We both turned to look at him. He was watching us with an expression I couldn’t quite read—something pained that went beyond his physical injuries.
“I fucked up the plan,” he continued, picking at a loose thread on the hospital blanket. “We were supposed to prove ourselvesto you, and instead I ended up in a hospital bed while doing something illegal.”
I frowned, confusion momentarily displacing my anxiety. “Prove yourselves to me? What are you talking about?”
Milo exchanged a glance with Xavier, who looked like he wanted to sink through the floor. “Sorry, the drugs made my mouth say words,” he whispered to Xavier in a comically loud voice. “I gave away our secret plan.”
“We were trying to prove ourselves,” Xavier said after a long pause, his eyes downcast. “To you.”
I stared at them both, trying to process this new information. “Prove yourselves? By illegal street racing? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“No. The race was a side quest. The proving ourselves was more like, business-ish. So you could see we were smart and rich.”
I snorted. The idea was so absurd it broke through my remaining anxiety. “That’s ridiculous. Why would you need to prove anything to me? I’m already in love with both of you.”
The words fell out of my mouth with the same unfiltered directness that characterized most of my speech, but as soon as they were spoken, I realized their weight. The room went completely silent. Milo was staring at me like I’d grown a second head, and Xavier looked like he might actually pass out.
“What?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious. “Did I say something wrong? I thought it was obvious.”
“You love us?” Milo asked, his voice cracking slightly. “Both of us?”
I fidgeted with my necklace, spinning the little gear around and around. “Is that... not okay? I mean, we’ve been having sex for over a month, and you two have basically moved into my house, and we talk every day, and I miss you when you’re not there, and...” I trailed off, my analytical brain finally catching up to the emotions flickering across their faces. “Oh. Was this one of those things I wasn’t supposed to say out loud?”
Xavier made a strangled noise, running a hand through his dark hair. “June, this isn’t... we can’t... we’re from different worlds.”
I blinked at him, genuinely confused. “Different worlds? We all live in Altavista. It’s the same planet, same state, same city. The barndominium is like 3 miles from my house.”
Milo burst out laughing, Xavier shook his head. “We’re from different backgrounds.”
“So? That makes things interesting. Except when you do illegal stuff. I’m still mad about the illegal racing,” I clarified, not wanting to give them the impression they were entirely forgiven. “That was objectively stupid.”
Milo yawned. “I think the drugs are kicking in,” he murmured. “I swear there was something I was supposed to say.”
Xavier’s hand shook as he reached out and smoothed Milo’s hair, and I went to stand next to him, looping an arm around his waist.
“He’ll be okay,” I whispered, kissing his cheek and snuggling in close, needing the comfort as much as he did.
“His health insurance sucks, so we probably shouldn’t be letting him sleep.”
“We’ll wake him as soon as they come in with discharge papers.”
Chapter 20
Xavier
“Careful,” I said asI helped Milo out of the backseat of June’s car.
“Where are our bikes?” he asked, looking around, like they might be in June’s driveway.
“Dani trailered them back to the barndominium. They’re safe,” I said. “We came in June’s car.”
“I’ve got him,” June said, positioning herself on Milo’s good side and tossing me her keys. “Xavier, you get the door.”
I jogged ahead, fumbling with her house key and held the door wide as they made their slow way up the porch steps. Milo was trying not to show how much it hurt, but I could see it in the tightlines around his mouth, the way he leaned more heavily on June than he wanted to.
I followed behind them, hyperaware of every step Milo took, ready to catch him if he stumbled. The stairs seemed impossibly steep, each one a potential disaster.
June’s bed was neatly made — part of the reason she’d insisted we come here. According to June, clean sheets would be better for preventing infection, but I wondered if she just wanted to keep him close and make sure he was okay.
