Page 187 of My Three Billionaire Rockstars

Julian exhales. Then he tips my chin upward gently until I’m forced to look at him. “You have absolutely no idea what you do to us, do you?”

The sincerity in his voice almost hurts.

Before I can answer, movement appears behind him.

Xander pauses in the doorway when he sees us.

His gaze moves over me. Taking in the tears, the oversized shirt, Julian touching me. Everything in him tightens.

“You good?” he asks.

No.

Not even remotely.

But I nod anyway because lying about my feelings is still one of my favorite hobbies.

Xander watches me for a long second like he knows exactly how false that answer is.

Then his eyes flick toward my phone sitting face down on the counter. “Read the comments again?”

I hate how easily he reads me.

I look away.

His jaw flexes once. “Jeez, Willow.”

“What?” I snap, emotion finally spilling over. “You guys are used to this!”

Silence slams into the room.

Julian steps back. Xander goes completely still.

“I’m not,” I continue shakily. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to wake up and have thousands of strangers talking about my body and my life and… and…”

My voice cracks.

Humiliating.

“I’ve spent my whole life trying not to take up too much space,” I whisper. “And now everyone’s looking at me.”

The confession hangs there. Too honest, too vulnerable.

Xander’s expression shifts. Like he just broke a little. “Come here.”

The words come out rough. Instinctive.

I should probably say no. Instead, I walk directly into him like an idiot.

His arms wrap around me, solid and warm enough that my entire body shakes once in response.

I’m so tired.

Xander rests his chin lightly against the top of my head. “You listen to me carefully,” he says. “None of those people know a fucking thing about you.”

“But—”

“No.”