Page 94 of Chasing Xander
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Of course.” He stood and opened the door for her.
She left his office to find Xander waiting for her. “Hey, how’d everything go?” he asked.
“Great. Your dad was so helpful.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Come on, I’ll show you to the guest room Mom fixed up.”
She followed him to the end of the hall, and he opened a door. Kylie stepped into the room. After seeing this house, she didn’t think anything else could surprise her, but this room did. It was three times the size of her bedroom at Nammy Joyce’s house. Her room in the res hall was smaller than the closet.
“I put your stuff over there.” He pointed to the chair in the corner.
“Thanks.”
He nodded. “There’s a bathroom two doors down on the left. My room is right next door if you need anything. I’m pretty sure everyone has headed to bed, but if you want to go do something…”
“No, I really just want to sleep.”
He chuckled. “Me, too. I’m exhausted.”
She tilted her head and studied him. He was different. Quieter. Like he was hiding something. “Is everything all right with you and your dad?”
“It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. When I explained why I ditched school, he understood. And I promised, again, to pass all my classes. Things will be fine.”
“I apologized to him for dragging you away from school.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
“Mm-hmm. I wanted him to know this wasn’t your fault.”
“Kylie.” He sighed. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“Thank you.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”
She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Then she hugged him, burying her face against his shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”
He ran his hands up and down her back before pulling her tight to his body, groaning softly at the contact. “I’d do anything for you, Ky.”
She tried to pull back, to be able to see his eyes and his expression, but he held her tight, refusing to let her go.
Finally, he released her and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, have a good night.”
“Good night,” she whispered, closing the door. She changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Her head sank into the soft pillows, and she sighed. Xander had been unusually quiet since arriving. Was there more going on with his father that he hadn’t mentioned? Was he embarrassed to have brought her home to meet his family? His parents were so warm and welcoming. They’d opened their home to her without a second thought. Nammy Joyce had always been like that, too.
Kylie, I’m going to give you the secret to finding a man worth your time…meet his parents. The way a boy treats his momma will tell you everything you need to know. If he respects her, he’ll worship you.
She smiled as her grandmother’s voice whispered through her mind. Although she didn’t have the opportunity to watch Xander and his mom together very much, what she had seen warmed her heart. The Collins were a close, loving family, and she wanted to be a part of it. That revelation settled heavily on her chest, and she stared up at the ceiling. The room was dark and deathly quiet. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind so she could fall asleep, but images of her grandmother’s empty house and her casket played behind her lids. She kicked the covers off and paced the room.
A soft knock made her jump. “Kylie?” Xander whispered.
She opened the door and let him in without a word.
“I heard you moving around. Everything okay?”
Nodding, she wrapped her arms around her midsection. “When it’s this quiet, my mind races. Makes it hard to sleep.”
