“You trying to get on my good side?” he asked bluntly, always able to see right through her.
She sat back in her chair and clasped her hands in front of her, feeling a buzz of anxiousness in her chest. “Uh, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about,” she admitted.
He grinned. That annoying, knowing, brotherly grin that told her he had already guessed where she was going to take this conversation. “Let me take a wild guess,” he remarked. “You want to talk about Xavier?”
There it was. She nodded, trying to keep her gaze steady. He didn’t seem as angry as he had before, but did he know the extent of their involvement? Was he trying to look the other way? How would he respond when he found out that they had basically been living together since the accident the week before last? “Yes, it’s about Xavier,” she confessed, her voice wavering slightly as she spoke.
She could still remember the look of thunderous anger on Lawson’s face when he had found out last time about them kissing. As upset as he was then, it was hard to believe he would just suddenly let it go. Of course, she hoped his feelings had changed and things were different this time, but she wouldn’t know for sure until she brought it up.
However, no matter what he said, it wasn’t going to change her mind about pursuing a relationship with Xavier now. She wasn’t going to let her brother dictate how she lived her life, no matter how angry he was about what she was doing. She was falling for Xavier, hard and fast, and she wasn’t going to let a damn thing get in the way of that.
“I know that my interest in Xavier has caused issues in the past,” she explained, not taking her eyes from his face as she spoke, watching every little reaction, every shift in hisexpression. “And I know that you’re just being protective of me. But I… The two of us are together now. Really together. We’ve had feelings for each other for a long time, and I’m not willing to ignore them anymore, and neither is he. And neither of us want this to get in the way of our relationships with you. I want your blessing for this, as my brother. If you’ll give it to me.”
He paused for an excruciating second before he responded. A smile spread wide across his face. “Of course you have my blessing, Hannah.”
Her eyes widened. “But I thought… I mean, the way you reacted before—”
“I wasn’t thinking straight back then, and I’m sorry about that,” he admitted. “We should have spoken about this way before now,” Lawson rose from behind the desk and rounded it to stand in front of his sister. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the desk. “I saw how much Xavier was struggling after he’d lost his brother, and all I could think about was you being the front line to have to deal with that. You’re my baby sister, and I was concerned about what might happen, how it would affect you.”
Hannah reached out and squeezed his forearm.
“I care about you both so much, and I want you both to be happy, but I just couldn’t see how he could be with anyone without pulling them into all his struggles. I didn’t think witnessing all that would be good for you.” Lawson swallowed heavily, and she could tell how hard it was for him to even talk about his best friend like that.
But Lawson had been there with Xavier from the start. From the moment he had arrived home, when he had been forced to deal with the loss of his brother while also dealing with his parents blaming him and, as a result, having no one to stand by his side and help him through his grief.
Hannah knew Lawson had done his best to be there for Xavier, but what Xavier had really needed was the support and care of his family since they were all dealing with the same grief and loss. Her brother had seen how much he struggled, and it was no wonder he had been so protective about letting his little sister get too close.
“He’s been working with Sarah, and he’s doing so much better now,” she assured him. “It’s amazing how far he’s come. He’s actually started talking about Max to me for the first time.”
Lawson’s face lit up. “Really?” he replied in amazement. “Damn, I never thought we’d get to that point. That’s wonderful.”
“I know,” she murmured, and she felt a swell of pride when she thought of how well Xavier was doing. And he was only just getting started, there was still so much room for him to grow. Hannah wanted nothing more than to see him come out the other side of it a better, stronger man. A man who didn’t blame himself for what had happened, finally free of the guilt he had carried for so long.
“I’ve been trying to convince him to talk to Sarah about all of this for so long,” Lawson remarked, shaking his head. “I didn’t think he was ever going to actually do it, but you must have changed his mind. You must have given him a reason.”
She lowered her gaze, smiling at the thought. The fact Xavier was willing to put himself through something as tough and demanding as therapy now that they were together meant the world to her. It felt like an investment in their future as a couple, his intentions clear—he wanted to make sure she got the best version of him, and he was putting in the effort to bring that version to life.
“So, you’re really okay with us?” she asked her brother, shifting in her seat.
“Hannah, I just want you to be safe and happy. If being with Xavier is what you really want and you have no doubts about being with him while he deals with his trauma, then I will not stand in your way,” he replied sincerely. “Hey, it’s going to keep my Christmas card list short, right?”
She couldn’t help but burst out laughing at that part. That was so typical of Lawson to turn all of this tension and stress that had hung in the air between them into a joke. “Yeah, guess so,” she agreed, and she stood up to give him a hug. “It really means a lot to me, you know that, right? I wouldn’t want to be with him if I thought it was going to be a problem for you.”
“I know,” he replied and pulled her close. “And I appreciate that. I’m sorry for trying to get in the way of it before, but I’ve learned my lesson. I can see how good the two of you are together. I’m not going to cause any trouble, I promise.”
“Thank you,” she murmured into his shoulder. “And please don’t start pulling out my baby photos and telling him embarrassing childhood stories about me, okay?”
“Hey, it’s my job!” he protested and pulled back with a laugh. “I’m your big brother. If I don’t embarrass you in front of your new boyfriend, who will?”
She giggled, but at the back of her mind, she felt a warmth tingling through her at the sound of that word.Boyfriend.She and Xavier hadn’t put a label on their relationship yet, but she liked the way it sounded, liked the way it felt. She could definitely get used to that label.
For so long, she had been alone. She had watched the women around her get close to men, fall in love, develop partnerships that would last a lifetime. She was happy for her friends but terribly envious at the same time. She never thought she’d have that kind of happiness for herself. Now, she got to include Xavier and herself into that equation.
“I should get going,” she told her brother, stepping toward the office door. “Can you talk to Xavier about this, too? Make sure he knows you’re okay with it?”
He nodded. “Of course I will.” Then, as she opened the door and walked into the hall, he called after her, “And I’ll make sure to tell him what a brat you are!”
“Don’t you dare!” she yelled back over her shoulder, but she was already laughing. This was the last detail she needed to fall into place to feel totally confident about moving forward with Xavier.
