“No,” Xander replies patiently. “No kids.”
“That you know of,” April says in a quieter voice.
My eyes narrow on her. “April, seriously?”
She shrugs and leans back against her chair. “Just making conversation. I have a shift at the bar tonight so I better get going. Are we still having lunch tomorrow after your class?”
I nod. “We are. I’ll meet you there around one.”
“Sounds good,” she says, standing. “Nice seeing you again, Xander.”
“You too, April,” Xander says in a friendly tone.
She leans down and kisses me on my cheek. “See you.”
“Drive safely.”
“I will,” she says, exiting the café.
“She cares about you a lot,” Xander says, watching me with a warm look on his face. “Everyone who knows you does.”
“I know,” I reply. “I’m lucky that way. Don’t have that many friends, but the ones I do have are amazing.”
“You don’t have any other family around here?” he asks, pushing his fork around his plate.
“My dad’s sister and my cousins live in Melbourne, and some of my mother’s family lives in Sydney, but I don’t talk to them,” I say. I don’t talk to anyone on my mum’s side, but I do talk to my aunty and cousins every month or so.
“They didn’t want you to come and live with them?” he asks. “I’m not judging, just trying to understand.”
“Understand what?” I ask, leaning my chin on the inside of my hand.
“How they are okay with you being here by yourself. I know you have Zach, Grim, and April, but still, you were how old when your dad passed away?”
“Twenty.”
“Right, twenty. Still a baby.”
“My aunty did want me to go there, but I said no. I wasn’t leaving my house. It’s the last thing of my dad’s that I have. I grew up here and have so many memories in that house,” I explain.
He nods like he understands and I guess maybe he does.
“You didn’t ask about my mum, so I’m assuming Zach said something to you,” I say, wringing my hands.
He takes one of my hands in his and rubs his thumb on my knuckles. “He mentioned that she left and you haven’t seen her since.”
I swallow hard and look down. “Haven’t seen or heard from her. I think being a wife and mother wasn’t the life she thought it was going to be. My dad was a trucker, so he would work away sometimes, and she was left in the house alone with me. My dad wasn’t rich and I don’t think she liked that either.”
“It was her loss,” he says softly. “Look what you became without her. You’re smart, responsible, sweet. And beautiful.”
My eyes lift to his. “You really think that, don’t you?”
He grins. “I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if I didn’t.”
“Oh, really,” I croon. “And where exactly would you be? In the ocean with Zach and another woman?”
A strange look passes over his face. “What was that look?”
“What look?”
“I don’t know… you had an odd look on your face.”
He leans forward and kisses my knuckles. “Just thinking. Do you want to get out of here?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’m full. Oh, and I’m paying this time.”
He laughs, rubbing his chest. “It’s cute that you think so.”
I open my mouth and then close it. “I don’t think so. I know so. It’s about time you let me have my way, Xander Kane.”
“I’ll always let you have your way, but not in this,” he says, standing up and reaching his hand out to me. “I have to say, you’re the first woman to complain so much about me paying for everything.”
I grit my teeth. “A little advice? It’s not smart to bring up other women around the girl you’re…” I trail off. What the hell am I saying? We aren’t dating. Shit, this is awkward. I hope he doesn’t call me out on it, but he does.
“The girl I’m what?” he asks, pulling me out of my chair and against his warm chest. He had put on a white cotton t-shirt with his board shorts.
“Friends with,” I add, sounding like an idiot.
He cups my face and lifts it up so I have no choice, but to look into his eyes. “Friends? I want to be much more than friends with you, Trillian.”
“You do?” I ask, blinking.
“You know I do,” he replies. “I’m just waiting until the right time.”
“We don’t exactly have all the time in the world, you know,” I point out.
He lowers his head and kisses my mouth gently, a barely there caress. “I know. But I fucked it up when I did what I did, and now I’m not going to be with you until I know you know you’re different. You’re nothing like any of the other women I’ve been with.”
“There you go again, mentioning other women,” I mumble, pouting a little.
He kisses my mouth again then pulls back. “I haven’t been a saint, Trill, you need to know that. I’m young, and yeah, I’ve had my share of women, but like I said, you’re different.”
“Why?” I ask.
His gaze lowers to my mouth. “Fuck if I know. I just want you more than I’ve ever wanted someone before. That’s all I know.”