Page 117 of Even Beneath the Stars

"I said what I said."

"Want half my gummy?" he grins wider, doing a full one-eighty subject change. Because that's what he does when a conversation shifts its focus to him for too long.

He leans in, his face inches from mine. Half a gummy worm dangles from between his teeth, a ridiculous offering that makes me smile. His eyes dance with mischief, and droplets of water cling to his dark lashes.

"You're such a cornflake," I mutter, but I'm still smiling as I lean forward.

I purse my lips, carefully biting off the exposed half of the gummy. Our lips brush—barely a whisper of contact—as I claim my prize. Drawing back just enough to see his face clearly, I maintain eye contact while I chew, unable to wipe the stupid grin off my face. The sweet-sour sugar dissolves on my tongue as we both finish our halves at the same time.

His eyes are fixed on mine, and I'm hyper-aware of every point where our bodies touch beneath the water. Then his lips find mine again, and this time there's nothing soft about it. His hand slides into my hair, pulling me closer as his mouth moves against mine. He tastes sweet and warm, like candy and steam and happiness. The water laps around us, creating tiny waves that match the rhythm of our kiss. His other arm wraps around my waist, anchoring me to him as our lips part, deepening the kiss.

My fingers trail up his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath my palm. Steam rises around us in wisps, creating a dreamy haze that makes everything feelsurreal. Xave's fingers tighten in my hair, tilting my head back slightly as his mouth moves against mine with increasing urgency.

I lose track of time, lost in the sensation of Xavier's lips, his hands, the solid warmth of him against me. The world narrows down to just this—just us—wrapped in steam and starlight, trading kisses that make my head spin and my heart race.

When we finally break apart, I'm dizzy, though whether from the kiss or the heat of the hot tub, I'm not sure. Xavier rests his forehead against mine, his breathing uneven.

We stay like that for a while, eyes locked, breaths synced. Saying things without saying things.

Soon we're both too hot to stay in the hot tub any longer and we decamp to a nearby massive circular daybed. We sprawl side by side with a bag of pretzels between us.

"I'm glad I got to hang out with you after the gig," Xave says softly. "I mean come back here with you. Just the two of us."

"Me too." I snuggle deeper into the crook of his arm, feeling the solid warmth of him against my side. Through the glass dome above us, the moon hangs low and full, casting silvery light across our faces.

My fingers trace idle patterns on Xavier's chest as we lie in comfortable silence. The night feels magical, perfect—which is exactly why I choose this moment to bring it up, when he's most likely to be receptive to my prompting.

"So," I say softly, keeping my voice casual. "We've been kind of… seeing each other for a few weeks now."

Xavier's body tenses slightly beneath my touch. "Yeah…" he says cautiously, like he's trying to figure out where this is going.

I prop myself up on one elbow so I can see his face better. "You still haven't been to my place… You haven't met my mom yet. And l really want you to meet her…Shereally wants to meet you."

The change is subtle but immediate. Xavier's jaw tightens, and although he tries to hide it, I can feel the way his muscles lock up beneath me. Theeasy warmth between us evaporates, replaced by a thick tension that makes my stomach clench.

Maybe this was the absolute wrong moment to bring this up. I should have waited. Should have let the night stay perfect, because suddenly, the magical glow from moments ago blurs and evaporates. Even the starlight streaming through the glass dome feels different now—harsh instead of romantic, exposing instead of enchanting.

The stars haven’t moved, but suddenly, they don’t feel like they belong to us anymore.

Chapter Forty-Five

Maggie

"Ido want to meet your mother," Xavier tells me, his voice suddenly sounding tired. Then he adds, "And I will."

His breathing has changed. More measured; controlled. He's doing that thing he does when he's trying to maintain his cool facade while processing something that makes him uncomfortable.

"Okay… so, when?"

He doesn't say anything. His body is still here. His warmth, his heartbeat, his arms holding me against his chest. But the elusive part of him that was with me a minute ago? Gone.

But I'm not letting this go. If we don't deal with this…thing—whatever it is driving his reluctance to cross over into my world the way I've done with him—then we're not giving this relationship a shot. It's going to exist just above the surface but never anything more. And I want more.

"This week?" I nudge gently, trailing a finger along the cord of muscle that stretches the length of his forearm resting across my bare stomach. "Wednesday evening we're both free; I have that extra night off banked from when your mom was here. We could go to my place after school."

Silence.

Xavier can command a room with a smirk, but when it comes to facing his insecurities, he has the uncanny ability to vanish into thin air.

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