Page 87 of My Scorned Best Friend

“No, that was actually a double date I went on. That’s the only time I’ve had dinner with Sessilee, although she’s a nice woman.” Xavier’s body is so filled with tension I fear he’s going to crack apart next to me.

“I’m sure it’s no surprise to either of you that most people assumed the woman in question was a model or an actress. Someone else in the limelight.”

Xavier inhales deeply, but just by looking at him, you’d never guess how on edge he is. He’s always been able to mask that. To everyone but me. I place my hand on his knee, hoping to relax him.

“I’m not sure why they’d assume that,” he says.

“Well, you’re Xavier Greene. You signed the biggest deal of any quarterback in the league. Your history is dating models.”

“One. I dated one model.”

Mark blinks rapidly at the coolness of Xavier’s tone. “All right, let’s move on. Clara Harrison, the small-town librarian. It’s almost right out of a romantic comedy movie.” Mark smiles at me, but I no longer like him, so I give a tight smile in return.

“You could say that,” Xavier says.

“Xavier told me you’ve been best friends since kindergarten?” Mark says.

“Yes.” I nod.

“And all those years, the two of you never crossed the line from friendship to something more?”

“No,” Xavier answers quickly. “We were best friends, and now she’s my girlfriend.”

Mark laughs. “Okay. Okay. But the road to finding one another… looking at each other in a different light… that’s what people want to hear about.”

I sit up straighter, ready to take charge of the interview since Xavier isn’t having any of it. “It was just one night that made the difference. Xavier got a little jealous about the attention I was getting from another man, and I guess things spiraled from there.” I squeeze X’s knee.

“Spiraled how? And Xavier Greene jealous of another man?”

Millie is typing on her computer next to Mark, and Paul has the camera on us.

“Should Xavier not get jealous?” The question falls out of my mouth, and I know I was snippier than I intended when I see Mark’s face.

“Well, again, no offense, Clara, but he’s Xavier Greene. He could easily move on to another woman.”

Xavier sits up, his arm out from around my shoulders. “Not when the woman I want is with someone else. Clara is the one I want.”

“Of course she is. She’s cute as a button in those fluffy socks.”

I want to hide my feet. Millie frowns and glares at Mark.

“Next question,” Xavier says.

Thankfully, Mark gets off the topic of me and talks about Xavier’s season a bit. Then he hits us with the question I can tell he’s been holding back until the end. “So, you obviously can’t play football living in Sunrise Bay, and you can’t be a librarian in San Francisco. At least not in a small-town library like the one you run now. What does that mean for your relationship next year? Will you be breaking the hearts of San Francisco women and relocating with Xavier for the season?”

“We haven’t figured out all the details yet,” I say. “I’m sure we will before the season starts.”

Xavier narrows his eyes at me but says nothing.

Mark asks a few basic follow-up questions and then stands. “All right, let’s go get a tour of this small town.”

Paul turns off the camera.

“I’ll be right back,” Xavier says and goes upstairs without another word.

I take the tray back to the kitchen while Millie, Mark, and Paul get packed up, but I hear Mark talking to Paul.

“Poor girl. She’ll be his during this off-season, but mark my words, by next year, Xavier will have another model on his arm. Don’t get me wrong, the girl is pretty for the girl-next-door type, but the best quarterback in the league doesn’t date an average girl. Eventually, their different lifestyles will get to them, and he’ll break her heart. This town will hate him for it, and he’ll never return. Seen this scenario a dozen times. Funny though, why do men have these unresolved feelings for the girls of their past? It’s so cliché, it’s pathetic really. And the girl won’t even see it coming. She’ll be living in some bubble where she’s playing house while he’s getting his dick sucked by someone else.”

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