alone. I couldn't figure out what his deal was. One moment he was distant and brooding, and the next, he was practically my shadow.

In class, I sat next to him — more because he insisted than by choice. We both focused on taking notes, but I couldn't help but feel his presence more than usual. Once class ended, we all headed to the parking lot. I'd hitched a ride with Mia since my car was in for servicing.

As we stood by Mia's car, chatting, Mia brought something up.

"Ava, Noah, and I are planning to go on a small trip, but my uncle Beth asked me to babysit his kids tomorrow. I was wondering if you could take over for the day?" she asked, looking hopeful.

I looked up from my phone, "Sure, I don't mind. Plus, with the Christmas holidays starting soon, we could all plan a bigger trip when you guys return. I love Beth's kids anyway."

"I'll help too," Xavier chimed in casually, as if it were no big deal.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would you help? You don't even like kids."

"Do you think you can handle three kids on your own, especially with one being a baby?" he retorted, a smug expression on his face.

Before I could respond, Noah cut in with a smirk. "Stop arguing, you two. Mia's right. Babysitting together will be way easier for you. And hey, when he's volunteering to be your servant, you might as well take advantage."

Mia laughed. "Exactly. Consider it a win, Ava."

I rolled my eyes but turned to Xavier. "Fine. Be at my house by 9 a.m. sharp," I said, trying to sound bossy.

"Sure, boss," he replied sarcastically.

After some more conversation, we all parted ways and headed home.

The Next Day

By morning, Beth and Ellie arrived at my place with their kids in tow. As soon as they entered, Beth's twins, Martha and Evan, dashed towards me, hugging me tightly.

"Ava!" they both yelled in unison.

"Hey, Martha and Evan!" I said, smiling as I hugged them back. Then, I turned to Ellie, who was holding baby Cassandra, still fast asleep in her arms.

"Sorry for the trouble, Ava. It's just for today," Ellie said, sounding apologetic.

"No, it's no trouble at all. I love spending time with them, and besides, it's been a while. Living alone is boring. I'm going to have fun tonight," I reassured her, smiling.

Suddenly, Xavier appeared at the doorway, making his dramatic entrance. Ellie's eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Well, well, Mia never told me you had such a hot boyfriend, Ava," Ellie teased, making my heart skip a beat.

Before I could protest, Xavier, without missing a beat, said, "Thank you. I'm Xavier, nice to meet you."

I smacked him on the arm as soon as they left, earning a groan from him. "What was that about? We are not a couple! Why would you let them believe that?" I snapped at him.

Xavier shrugged nonchalantly. "What does it matter? They're gone now, and besides, you seem to like the idea."

I rolled my eyes. "Just help me with the kids and stop with the flirting."

He smirked, clearly enjoying riling me up. Martha then tugged on my shirt, breaking the tension.

"Ava, who is he?" she asked curiously, pointing at Xavier.

"He's a friend. His name's Xavier," I replied, then called Xavier over. "Come meet the twins."

Xavier walked over and crouched to their level. "Hey, you can call me Xave. Nice to meet you," he said, giving them a goofy handshake that made the kids giggle.

Evan looked up at Xavier with wide eyes. "Do you go to the gym every day?"

"Yeah, I do," Xavier responded, grinning.

"I wanna be as strong as you," Evan said, his admiration evident.

Before Xavier could respond, baby Cassandra started crying. I immediately rushed over and picked her up, cradling her gently until she settled down. Once she was calm, I walked back into the living room and found the kids engrossed in watching TV.

Xavier, however, was in the kitchen, cooking.

"I didn't know you could cook," I said, walking in.

"I can do a lot of things," he replied, throwing me a smirk as he grated cheese.

I raised an eyebrow and took a step closer. "Like what?" I teased.

He stopped what he was doing and walked towards me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You really wanna know?" he asked, his voice low.

I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay, stop. I was just kidding."

He chuckled and went back to his cooking. "I'm making lasagna. You wanna help?"

"Sure, why not." I tied my hair up and joined him. We made lasagna together, and while that was in the oven, I whipped up some cupcakes for the kids.

Once the food was ready, we packed everything into boxes.

"I have an idea," I said suddenly. "How about we take the kids to the Safari Park?"

"The zoo? You mean the Safari Park nearby?" Xavier asked, looking up from the table.

"Yeah! It'll be fun for the kids, and it's a beautiful day out," I replied enthusiastically.

"Yes! Let's go!" Evan yelled, startling me as he ran around the room excitedly.

Xavier smirked. "Looks like it's settled then. Let's go on an adventure."

We packed everything into a large basket, got the kids ready, and dressed baby Cassandra in an adorable little outfit. The twins were practically bouncing off the walls with excitement, and I couldn't help but smile. Even Xavier seemed more animated than usual, especially around the kids.

I dressed in a casual brown shirt and pants, ready for a day of fun, and we all set out for the Safari Park.

The day was about to get interesting.