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My jaw tightens. I’m not surprised, but I don’t like hearing it out loud. I glance at Lexa, who looks angry too.

Before I can say anything, Lexa takes the microphone. “I do have a comment,” she says, her voice steely. “I don’t give a shit about what those ignorant assholes think. They don’t know me, they don’t know Valentina, they don’t know what we have or who we are. They’re just sad, miserable people who have nothing better to do than to spread hate and negativity. And we’re not going to let them affect us. We’re going to keep doing what we love, and we’re going to keep loving each other. So, to all the haters out there, I have one thing to say: fuck off.”

Somebody at the back laughs, and then somebody claps, and then about half the room is applauding, which reporters are not supposed to do. I’m grinning so hard it hurts.

We walk out of the room, hand in hand, our heads held high. Alycia follows us, looking pleased.

“That was great, you two,” she says. “Especially you, Lexa. I’ll be spending my afternoon getting the last bit bleeped, but you handled that last question perfectly.”

“But we shouldn’t have to deal with this. I shouldn’t have to justify my relationship to anyone.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Alycia agrees. “But you did it anyway. And that’s what matters.”

I squeeze Lexa’s hand. “You were amazing, cariño.”

She looks at me, her eyes softening. “But it’s not fair, is it? If I was dating a guy, I wouldn’t need to announce it to the world. I wouldn’t need to sit through a fucking press conference or comment on hate mail. They wouldn’t give a damn.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” I say. “But that’s the reality we live in. And we have to deal with it the best we can.”

“I know. But it’s still not fair.”

I don’t have an answer to that. I just kiss her cheek, hoping to make her feel better.

“Come on,” Alycia says. “You’re off the clock. Go home, relax.”

“Don’t forget about the dinner tomorrow,” Raul says, joining us. “It’s an important one.”

“We won’t,” I promise. “We’ll be there.”

He smiles. “Good. I’ll be trying out a new recipe.”

My brows furrow as he slides closer to Alycia, their elbows touching but neither of them noticing.

I resist the urge to comment on it, especially since Lexa and I just had every part of us dissected by a room full of reporters. It must be why I’m so sensitive, even though I’ve been trying to act nonchalant for Lexa.

Alycia and Raul have a lot in common, and they both upturned their lives by joining the Breakers. They’re on the same path now, so it makes sense they’ve gotten closer. Besides, their sisters are dating, so they’re practically family now.

I shouldn’t be this interested in their interactions, especially when it means I’m ignoring the woman who’s trying to pull me out of the building. But something is going on, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.

“See you tomorrow,” Alycia says, waving us off. “Thanks again for the conference.”

“Anytime,” Lexa says. “Just don’t make it a regular thing.”

We walk to the car, my mind still buzzing. I want to ask Lexa about my brother and her sister, but I don’t know how to bring it up without sounding nosy or jealous.

I’m not jealous, not really. I just want to make sure that Lexa’s okay with this.

Hell, I don’t even know if I’m okay with the possibility that my brother is hooking up with my girlfriend’s sister. Talk about keeping it in the family.

I shake my head. I’m probably just imagining it. Raul’s always been friendly and he’s super comfortable with people. It’s a Spanish thing.

As we get in the car, I decide to drop it for now. I’ll keep an eye on them, but I won’t make a big deal out of it.

“So,” I say, changing the subject. “What do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

Lexa looks at me, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I have a few ideas.”

I laugh. “Of course you do. Let’s hear them.”