Page 38 of Xavier

Oh. My. God.

“Guys.”

“Wait, hold up. Does this mean we actually get to meet him?” Greyson asked.

This was like them teasing me when I’d first told them that I was dating Xavier all over again. “Can you guys be normal about this?”

“No way,” Asher said.

Of course.

Why would they be?

They were my baby brothers and under strict sibling obligations to make fun of me until I was dead. Even then, they’d probably be pranking me over my damn casket one last time until I was lowered into the dirt.

“At least try and be on your best behavior,” I said. “He’s got his son with him. I told them they could stay at the house while they toured LSU this weekend.”

“Oh shit, he’s a sport’s guy?” Asher asked.

“No? Not exactly.”

Greyson nodded sagely. “Academics. Respect.”

I rolled my eyes. Whatever that meant.

“Anyway, they’re there now. I get off here in twenty minutes, so I’ll drive us all back. You guys hang here while I go finish what I was doing. Sound good?”

Both of them threw me a thumbs up. “Roger that.”

Oh boy, this was going to be interesting.

CHAPTER 17

Xavier

Receivingthe frantic text of ‘hey my brothers surprised me at the fire station’was probably the last thing I expected to see when I grabbed my phone to check my notifications on the off chance that Kate had called me.

I was glad that things worked out for Gage and his brothers, and was happy that my intuition about them had been correct. He’d put way too much love and care into them for them to turn around and write him off in order to experience living on their own for a little bit longer.

The holidays were a special time for most families. Coming together in order to celebrate that was more meaningful than a lot of people realized. I’m glad the boys weren’t taking that for granted.

Time was so short and life was full of unpredictable ups and downs.

There was no guarantee that there would be another day, so why chance it?

“Hey, Dex?” I called from the living room.

A minute later, he popped his head out from the doorway of his room.

“Gage’s brothers surprised him at the station. You mind bunking with me so they can have one of their rooms back?”

He gave me a funny look. “I guess...”

“It’s just temporary.”

He was quiet for a moment, his expression growing more perplexed. “I’m surprised you’re not going to room with Gage? Unless they also don’t know...”

“No…” My voice sounded a little strangled while I spoke. “They do.”

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