Page 111 of Not Catching Love

Elle reaches down. “Come here, you little demon kitty.”

Kismet’s back fur stands on end, and he hisses, darting behind my legs.

Elle grins at me. “I guess you’re not as sane as I thought you were.”

“What do you mean?”

“Kismet only reluctantly lets Christian touch him when Christian’s in full worrywart mode. He just … showed you affection.” Elle shudders. “Creepy cat.”

“Creepy or misunderstood?” He rubs his head up against my calves.

“Oh, he’s understood all right,” Xander says, crossing his arms. “And he’s about to get his tail chopped off.”

I step away from Kismet before Xander gets stabby. “You’re turning into a little sociopath again.”

“You said you like when I’m jealous.”

“It’s cute, I guess.”

Émile and Elle disappear to make everyone coffee, and I finally face up to Aggy’s interrogation. Gladly.

“These things are so odd,” Elle says, walking in, carrying a tray. “There are little eyes on everything. I think your house is possessed.”

“Not possessed,” Xander says. “I did it. They’re my friends.”

“Your … friends?”

He laughs as he takes a mug. It stares at him. And he staresback. Then he plucks one of the eyes off and flicks it at Elle. “It was a game. I’m over it now.”

“I had no idea it was you,” Seven says, not able to keep the worry out of his voice.

“I know. But like I said, I don’t need them anymore.”

I don’t know why he ever did, but the way he says it makes me glad he’s moved on.

With this, at least. I’m scared to change too much.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Xander

“This is huge,” I say, looking around at it all. Derek’s swinging our hands between us, whistling like a fucking grandpa, and the way I love it is borderline vomit-inducing.

I’m not used to being … happy.

Not like this.

I’ve been happy for a while now, but that’s part of the problem. Happiness always comes before everyone leaves, so I’ve never let myself stop and feel it. With Derek, I’m getting better at that. The meds help too, I guess.

Standing in a giant fucking field is not where I would have guessed that realization would take place, but this is it. Even with my constant doubt and the way I think I’m going to ruin everything, if I can ignore all that, for a moment, this feels like home.

“Our place is over there,” Manny says, pointing to the house on the other side of the property.

It’s two stories and cute as hell.

I like the thought of Manny and his family being close by, but it does make me ache for what I’ll be leaving behind. When I move out, where will Seven and Molly go? Will they stay close to me? What if they—it’s hard to breathe for a second—move to Massachusetts to be near Molly’s dad? Even with Derek and how much I love him, I wouldn’t survive that.

Like he can sense my panic, he gives my hand a firm squeeze. “What do you think?”

---