Page 19 of My Scorned Best Friend

“Clara, your mom is here!” Marla called down from upstairs and we tore apart.

For a second or two, we both sat in awe. I touched my tingling lips as Xavier’s chest heaved with small breaths.

“I gotta go. See you tomorrow.” I grabbed my sweatshirt and ran up the stairs.

That night, for the first time ever, I understood why all the other girls looked at Xavier the way they did. But that feeling passed after a couple of minutes and he was back to just being my best friend and nothing more.

“Clara, is that okay?”

I blink, returning to the present. All three sets of eyes are on me. I look down at my plate. It’s a shrimp dish covered in a sauce. Looking around, I see they all have stuffed mushrooms on their plates.

“This is great. Thank you.” I look up at Chef Ramon, who I just realized has been waiting for God knows how long for me to respond.

“I’m always willing to pivot when needed. You can thank Mr. Greene for alerting me from the start. Now I’ll go prepare the next dish for you all.” He smiles and walks back into the kitchen area where we can watch him cook.

“Thank you,” I say, my eyes landing on Xavier’s fully for the first time in years.

“I know how you feel about mushrooms.” He shrugs.

Sessilee laughs, but it sounds unnatural. “I feel like the third wheel. Tell me I’m not alone in this, Ben?”

Ben doesn’t respond because he’s eating his stuffed mushrooms. Then he shrugs one shoulder nonchalantly.

“We’re just friends,” I say out of habit.

“Are we?” Xavier asks, and I’m thrown off-kilter for a moment.

“There’s that tension again,” Sessilee comments. I’d like to shove one of the rolls in her mouth to shut her up.

I softly smile because that’s all I can do right now, but I feel myself warming toward him again. I know one day I have to forgive him, if only for myself.

7

“YOU’RE THE WINNER!”

Xavier

It’s been three weeks since Clara came to San Francisco to visit Ben. Although I hated the idea of her spending the night at Ben’s, I never said anything. It’s not my place. I know that now. But just to be a dick, I told them to take the car I’d reserved and that I’d hitch a cab with Sessilee back to her hotel. I made sure she made it to the elevators before I turned down her invitation to join her upstairs and returned home. But Clara doesn’t need to know that. Let her see how it feels. Spoiler alert—she probably doesn’t care anymore.

Now it’s our bye week and I decide to head to my hometown, Sunrise Bay, for two reasons. One, to see my dad, and two, to get things squared away with Clara.

Walking down the cobblestone street, I see signs in every window for the fundraiser that I had no idea was this weekend. It’s an auction to raise money for the library addition.

“Xavier!”

I look to my left at The Grind and see my grandma waving. Surprisingly, she’s by herself.

“Hey, Grandma.” I walk over to where she sits at the outside table. “It’s freezing. What are you doing out here?”

“You really became a wimp when you moved to California.” She sips her steaming coffee.

I raise an eyebrow. “Thanks?”

“Sit.”

I sit like a good dog because when my grandma tells me to do something, I do it.

“You’re home.” She smiles widely as she usually does when I return to Sunrise Bay.

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