My fingers stroke through his hair, gradually petting him until he falls fast asleep, and a deep sense of peace settles in my chest as my own eyelids droop.
This is what I want.
Just me and him.
And I’m going to cling to it and enjoy it for as long as I can.
I have time until my body makes my secret obvious, and by then, hopefully, I’ll have a plan.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and everything will work out.
Either way, I can’t lose this time with Xander like I’ve lost everything else in my life.
This bubble will last until New Year’s. That’s all I need.
26
XANDER
Ceramic clinking and running water draw me out of sleep, and I wake with a start, my thoughts still clinging to the desire to soothe Snow.
But she’s not here.
An empty living room greets me as I sit up and rub my eyes while a soft blanket slips from my chest and pools at my waist.
Did I fall asleep?
Shit.
There was so much more I wanted to say.
So much more I wanted to make Snow aware of.
It takes a few moments for me to get my bearings and just as this room feels painfully unfamiliar, the music of Snow’s humming drifts through the door and immediately anchors me.
I came here to fix things and I think I did a good job.
Snow sounds happy, at least.
Fighting a yawn and a stiff neck, I rise from the couch and follow the musical humming through a door and into the next room.
Snow’s by the sink, humming and swaying to low music playing from her phone while towel drying some dishes.
Her back is to me, so I lean against the doorframe and cross my arms, watching her.
She’s in her own little world.
Step by step, she moves across the tiled floor and her hair swishes back and forth, following her movements until she spins and catches sight of me.
A squeak of alarm escapes her and she clutches the mug and towel to her chest, her eyes wide.
“Xander! Oh, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I just didn’t expect you to be there.” Her lips melt into a small, soft smile. “Are you okay?”
“Stiff neck,” I reply while massaging the back. “But I slept. I’m sorry, I must have been more tired than I realized.”
