Chapter 5: Layla POV

“Xavier!” Michael growls at him. “That is not how we speak to our guests.”

Xavier huffs a condescending laugh in his father’s direction but does not take his eyes off me. I refuse to bow to this neanderthal and look away first. I am many a thing, but a doormat is not one of them.

While still holding my gaze, he slides the chair in front of him out and sits down nonchalantly. After a few more seconds of our stare-down, he looks over at his father, leans over, picks up his tumbler of whiskey, and sips on it as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Just telling it like it is,” Xavier says before shrugging casually.

Michael is turning more crimson in the face with every word that leaves Xavier’s mouth. My head swivels between the two like I’m at a Wimbledon match. My mother is sitting head-down, playing with her food, refusing to get involved.

“Xavier, this is Layla. I don’t expect you two to be best friends but at least try and show her that I didn’t raise a complete caveman by not trying to pick a fight during your very first introduction.”

“Too late for that,” I whisper to myself, but Xavier hears it and snaps his head in my direction, glaring at me. I get the distinct impression he has no other facial expression. Such a shame, because with those eyes, that aristocratic nose, and angular jawline, he could really be handsome if he wasn’t such a complete ass-wipe.

As he goes to snarl something at me again, the waitress comes over to presumably get his order. A few feet from the table, she stops in her tracks and starts glaring at Xavier. Ooh, does she know him? Scorned lover maybe? Where do I order my popcorn?

He notices my attention has drifted to her and swivels his head in her direction, also stilling in his chair once recognition hits him. I lean over the table on my elbows and look on in fascination, riveted to the shitshow that is about to go down.

Michael and my mom are none the wiser, whispering to each other again.

The waitress, Jessica or Jane or Jill, steps closer to Xavier’s side and lowers her voice but not enough for me not to catch on to what they are saying.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she is visibly angry, “I thought you were leaving town for an indefinite amount of time? Isn’t that why you broke up with me?” Her hands are clasped into tight fists and I am sure she would have socked him in the face by now if her job wasn’t on the line.

Xavier glances around him to make sure they haven’t caught anyone’s attention, not realizing I’m enjoying every moment of this.

“I told you not to get attached, that we were a casual thing, then you had to go blurt out the l-word after I fucked you in that supply closet.” He has absolutely no shame as slings those words at her. My original assessment of him stands - total douche nozzle!

I see her eyes get watery, obviously on the brink of bursting into tears and making a scene. Even though I don’t know her from a grain of salt, I feel obligated to stand up for her.

“I think you dodged a bullet,” I tell her while giving her a soft smile. “I recently found some antibiotics that fell out of his bag and according to Google, it is to cure a venereal disease.” She gasps and turns accusing eyes to Xavier. “So, if I were you, maybe have yourself tested and thank your lucky stars that he is out of your life.”

As she storms off, I turn to Xavier and give him a sugary-sweet smile.

“What the fuck was that?!” he sneers at me. “I can’t let a rumor like that float around, it could affect my reputation at uni.”

“You should have thought of that before you decided to publicly humiliate that girl.” I have no remorse about what I did. No one deserves to be treated like that.

He glares at me, and I can see his pulse throbbing at the base of his neck. I got under his skin. Good! He needs to realize I will not sit back and allow him to be a dickhead to anyone and everyone.

I turn to my mom and Michael, “Thank you for dinner but I need to get back, I have to get to my shift at the coffee shop.” They don’t need to know I’m not working tonight – I just need to get out of here.

I rise, purse in hand. Michael gets up and steps around to my side. He leans toward me for a hug, but I dodge it by stepping back and going to my mom’s side of the table. I lean down and give her one of those awkward, one-armed hugs before I walk away.

As I reach my car outside, a body slams into me from behind, effectively pinning me to the driver’s side door.

An overwhelming scent of the ocean envelops me, and I involuntarily inhale deeply, bringing a calm over me that I haven’t felt in a long time.

I go to scream but a hand covers my mouth and Xavier’s voice speaks into my ear, “Do not think this is over! You and that mother of yours will regret the day you decided to enter our lives and take what’s not yours.”

I go to answer him, but he rips himself away from me, stalking off towards the other side of the parking lot.

I take a minute to catch my breath, leaning against my car. What is he on about? I don’t want anything from him or his dad. If it were up to me, I would not even be here right now.

The whole drive home, my mind goes over everything that happened tonight. Michael creeps me out, Xavier is a bully, and my mom is being shady as shit.

When I get home, I get into a pair of my favorite flannel pajama sets, curl up on the couch, and switch on Netflix so I can get lost in a romantic comedy movie. Unfortunately, my mind keeps drifting to a certain set of emerald-green eyes, a body that smells like the ocean, and a personality that is as prickly as a cactus. This is not going to end well!