Page 32 of The Locker Room

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he"d entered the home. “April seventeenth,” he said, hoping that was

right.

“Do you think you"d like to move in with us then? You can be an

emancipated minor—we checked with your coach. Do you think maybe

that would be okay?”

Xander almost jumped on the chance. He did. He looked at Chris,

whose face was shining with hope, and then he licked his lips.

Chris"s taste was still there.

Oh God. He couldn"t… they couldn"t… it would be wrong. It just

would. His face fell, and Chris looked at him in confusion, and he said

softly, “I"ll have to think about it. But it means the world that you"d

ask.”

At that moment, Penny came out of the bathroom. Her voice was

rough but loud and overbright when she said “What"s up?”

“We"re trying to talk Xander into moving in with us!” Andi said,

apparently not bothered by the suddenly awkward silence.

Penny"s look could only be described as “stricken.” “Moving in?”

she asked in a weak voice, and Xander shook his head, looking

surreptitiously at Christian.

28

Amy Lane

“We"ll see,” he said cautiously. “I… I don"t want to impose. I"m…

I"m not used to family. I may not be good at it.”

Penny closed her eyes and swallowed, then looked up brightly.

“We"re a good family, Xander. I think you"d be okay here.”

Years later he would remember her face. Her eyes had been a little

swollen and very bright, but they had been clear and accepting, and she"d

been looking at him with sympathy and kindness. It wasn"t until he was a

grown man that he realized that she"d been crying.

“YOU don"t want to live with my family?” Christian asked, his voice

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