Page 54 of Even in the Dark

“Professional?” I give him a dubious look. “As in—what? Like, professional league Beer Pong?”

“Exactly like that.” Another grin.

I can’t help but laugh, which makes him smile again.

“See? I knew you’d come around.”

I duck my head, switch to a more serious tone. “Actually, I think, uh… I think I’m going to head out.”

“You’re heading outnow?” Xave pulls away so he can look at my face. “Why? You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just… not feeling it tonight, I guess.”

“Because of Seb?” His own smile dims. Honestly, I think Seb being in hospital is the reason he’s drunker right now than he usually gets at these parties, despite being the perpetual host. This thing with Seb has hit him hard. Seb’s more like family to Xave than his actual family. Like I said, Xavier’s home life is pretty… unusual. Eccentric? Deviant? Take your pick. His forty-year-old mother has been away for at least three months now, having an affair with some twenty-four-year-old male model on one of those fancy tropical islands. Meanwhile, his eighty-three-year-old father is in the house at this very moment, but basically living in his own separate wing. And his five-year-old brother, Finn, is currently perched on a long, opulent black credenza with gaudy gold claw feet—which would stand out glaringly in any other room in any other house, but fits right in at the Rockwell estate. He’s set up a nail and tattoo station with a whole whack of temporary tattoos. And girls are eating it up, letting him paint sloppy rainbow colors over their expensive French manicures, and showing off their fake Paw Patrol and cheesy quote tattoos on arms and necks and midriffs.

Finn’s nanny, who looks even more out of place than Finn, keeps trying, unsuccessfully, to drag him off to bed. She’ll probably be over here in five point two minutes to rail Xave out and order him to lure his brother upstairs, because Xave is the only person Finn listens to. And when Xave refuses, it will only push her one step closer to quitting. I know the playbook by heart because I’ve watched this dynamic play out for years.

“Yeah, I’m feeling weird, partly because of Seb,” I tell him. “But partly other stuff, too. Just…” I shrug. “Weird evening earlier. That’s all.”

Xave suddenly sobers right up. For someone who has been given everything he wants whenever he wants it, he is one of the most caring people I know. The circle of people he lets in—likereallylets in—is small… but with those people, he is fiercely loyal and protective as hell. “What’s going on?” He motions with his chin towards the huge gilded archway that leads out of the Smoking Room to the mirrored hallway beyond. “You want to bail and go talk somewhere?”

I wrap my arm around him. “No, I’m good… Thanks, though.”

He ducks so we’re at eye level, and I smile at the lopsided tattoo on his neck that saysyou’re the bacon to my eggs.

“Is it the new guy? The famous dude you’re driving to school and stuff? Everything okay there?” Xave asks.

“Oh my God, it’s not about him!” My eyes stretch wide. “It’s nothing to do with Dylan Braun!”

I have no idea why I deny it so vehemently. In fact, I obviously overdo the denial so much, it even tips Xavier off.

“You sure?” He looks worried.

“Sure. Totally sure.”

He arches an eyebrow. “You’re totally lying right now.”

I thought only Seb could read me this well. “Okay, sort of,” I admit. “But it’s nothing like—I mean, he didn’t do anything or… It’s just tonight was rough. We had our weekly family dinner with his family and he had, uh… He just had a really rough night, that’s all.”

Xavier’s eyes bounce between mine, and I love him for being so concerned. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah… I mean, I don’t know.” I blow out a frustrated breath. “I mean, not really. It’s just… he’s pretty messed up. Like, really messed up—from everything he’s been through and I just… I feellike maybe I should go back and…” my voice trails off. Because seriously—go back and do what exactly? What am I going to do that will help Dylan in any way at all? Everything I do pisses him off. Almost everything he does pissesmeoff.

And still, I think I want to go check on him. At the very least, make sure he’s not out in his backyard shredding his arm to ribbons or something.

Xave’s eyes are suddenly rounder. “Are you catching feelings for this guy?”

“Xavier!” Finn’s nanny is suddenly up in our space, tugging on Xave’s arm. God knows what her name is—he’s had at least three different ones in the past few months. Not that I blame any of them for quitting. Finn's more than a handful, and Xavier gives them an even harder time.

“Xavier, you need to tell your brother to go to bed.”

Xave’s mouth twists into a scowl. “I don’tneedto do anything.”

“It’s ten thirty! He should have been in bed over two hours ago!”

Xave twists around to peer over at his brother, who’s kneeling on top of the credenza now, gliding a thick layer of blue polish on Aria Ryu’s dainty index finger. The tip of his tongue is peaking out of the corner of his lips as he puts all his concentration into it. Honestly, from here, it looks like he’s doing a decent job. Only thing is he’s setting brushes down on the credenza in between applications, getting polish all over the glossy black surface. That’s totally going to stain.

“He looks fine to me,” Xavier says, taking a swig of his drink, which earns him another disapproving glower from the nanny.

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