Page 27 of Xavier

“They’ve been blowing up my phone, Xavier. I haven’t talked to them. I’m not really sure I want to.” She wrinkled her nose delicately. “What did you tell them anyway? They’ve been going on about me being famous or something. I’m not famous.”

“Apparently one of your mother’s friends is a fan. I only know because I hacked into your mom’s phone’s cloud service and found all sorts of things she probably didn’t want me to know. Your dad too.”

“See? I told you he wasn’t all right, Xavier. I think he’s crazy.”

“Like a fox.” Antonio grinned before walking out the door.

“Why didn’t you tell me your parents had been harassing you?”

“Out of everything he just said, that’s your takeaway?”

“Tillie.”

“I can deal with my parents. I let them push me around for a long time, but now that I know what a real family is supposed to be like, they don’t intimidate me anymore. I also find it difficult to believe they ever loved me. Or my brother.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Knuckles said, sticking his chin out stubbornly. “You’ve got all of us now. We’ll look out for you.”

“I really am grateful to you guys. For everything.”

“That’s what family does.” Knuckles’ expression grew serious then. “When Antonio mentioned your parents, you looked like you swallowed a lemon. They gonna be a problem for you?”

“No. They just want to see if they can get more money out of me.”

“Right,” I muttered. “Ain’t happenin’.”

“I don’t want to talk about them right now.” Where before Tillie had been almost carefree, this meeting had seriously dampened her mood. I could see it in the set of her mouth. She was stressing, and I didn’t like it.

“Come on.” I took her hand and headed out of Knuckles’ office. “We’ll catch up with you later, Prez.” I threw my hand up at Knuckles as I led Tillie out of the room.

“Where we going?”

I didn’t look at her as I guided her through the building to the outside. “To put a smile back on your face.”

A couple hours and several orgasms later, I’d definitely put the smile back on my precious Tillie’s face.

Chapter Twelve

Tillie

“Not again.”

My phone rang practically nonstop for the next several days. I’d debated blocking their number, but couldn’t quite make myself do it.

“If this doesn’t stop, I’m going to deal with it.” Xavier was as easygoing as they came. Until someone fucked with me. While I had no desire for my parents to be hurt or anything, it was sexy as fuck to know this man had my back in everything.

“Honestly, it’s as much my fault as it is theirs. If I’d talk to them, they’d stop calling.”

“Want me to talk to them? Because I’d love to.”

If we both lived to be a hundred, I’d never tire of this man’s unwavering loyalty. “I appreciate the offer more than you could ever know, but I’ll handle them.” My phone started ringing again. “Just not right now.”

I powered down my phone with a grimace and tossed it onto the couch. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Xavier’s expression darkened as he watched me. “You don’t owe them a damn thing, Tillie. Not your time, not an explanation. Nothing.”

“I know.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “But they’re still my parents. As awful as they are, there’s this stupid part of me that keeps hoping they’ll change. Or that they’d at least accept me for who I am. Not what I can do for them.”

Xavier crossed the room and pulled me against his chest, his arms a fortress around me. “That ain’t stupid, baby. That’s just you being who you are. You’re someone who’s been through hell and back and still made a new life for herself.”

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