Page 239 of My Three Billionaire Rockstars

The whole day’s been strangely calm, considering the past few weeks have felt like living inside a dumpster fire with Wi-Fi.

Xander left early this morning without explaining where he was going. Not unusual for him, exactly, except something about him felt… different before he left. Focused. Like he’d already made a decision the rest of us hadn’t caught up to yet.

Neither Gabe nor Julian seem overly concerned, though, which means either they know something or they’re pretending not to.

The front door opens just after six.

All three of us look up, and there he is.

Xander walks into the compound with rain clinging faintly to the shoulders of his black coat, dark hair slightly damp, expression closed off in that frustratingly controlled way of his.

But something’s different.

The tension that’s been riding under his skin for weeks isn’t as overwhelming anymore.

His eyes land on me, and heat curls in my stomach before I can stop it.

“You look suspiciously functional,” Julian says from the stove.

Xander pulls off his coat. “Careful. People will start expecting things from me.”

“I already expect things from you,” Gabe says dryly. “Mostly paperwork.”

Xander ignores him entirely, still watching me. He does that a lot. Like I’m the only thing in the room worth focusing on.

“How was your day?” I ask carefully.

One side of his mouth lifts. “Better.”

That’s all he says. Not where he went. Not what happened. Just better. Which makes me even more curious.

Julian narrows his eyes. “What did you do?”

“Handled something.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“It probably is,” Gabe mutters.

Xander finally looks away from me long enough to move farther into the kitchen. He grabs the whiskey bottle from the counter, pouring himself a glass before leaning back against the island.

Then his gaze flicks toward me again. “I’m taking you all to dinner.”

I blink.

Julian grins. “Are we celebrating or avoiding something?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“It answered enough.”

Gabe studies him carefully over the rim of his coffee mug. “What happened?”

Xander takes a sip of whiskey before answering. “Things are going to get easier.”

His tone quiets the room.