“Hello, Mom.”Xavier walked over to our table and hugged his mother briefly.“Hey, darling. This is such a pleasant surprise,” she said warmly.“Except it’s not,” he muttered under his breath as he turned slightly toward me.I caught it. Low, sharp, and directed at me.I sank a little deeper into my chair, my fingers tightening around my wrist. I didn’t understand why he was angry. I hadn’t even said anything yet.“Darling, meet Ava, Sydney’s best friend,” his mother said, cutting through the tension I could feel building between us.I hesitated a second too long, and Ava beat me to it.“Oh, hello Ava,” Xavier said, shifting instantly as if nothing had happened like he hadn’t just thrown that comment at me.He stretched out his hand.“It’s nice to finally meet the famous Xavier,” Ava said, smirking as she shook it.“Oh, so someone has been talking about me,” he said, glancing at me briefly. The corner of his lips lifted slightly. “I hope they were good things.”Ava tilted her head li
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