Page 17 of Nix
Once Nix was out of the apartment, leaving the front door open, Evan rose. There wasn’t much artwork, but Nix did have a few pictures set on shelves by the balcony door. He wandered over to check them out. To the left of the sliding glass door were four photos of the triplets together. All at varying age and all of them in hockey gear. On the left were two framed pictures of the triplets with an older couple. Must be Nix’s parents.
Since he was there, Evan pushed the long vertical blinds out of the way. He nearly dropped his bottle. What the hell?
Evan placed the bottle on the closest shelf before trying to slide the door open. Of course he needed to unlock the damn thing first. After unlocking the latch, Evan was finally able to slide the door open. He stepped carefully onto the balcony since there really wasn’t that much room.
Nix had his very own oasis out there.
The trellis running around the inside of the balcony hid the treasure that Evan had no idea existed. Fruit bat shifters might not have a hoard of their own but what Nix had accomplished came pretty damn close.
“You found my babies!” Nix exclaimed.
Evan turned. “You grew these?”
“Aren’t they gorgeous?” Nix asked. He set down the bags of food before running over to Evan. “My stepdad made the platform. My mom brought me the seeds, soil, and fertilizer from home.”
“But you have been caring for them?” Evan asked. He didn’t know why it shocked him that Nix had his very own pumpkin patch. The little shifter was just so chaotic and full of energy that Evan hadn’t put a lot of stock into what Nix did in his free time. Growing something like the amazing pumpkin patch took dedication and hard work.
“It’s not like I don’t have plenty of time,” Nix said.
Evan turned. There was something off about Nix’s tone. He frowned. “Wh—”
“Food!” Nix announced. “We should eat before it gets cold. And we need to pick a movie.”
“Wait.” Evan caught Nix’s arm before the boy could turn away. “What’s the matter?” He’d never seen Nix look sad.
Nix sighed before peering up at Evan. “I know I come across as some dumb kid but I’m not. Or that’s not all that I am. I love my pumpkin patch, and I take the responsibility seriously. I bake for all my neighbors to share a little of what I have. I keep a clean apartment. If you need anything, any help, I would be there in a second.”
Evan squeezed Nix’s arm. “I believe all of that. I don’t think that you're a dumb kid. I know you are a good person.”
Nix swallowed hard. “Thanks. I appreciate that. It’s been an adjustment. Moving here, starting with a new team—”
“Not having your brothers with you,” Evan added.
“Yeah.” Nix looked away. “Gem is the responsible one. He’s always making sure that we have all the gear we need. Eating right and staying hydrated. We would have been lost without him in college.”
“I’ve seen him in interviews,” Evan admitted. "He is one cool and calm man.”
“He is.” Nix pulled away as he looked out toward the street. “My mom told me when we were young that she worried that Gem would take everything too serious. Our father, the sperm donor, never took responsibility for us. My mom was the other woman. Not that she knew it. My mom loved him, thinking they were building a future together. Until she told him that she was pregnant. He confessed to being married. Said that he’d pay whatever she wanted as long as his wife and the children never found out about us.”
“That is terrible,” Evan whispered, horrified. “He is terrible.”
Nix shrugged. “We didn’t mind. The money allowed my mom to stay with us while running a little farm with plenty of space for our fruits. She sells items at the local farmers market. And he paid for all our hockey equipment, tournaments, and whatever else we needed. Paid for college too.”
“You mentioned a stepfather.”
“The love of my mom’s life. And he’s a great dad,” Nix said.
“But before she married him Gem was the oldest. The man of the house,” Evan guessed.
“Exactly,” Nix confirmed. “I made it my mission to make Gem laugh at least once a day. I kept count and everything. Even if it was the stupidest thing ever, I knew it was important to my mom.”
That sounded just like something the boy would do. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Evan was starting to figure out who Nix truly was behind the act he showed everyone else. More, Evan really liked what he saw. “I like that.”
“Aries was different than Gem. He’s always had this wide-eyed innocence. He’s so trusting and sees the best in everything and everybody. It didn’t matter what someone said or did to him, Aries wanted to be friends with everyone.”
“So you became his protector.”
“Gem had too much to worry about,” Nix said. “It’s the least that I could do.”
