Page 109 of Not Catching Love

Everything makes sense. Xander and his brothers. The safety of a home. Then, the one overindulgent adoptive parent figure who lives next door.

Xander has believed he’s not lovable for most of his life.

Yet all these people loved him anyway.

“Before you get started interrogating me, I just want to say that I’ll answer whatever questions you have because”—I gesture to all the guys in the room—“this is your family. You’ve watched over them when no one else would, and that’s fucking incredible to me.”

I’m not sure what she was expecting, but I’ve thrown her. Aggy looks around at the others, then turns her nose up. “Well, it’s not like they gave me much choice.”

“Aww, do you love us, Aggy?” Gabe teases.

“I’m with her,” Female Émile says in a light British accent. “You’re a bunch of idiots, but you’re impossible not to love.”

“Except for me,” Madden says. “I’m lovable, but I’m not an idiot.”

Penn laughs and pats his shoulder. “Sure, Madeline. And it didn’t take us basically our whole lives to get our shit together.”

“At least I get to see all of my boys happy before I die,” Aggy says, rapidly bringing down the mood.

Or that’s what I’m assuming will happen, but I should have given Xander more credit.

“I told you,” he says. “You’re not allowed to die first.”

“You also told me you weren’t going to go after that nurse of yours, and here he is. So I think I’ll be forgiven if I keel over.”

“Gabe knows first aid,” Xander says. “He’ll just revive you.”

“If he does, he’s out of the will.”

Gabe snorts. “I can do resuscitation, not magic. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try though.”

“Why can’t you all let me die in peace?”

“Because you’re not even eighty,” Seven adds. “I’ve still got a good twenty years of annoying you yet.”

“Suddenly, a hole in the ground is sounding a whole lot more appealing.”

“Sorry,” I cut in. “Are you all joking about someone’s actual death?”

“Technically, it’s Aggy joking,” Molly points out. “We’re all joking about her not being allowed to die.”

“Speak for yourself,” Xander huffs. “I wasn’t joking at all.”

They break out into bickering, and I do my best to fade into the background. I’ve seen Xander with his family, but I’ve never seen him like this. There’s a lightness to him that he hasn’t had before, and I really want to hope that I’m at least part of the reason why it’s there.

“This never stops,” a feminine voice says. I turn to the girl with the short blond hair. “I’m Elle. Basically their sister and easily the coolest person in their lives.”

“Derek.”

“Oh, I know.” Her tone makes it clear I’ve been talked about. A lot. “The handsome nurse. Much swooning over you has been had.”

“Xander’s a dramatic one.”

“Not just Xander, silly. Everyone. Handsome and a softie for our Z?” She presses both hands to her heart. “Perfection. Though I’m happy to have one other vaguely sane person in the house. Between Molly and I, we couldn’t carry it all.”

“Sane, huh?”

“What makes it worse is that my girlfriend’s side is no better. Her brother is a wild one. Perry is staying with me for a while but won’t say why, because he wants me to have plausible deniability, and I don’t think that came out the reassuring way he intended. Love him to death, absolute sweetheart, but a class A disaster.” She nods at the room. “Just like these muppets.” Her voice is full of pride when she says that.

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