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She found herself being lifted onto Xavier’s lap, her face pressed to his chest as he rocked back and forth.
“Not like that. Not because you weren’t worth loving.”
“I’m messed up. I’m a mess of phobias and fears and anxieties. There’s no way I’d fit into your perfect life.”
“Perfect life? Are you fucking kidding me?” He pulled her face back from his chest. Which was a damn shame because that was one of her happy places. “I don’t have a fucking perfect life.”
Both Brick and Juliet sent him looks of disbelief.
Is that really what they thought?
Juliet waved her hand at him. “Look at you. You look perfect. Sound perfect. You have an amazing job, you’re smart, you’re well-liked.”
“You’ve probably never failed at anything in your life,” Brick added. “Or lost everything and had to rebuild.”
“Everything he does, he does well,” Juliet confirmed.
Okay, now they were just making him mad.
“If I’m so perfect, then how come I fucked up so spectacularly?”
“Ooh, Xavy just swore,” Juliet said with wide eyes. “Shit just got real.”
He gave her a stern look. “Don’t swear.”
She stuck out her lower lip.
“Yeah, I don’t think so, brat.” Brick leaned over and tapped her lower lip. “Being cute is not a get out of jail free card.”
“Should be,” she muttered.
“Sadly, some people have let you use that cuteness to get your own way.”
“Hey!” Xavier muttered, even if it was true. He brushed her hair back. “I just like seeing her happy.”
“So, do I,” Brick told him. “But she can be happy and not be allowed to get away with murder.”
“Are you saying I’m spoiled?” she asked.
Brick sighed. “I’m having to undo years of being spoiled.”
“Xavy, aren’t you going to defend me? Tell Daddy I’m not spoiled.”
“You’re a hundred percent spoiled,” Xavier told her.
She glared up at him with a huff. Then something came over her face. Something thoughtful. He fell silent, waiting for her to think everything through. Brick must have realized that she needed a moment too.
They’d hit her with a lot.
“If this is something you can’t do, I’ll understand,” Xavier told her. “I’ll walk away. We can go back to being friends.”
He wasn’t sure how, exactly. It was hard to have everything dangled in front of you then walk away. But Brick had shown him that putting her first should be their priority.
Brick just sighed, shaking his head at that.
He didn’t get the other man. Not at all. But then, he also felt this tie to him. Because they both loved her with a passion that hurt.
Was it enough to unite them as a family? He didn’t know. But he wanted to try. He didn’t love Brick. Didn’t know him that well.
