Page 33 of Even Beneath the Stars

"Well, now it sounds like you're giving me attitude, Xavier. I don't appreciate you using that tone with—"

"See ya." He ends the call. Doesn't move. Doesn't say anything.

Finn sniffs, and I want to go over and hug him. Honestly, I want to hug them both.

Suddenly Xavier's on his feet, hand clawing through his messy locks.

"FUCK!" He launches the TV remote across the room. Past the massive wall-sized TV screen and partway down the wide hall. It smashes into an ornate gold-framed painting, glass shattering and bursting in crystal fragments with a piercingCRASH!

But the silence that follows is even more deafening.

Chapter Thirteen

Maggie

I'm on my feet in an instant, eating the distance between my crafting table and the couch in seconds to reach Finn. Xavier doesn't move, his imposing body tense and radiating all the emotions I bet he's probably never once voiced out loud.

I pull Finn into my arms just as Xavier breaks out of his trance. He turns to his brother, the anger in his eyes melting into an apology—and then when they land on me, into something else entirely… Shame. Resentment. Back to anger when they take in my arms wrapped around his little brother. His entire world.

His chest lifts and tightens, then deflates on an exhale. He stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"You want to go get ice cream, Finny?" he asks.

I can feel Finn's tiny body shudder as he struggles to hold in his tears.

His voice is so soft and so uncharacteristically fragile when he answers. "Sure."

"Anything you want… Peanut Buster Parfait with extra hot fudge?" Xavier arches an eyebrow, clearly working to mask his tension as he shifts fully into damage-control mode. "Banana Split?" He cocks his head. "That's what I'm gonna get. Fully loaded." He beckons his brother with a slow jerk of his head. "C'mon, pal. Let's go gorge on late-night ice cream sundaes."

‘You're making it worse,’ I want to tell him. ‘Please don't do this,’ I want to beg. But he's doing the only thing he knows how. And for once, I'm as concerned for his feelings as I am for his brother’s. So I stay out of it. Remain quiet, rubbing lazy circles on Finn's back, between his shoulder blades.

"But I'm in my pjs," Finn says, his voice still stuttered but a little less breathy than a few seconds ago.

Xavier forces his lips into an easy grin. "Even better. Late night sundaes are the best when you're wearing your pjs."

Finn giggles, and I'm grateful to Xavier for that. "You made that up."

"I would never."

Finn giggles again, pushing himself off the couch. He glances back at me, then at his brother. "Can Maggie come too?"

Xavier's grin falls. His eyes shift to mine, the warmth suddenly gone. "Maggie's got stuff she needs to do," he says, managing to remove any inflection from his tone.

Wow.Real nice.

How can he be so sweet one second, and such a jerk the next? Andwhy?Why is he such a jerk to me? If he loves his brother so much, and he sees that I make him happy, why wouldn't he want me to be there to help comfort Finn right now? Why is he always so intent on driving me away?

Our gazes stay locked. His jaw tightens. Mine does too.

"I need to stay and clean up that glass on the floor," I say eventually, when it's obvious Xavier is leaving it to me to come up with an excuse for why I can't join them. My eyes never leave his. "We wouldn't want anyone stepping on it and getting hurt."

Something flickers across Xavier's face; his cheek twitches. A wince, maybe? If so, I'm okay with whatever discomfort he's feeling right now.

"I can help," Finn offers.

"No way," Xavier's voice cracks through the air. He clears his throat, softens his tone. "Too dangerous."

"You go, Finny." I nudge him gently. "Someone needs to make sure Xavier doesn't chicken out of getting that fully loaded banana split."

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