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“That’s fair,” Bella replies. “And it’s up to you either way. But maybe think about it?”
“I will,” I tell her, knowing I probably won’t.
“And give my brother a little bit of grace, if you can. This is all new to him. Being married, having a pack. He’s always been family oriented, always been willing to do whatever it takes for us, but besides his company, this is the first thing he’s ever had for himself.”
“He told us you were the reason he got into tech in the first place,” I tell her.
Bella laughs. “I guess that’s true, if he means I threatened to kick his ass if he died for some celebrity. But he would have gotten out of that life eventually anyway. All of us were worried about him, and he knew it. But it fit for him, in a way.”
“Really?”
She nods. “Yeah. He’s always been protective, always ready to step in and help someone if they need it. Mostly for his family. Me and our brothers.” She smiles a little wistfully. “Our parents died when we were pretty young, and he worked so hard to take care of us, all on his own. He shouldered everything so the twins and I wouldn’t have to worry about paying rent or where our next meal was going to come from. And he did it without asking for so much as a thank you in return.”
I turn that over in my head and find that it makes sense for the Xavier I know. It’s clear how devoted he is. How much he wants to make things better for people. “He never told me all that,” I murmur.
“He doesn’t talk about it much. You have to know how to read him, and I think I know how to do that better than most.” She smiles, leaning in like we’re sharing a secret. “So I can tell you this, Penelope. I’ve never seen my brother look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
Those words hit me hard. Bella clearly pays attention, and she’s not the kind of person who would make up a lie just to make me feel better. If she’s saying that, then it must be because it’s true.
I haven’t recovered from it yet before she’s continuing on. “I’m glad he married you, Pen. I’m glad it brought me into your life.”
“Me too,” I reply, meaning it so completely.
She pulls me into a hug, and it’s one of those warm, all-encompassing kind of hugs that people only give when there’sfeeling behind it. I melt into it a little bit, holding on to her as tightly as she’s holding on to me.
Jonas doesn’t say anything when we get back to the car, just takes me back to the office and says he’ll be waiting outside at the usual time.
It’s late in the afternoon when I walk back in, and the office is quiet while people wrap up their tasks and get ready to head out for the day.
Xavier happens to be at the copier when I walk by, and he calls out my name, halting me in my tracks.
“Can I see you in my office?” he asks.
It’s hard to tell from his demeanor whether he’s mad or not. He seems pleasant, but the smile he gives me is a little bland. I just nod and follow him to his office, watching as he closes the door and then walks around to drop down into the chair behind his desk.
“You definitely meant it when you said you were taking a long lunch,” he says.
I bristle a little, still feeling defiant. If I wanted to be petty, I could point out all the times I worked through lunch when I first started working here, and how the company technically owed me for that time. But instead, I just shrug and say, “I needed a break.”
Xavier nods. “You did seem… tense.”
It doesn’t give anything away, and I fidget a little while I stand there. It’s awkward, wondering if I’m going to be in trouble with my husband, who is also my boss.
“Is it going to be a problem?” I finally ask, just wanting to get it over with.
He shakes his head. “No. As far as I’m concerned, you can take as many long lunches as you want. You don’t even have to be working here if you don’t want to, and you’re always ahead on your work, so…” He shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“Okay. Is that all?”
He looks at me. “We should probably talk, shortcake. About what happened before.”
I open my mouth to say it would probably be better to talk at home, but I’m interrupted by Xavier’s phone buzzing on the desk.
He makes a face but answers it, putting on his smooth, professional voice. “Xavier Sterling.”
There’s a moment of quiet as he listens to whoever’s on the other end of the call, and then his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He glances at me. “Is that all from today?”