Page 145 of Even Beneath the Stars

She starts to speak but I press on, needing to get this out.

"But I promise I'm going to try. I want to be the kind of boyfriend you deserve."

Maggie shakes her head, her expression soft but determined. "You don't need to worry about being the 'perfect boyfriend.' You're already the most loyal person I know."

"What?" I blink at her, caught off guard.

"Look at how you are with Finn. The way you'd move heaven and earth for that kid." Her fingers trace along my jaw. "Or that night at the Foundry—you didn't even hesitate to jump in when those guys were harassing Dylan. You got arrested defending your friend."

My chest tightens at the memory. "That's different—"

"No, it's not." She cuts me off. "That's exactly who you are, Xave. You fight for the people you care about. That's all you need to do—keep fighting for us. Even when your father sucker punches your ego or tries to beat down your confidence... just keep fighting. And I'll do the same."

The intensity in her eyes makes my breath catch. She sees me—really sees me—in a way no one else ever has.

"I can do that," I whisper, meaning it more than anything I've ever said.

Maggie leans in, pressing her lips to mine in a gentle kiss. I feel her smile against my mouth.

"We're gonna rock this relationship thing, Xave."

I grin against her lips. "We're gonna rock the hell out of it."

Her smile turns into a laugh and she falls back against the cushions.

Beneath the stars, with the rain sliding down the glass and her fingers still tangled in mine, I stop waiting to feel worthy. I just am. And for the first time, that truth doesn’t scare me—it settles in. Quiet. Certain. Unshakeable.

Chapter Sixty-Four

Maggie

Well, the Rockwells hired a new full-time nanny for Finn.

Me!

Yup, Denise and Xave approached me with the idea a couple of weeks after Xave and I got back together. The two of them ran the idea past Jacee, disclosing the truth about our relationship (which Jacee and Barron already knew about, but it was Denise's condition—that we tell them formally). Xave apologized for his behavior that last time she was home and told her what a better guy he's been since we've been together (basically, he sucked up, although Denise refuses to let us put it in those words).

And Jacee approved me being hired on as Finn's full-time nanny after graduation. I've re-jigged some of the classes I signed up for, and it may take me a little while longer to get all the skills I want to master, but I'll get to spend a lot more time with Finn, so I'd say it's a pretty sweet trade-off. I'll have time during the days when Finn's at school and clubs or playdates and stuff to work on my diorama business, and some weekends too, since Rita has agreed to stay on to fill in part-time. Xave grovelled with her too.

But before that, in the summer, Finn and I are going to spend time traveling with Xave and the band while they tour. We're borrowing Jackie Delaney's camper, so Finn and I can travel separately, since Xave will be on the tour bus with the band. Some days he'll travel with us, though, and I can't wait. I'm almost as excited as Finn.

And just when I thought life couldn't get any better, I arrived at the Rockwells' this evening and found out I was wrong. Because Xave had the sunroomin the West Wing converted into a fully decked-out miniature modelling room. And not only did Jacee approve, but she also thought it was a fantastic idea. Xave admits it's mainly because it was an excuse for her to decorate a type of room she'd never done before, so she went all out with the "miniature" theme. Pretty sure there are some miniature doll-house pieces in a display case worth more than the cost of my real house. But I don't even care, if it helps endear me to my boyfriend's mother, then I'm all for it.

Barron, the few times I've run into him recently, seems cranky about me being hired back, and it breaks my heart when Xave tells me about the chat his father had with him just before that Swamp Oracle party debacle. It makes Xavier's behavior and the reasons behind it even clearer. And our commitment to each other even stronger.

His father accuses Xave of only being a disappointment—that he'd only end up ruining me. I wonder how he’d feel knowing that Xave surviving his twisted brand of abuse is one of the biggest reasons I fell even more in love with him.Because while Barron looks at his son and sees failure, I look at him and see every reason to stay.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Xavier

The setting sun bleeds purple across the festival grounds, casting long shadows over the sea of bodies. I still can't wrap my head around this crowd—thousands of people pressed together, waiting to see Salt Vein.

Waiting to see me.

The current band wraps their final song, and the roar builds. From the wings, I watch a large group of girls shriek at pitch-perfect eardrum-shattering frequency. I wince, then laugh when I hear Seb's scream even louder.

"YEAAAAHHH, BAYBEEEEEEE! SALT VEIN, YOU FUCKING ROCK!" He pumps his fist in the air, nearly knocking Caroline's drink from her hand. "GO X-MAN!!!!!"

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