Xavi made a noise – a tiny noise – one that was so fast I could barely interpret it. A whine? A snort? Anger or humor? “I won’t keep you that late,” he said. “Let’s just get through breakfast.”
Just breakfast? But we’d agreed on spending most of the day together. “Are you sure?”
Xavi nodded. His eyes were trained on a spot halfway down the doors. The elevator stopped and they opened, and he walked forwards with what seemed like determination – then stopped and slowed down for me, as if he was realizing all over again that he was responsible for me this weekend.
I wished in that moment I could have moved faster to walk right on ahead of him, making it clear that I didn’t need anybody to wait for me. But that wasn’t possible. I had put my body through so much yesterday; today, I was going to have to keep it slow. If I could get a chance to have a rest before my shift tonight, that would be ideal.
We made our slow way to the restaurant again, transformed now back into a breakfast buffet. I sat heavily down in one of the free spaces, next to Ace, without even thinking about it. I just needed to rest my leg. A second later I realized by the empty plates at each setting that we had to help ourselves, and my head sagged on my shoulders even as I murmured responses to the greetings from the scattering of other guests around our table.
“I’ll get you something,” Xavi said, picking up my plate with a sullen gesture. I wasn’t sure whether he really didn’t want to do it or just was so unused to being this way that he didn’t know how to do it with grace. “What do you want?”
I couldn’t see the full array from here, but I could smell it. Ace and Brody and, opposite me, Olly and Keaton had full plates already. “A bit of everything savory,” I said, waving a hand. “No fruit or pastries.”
Xavi nodded shortly and disappeared.
“Tired?” Ace asked, shooting me a sideways glance.
I met his eyes and smiled. I couldn’t resist one last dig – on Xavi’s behalf. “Well, we didn’t get much sleep last night,” I told him. “Even though we headed back to the room early, if you know what I mean.”
Ace didn’t even break stride, taking another bite of his toast and nodding. He reached out without looking, patting his boyfriend’s hand on the table, finding it with an assurance that suggested a deep connection. “I know exactly what you mean.”
I held back a smile at that, a genuine one. All this time Xavi had been worried about sending Ace the impression that he was finally taken, that there was someone out there who wanted him. I had the feeling that Ace was so deeply in love with Brody that there was nothing Xavi could say or do that would touch him. He had spent so long looking for affection in the wrong places – in places where he was never going to find it.
The smile died on my tired lips at the thought of not being there to help or guide him to finding it where it waited.
He would be fine. I had to believe that.
Xavi returned with two full plates, setting them down in front of me and then himself. They were a study in opposites. Mine was loaded with toast, eggs both scrambled and fried, a potato and bacon hash with more bacon on the side, and a couple of plump sausages that made me reach for the water pitcher in the middle of the table to hide my instant reaction. His was piled with pancakes, fluffy and deep, with what looked like more than a serving of syrup over the top and fresh fruits and berries piled on the side.
Just like Xavi. Underneath, I knew he was sweet. Really, really far underneath.
He was going to make someone a very good boyfriend someday soon, once he allowed himself to open up fully and let them see the real him.
I quelled the jealousy burning in my chest again and murmured a quick thanks, grabbing my knife and fork to dig in.
Xavi cleared his throat then, loudly enough that most of the people around the table looked up. Ace and Brody, Olly and Keaton, Caleb and Aubrey, and a couple of the other guests from the rehearsal dinner whose names I hadn’t quite pinned down – mostly because Xavi didn’t remember them. Cade and Aiden were nowhere to be seen, but I figured they were either sleeping in or already on the way to their honeymoon.
“I have something to say,” Xavi said. I stopped eating and looked at him, along with everyone else. His tone was so serious I felt my heart stutter in my chest. This wasn’t planned, was it? He hadn’t told me he had some big announcement to make at breakfast. “I’ve been lying to you all.”
Oh, Xavi. I bit the inside of my mouth, willing myself not to react or say anything until he was done.
“Okay,” Keaton nodded encouragingly. Like he was not at all surprised but wanted to shepherd his friend forward, to honesty. Xavi would be fine, I realized, so long as he stuck with friends like Keaton. There was someone out there who could look out for him, after all.
Xavi took a breath and then looked up, facing his friends directly, not shying away from any of their gazes. “Rowe’s not my boyfriend,” he said. “I hired him to play the part so I wouldn’t have to come to the wedding alone. He’s actually my coworker. I’m sorry I lied to all of you.”
Keaton nodded graciously, fixing him with a sad smile. He even reached across the table to rub the back of his hand. “It’s alright, Xavi. We know.”
“We do?” Ace exploded next to me, looking around at everyone else in turn. “You all thought it was fake?”
There was nodding and murmuring from Olly, Brody, Caleb and Aubrey, and even the other two guests.
“You guessed it, too,” Xavi said with a sigh. “I know you did.”
“I…” Ace gaped, looking at everyone again as if he couldn’t believe it. “I did –at first. But you… the way you two were acting, I… you actually convinced me.”
I put on the very best fake smile I had.Oh, hell. “You really bought it?” I asked.
Ace nodded, looking shellshocked, and all the others started laughing and teasing him – a welcome break for both Xavi and me, taking the heat away from us completely.
