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?"

Just then, her phone rang.

Lydia answered, and Fiona's explosive voice roared through the speaker like thunder.

"Lydia! Get your ass back here right now! Mom and Dad are literally fighting because of you! I'm taking Arthur out for a drive. We finally come back to visit, and we have to deal with this garbage!"

After hanging up, Lydia swallowed her pride and asked Xavier to drive her home.

The town was small, so it took less than ten minutes to arrive.

When she walked in, the living room was a disaster zone. Glasses and plates had been smashed on the floor, sending shards of porcelain everywhere.

Gerald was sitting on the sofa in dead silence, clutching a wad of tissues to his forehead, which was bleeding from being hit by something. Audrey was standing nearby, red-eyed and sobbing.

Seeing Lydia return, Audrey, who had nowhere else to vent her boiling rage, lunged forward with a furious glare and slapped her hard across the face.

"Lydia! You little brat! We barely have any money as it is, and Gerald sneaks you five hundred dollars! You're nearly thirty years old, and you have the nerve to take our hard-earned cash? You are utterly shameless!"