His Heart Knew Before He Did novel Chapter 12

Xavier stared at her for a dozen seconds before raising an eyebrow. "Being used as a weapon isn't a bad gig."

"What?"

"How you want to use it, where you want to use it, who you want to use it on." Xavier paused, his tone half-joking. "As long as you want to, I'm yours to wield."

His words were a mix of truth and teasing, leaving Lydia entirely unsure of how to respond.

Deciding to cut her losses, she changed the subject. "You said you came looking for me for a reason. What is it?"

"Breakfast."

Lydia didn't turn him down this time. It wouldn't be right to burn a bridge right after using him to save face.

"Alright, my treat."

At Xavier's request, they went to a local diner.

The diner was small, but business was booming.

The middle-aged owner, wiping his hands on his apron, greeted Xavier with familiar warmth. "Coach Vance! You made it. The usual steak and eggs?"

"Yeah, the usual." Xavier turned to Lydia. "What do you want?"

"Just some oatmeal."

The owner's eyes went wide when he saw a woman standing beside Xavier for the first time in history. "Coach Vance, is this your girlfriend?"

"No," Lydia denied quickly. "Just a friend."

"Oh, don't be shy, I get it!" The owner gave a knowing wink. "Coach Vance is the most famous eligible bachelor in town. We've never seen him with a woman, let alone bring one here for breakfast. Coach is quite the catch! I've been dreaming of making him my son-in-law!"

Lydia offered an awkward but polite smile and walked into the diner ahead of them.

Xavier sat down opposite her, grabbing a napkin to wipe the greasy sheen off the table in front of her.

"Did you hear that?"

Lydia was completely lost. "Hear what?"

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