Page 22 of Not Catching Love

Kevin wheezes around his oxygen tubes. “Shit is organic.”

“And also not part of the brief.”

“Maybe I had my hearing aids turned down for that part.”

Xander plants his paint-covered hands on his hips. “Let me guess, all your report cards as a child said you were highly distracting in class?”

“Don’t remember that far back. But I bet yours said you were an uptight pain in the ass.”

“Yeah, but I got a pass on account of not having parents. Abandonment works, folks.”

“Who would abandon a sweet boy like you?” Genevieve asks.

“Assholes.”

“Well, at least you inherited something from them,” Kevin says.

I cringe at the comment, but Xander doesn’t look bothered.

“Careful, or I’ll unplug your oxygen. Don’t test me.”

“You would too.” Kevin glances over his shoulder, and I try to follow his line of sight. “Aggy, where did you find this feral raccoon?”

“Rooting around in my trash.”

“You’re supposed to love me,” Xander shoots back at her.

“I do, sweet one. But it doesn’t mean you’re not a feral raccoon.”

This weird defensiveness rises up in my gut. A feralraccoon? Where the fuck do they get off calling him that? Don’t theyknow that Xander has been through way too much for him to sit here and be called names?

My heart has taken on that indignant race that happens when I’m fighting to keep my words to myself. It’s not something I do a lot. I’m an open and honest guy, and thankfully, at work, I have some seniority, so other than fucking Susan, I don’t have much to bite my tongue about.

The urge to walk in there and sweep him away from their insults and negativity is strong. Too strong.

Which is why I need to walk away.

Hero complex or not, I’m notXander’shero. I can’t be.

Lines last night were blurred.

I can’t let that happen again.

Chapter Nine

Xander

What thewhat.

I race to the door and stick my head out into the hall. I’m sure I saw Derek walk past. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but as I watch the man walk away, that stride looks far too familiar. The way it instantly comforts me has to mean something, doesn’t it?

Derek is here.

Does he have family he’s visiting? Is he working?

I cut a quick look Aggy’s way. She’s still talking with Kevin and not paying me any attention. Theoretically, I could slip out and follow him. Just to make sure. I can’t tell her that I want to go stalk my future husband when she’s explicitly warned me off him, but considering these people don’t need my help creating what I like to call works of fart, I see no reason why I can’t slip off.

Just for a quick sec.

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