Chapter 19 #2
“So,” he said eventually. “We’re telling them.”
“We’re telling them.”
“When?”
“Soon. This week. Before the band auditions if we can.” I lifted my head to look at him. “I’m done hiding. I’m done being scared.”
He tucked hair behind my ear. “What changed?”
“Jasper gave me some advice. About claiming the space I want instead of waiting for permission.” I kissed him softly. “And I want this. I want you. I want people to know.”
“Even though it’s temporary?”
The word hung between us, and I realized something: I didn’t want it to be temporary anymore. But saying that out loud felt terrifying. Felt like changing the rules without permission.
So instead I said, “Even though it’s complicated.”
He studied my face for a long moment, and I wondered if he could see what I wasn’t saying. If he knew I was already in deeper than I’d planned.
“I should get us some water,” he said finally, sitting up. “You want anything?”
“Water’s good.”
He pulled on his jeans and headed to the kitchen, leaving me to put my own clothes back on in the living room.
I was just pulling my shirt over my head when I heard it.
A knock on the door.
Then Dex’s voice: “Xander? What are you doing here?”
My heart stopped.
Oh no.
Oh God.
No, no, no, no. This was not happening!
“I haven’t seen you in over a week,” Xander’s voice carried from the entryway. “Thought I’d stop by, see if you wanted to grab a coffee. You’ve been weird lately.”
I looked around wildly. The bedroom was down the hall. I could make it if I was quiet.
“Now’s not a great time,” Dex was saying.
“You okay? You look... half-dressed.”
Shit.
“I was just…”
“Oh shit!” Xander’s voice changed, became knowing. “Is someone here?”
Silence.
I stood frozen in the living room, my shoes in my hand, fully dressed but obviously having just been... well. Obviously.
“Yeah,” Dex said finally. “Someone’s here.”
Footsteps. Xander appeared in the doorway to the living room.
Saw me.
Stopped dead.
His eyes went wide. Took in the scene. My messed-up hair, my shoes in my hand, the couch cushions askew, the general air of “we just had sex and you interrupted us.”
“Leigh?” His eyes went even wider. “Leigh.”
I wanted to disappear. To melt into the floor. To be literally anywhere else in the universe.
But Jasper’s words echoed in my head. Claim the space you want.
So instead of running, instead of hiding, I lifted my chin and said, “Hi, Xander.”
Dex came up behind his brother, jaw tight, shirtless, obviously as mortified as I was.
“How long?” Xander’s voice was carefully controlled, but I could see him processing, putting pieces together.
“A couple weeks,” Dex said.
“Does anyone else know?”
“The girls,” I said. “That’s it. Just Delaney… and Blake… and Reece… and Billie… and I guess apparently someone called Mrs Shulster.”
Xander ran a hand through his hair, the same gesture Dex made when stressed, and let out a long breath.
“Okay,” he said finally. “Okay. We need to talk about this. Blake knows? Of course she does. She probably knew before you did.”
“Pretty much,” I confirmed.
Xander paced to the window, then back. Looked at us again like he was trying to make sure we were real. “So you two have been... what? Dating?” Then he cringed and said in a strangled voice, “Hooking up? Sneaking around?”
“All of the above?” I offered weakly.
“And you didn’t tell us. Any of us.” He looked at Dex. “You didn’t tell me.”
I heard the hurt in his voice then, and quickly glanced at Dex, realising that I should have listened to him earlier.
“We were trying to figure it out first,” Dex said. “Before we made it a whole family thing.”
“A family thing. Right. Because my best friend sleeping with my newly discovered sister isn’t already a family thing.” Xander laughed again, but this time it sounded less shocked and more... amused? “This is insane. This is absolutely insane.”
“Are you mad?” I asked quietly.
“Mad?” Xander looked at me, and something in his expression shifted. Softened. “No. No, I’m not mad. I’m just... processing.”
He studied us for another moment. Dex’s protective stance slightly in front of me. My hand that had unconsciously found his. The way we were standing close even though we were clearly mortified.
Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.
“Holy shit,” he said. “You’re actually together. Like, really together.”
“We’re figuring it out,” Dex said carefully.
“No, I mean...” Xander shook his head, grinning now. “You look at her the way Trace looks at Delaney. The way I look at Blake.” He turned to me. “And you look at him the same way.”
I felt my face heat. “I don’t…”
“You do.” Xander’s grin widened. “Oh my god, you’re both so far gone for each other. How did I not see this before?”
“We were being careful,” Dex said.
“Clearly not that careful if I just walked in on... whatever this was.” Xander gestured at the couch again. “But seriously. You two?”
“Is that a problem?” I asked.
“A problem?” Xander laughed, and this time it was pure joy. “Leigh, this is the happiest I’ve seen Dex in years. And you...” He looked at me with genuine warmth. “You’ve found someone here, someone amazing, and I couldn’t be happier for you.”
I glanced at Dex, then back at Xander. “Yeah. He is pretty great.”
“But you didn’t think we’d be okay with this?”
“We didn’t want to complicate things,” Dex said. “Leigh’s trying to figure out her place in the family, and I didn’t want to make it weird by…”
“By falling for her?” Xander interrupted. “Dude, that’s not making it weird. That’s making her even more part of this family.”
“It’s temporary,” I said, the word catching in my throat. “I’m leaving in August. My life is in Blue Point Bay.”
Xander’s smile faltered slightly. “Temporary?”
“We agreed,” Dex said, but his voice was hollow. “Just for the summer.”
“Right.” Xander looked between us again, and I could see the wheels turning. “Does it feel temporary?”
Neither of us answered.
“That’s what I thought.” Xander moved closer, clapped Dex on the shoulder.
“Look, I’m not going to pretend to understand the logistics or how you’re planning to make this work.
But I’ve known you my entire life, and I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her.
And Leigh...” He turned to me. “You’re family now.
Not because of DNA or obligation, but because you chose to be here.
And if you’re choosing Dex too? That’s just one more reason I’m glad you’re here. ”
My throat tightened. “You’re really okay with this?”
“I’m more than okay with it. I’m happy for you. Both of you.” He grinned again. “Though I am traumatized by the couch situation. I’m never sitting there again.”
Dex groaned. “Xander…”
“I’m kidding. Mostly.” Xander laughed. “But seriously, you’re telling the others, right?
Because Trace is going to lose his mind when he finds out.
In a good way. He’s been worried about you for years,” he said to Dex, then looked at me.
“And he’s already attached to you. Knowing you two are together is going to make his day. ”
“We’re planning to tell them,” I said. “This week. We were actually just talking about it before you showed up.”
“Good. Because you’re both clearly terrible at keeping secrets.” Xander headed for the door, then paused. “And for what it’s worth? I think you’re good for each other. Whatever happens in August or after... right now, this? This is good.”
After he left, Dex and I stood in the living room, staring at each other.
“Well,” I said finally. “That went better than expected.”
“He’s happy for us.”
“He’s really happy for us.”
Dex pulled me close, resting his chin on top of my head. “One down. Three brothers to go.”
“And my mom. And Jasper. And basically the entire town.”
“We can do this.”
I wrapped my arms around him, breathing in his scent, letting myself feel safe for a moment. “Yeah. We can do this.”
Even if I had no idea what “this” was going to look like in three weeks. In three months. In the future that was rushing toward us whether we were ready or not.
But right now, in this moment, with Dex’s arms around me and Xander’s blessing still ringing in my ears, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, we could figure it out.
Together.