Page 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Maggie

F inn and I step into the coat room, shrugging off our jackets. We just came back from his two-hour art class. He was distracted the whole time, though, squirming in his seat with excitement. Itching to come home to see his mother.

The house feels different today. Somewhere in these sprawling halls, Jacee Rockwell exists. Though I've yet to catch a glimpse of her.

Last night, watching Xavier tell Finn about their mother's impending arrival, I saw another side of the brothers' relationship. Another burden Xave shoulders as Finn's only real caregiver. I fell for him a little more, watching him sit cross-legged on Finn's bedroom floor, speaking in that steady voice he reserves just for him.

"Mom's coming home tomorrow," he told Finn, running a hand through his hair. "But remember, it's probably just for a few days, right? She's got a photoshoot thing she's here for, but she'll probably be leaving real soon after."

Finn's whole face lit up at first, then dimmed slightly. "Like last time?"

"Yeah, buddy. Like last time. But hey—we can plan something awesome for after she leaves. Maybe check out that new indoor rock climbing place? And we'll keep doing fun stuff with Maggie, right? That's not gonna change."

No promises of presents. No bitter comments about their mom's fleeting visits. Just a reminder of the positive stuff that will still be there when his mother won't be. Honest words wrapped in gentleness, preparing Finn while protecting his heart .

I hang my keys on the hook, remembering Xavier's expression afterward, something vulnerable flickering across his face before he looked away. For all his faults dealing with Finn, he's learned to navigate these choppy waters with impressive strength. And always alone—being both brother and buffer between Finn and their parents' ineptitude.

"I think Xave's in the pool!" Finn exclaims at the sound of voices coming from the Solarium down the hall. "Maybe my mom's there!" He rushes to finish hanging up his jacket then races off before I have a chance to remove the green paint from his cheek. I follow after him, wondering if I'll finally encounter the elusive Jacee Rockwell. I'm dreading it, to be honest. After watching Xavier handle everything so carefully with Finn last night, I'm not sure I trust myself to maintain the same level of diplomacy when faced with the woman who keeps breaking these boys’ hearts over and over.

Steam rises from the hot tub as I step into the Solarium, the tropical plants casting dappled shadows across the tile floor. Four shirtless guys lounge in the bubbling water, their laughter echoing off the glass walls.

"Sup, Maggs," Seb calls out, splashing water at Finn, who's sitting on the edge of the hot tub in his dinosaur underwear, feet in the swarming bubbles, clothes already discarded in a colorful pile by the floor-to-ceiling windows. "How's the tiny apocalypse coming along?"

"It's coming." I smile. "Still working on it."

"Hey, Maggs." Xavier grins as I reach them. But it isn't the easy smile I've become accustomed to these past few days. It's something more reserved. "This is Mason and Nick from the team." He gestures to the two guys I haven't met before. "Guys, this is Maggie."

"The famous Maggie." Mason grins.

"That's me." I force a smile, curious what Xavier's told them about me.

Nick launches into a story about Xavier wiping out during practice, complete with dramatic reenactment. The guys crack up, splashing water everywhere. Xavier laughs too, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He's pulled back behind that carefully constructed wall—the one I thought we'd finally started breaking down. He's the golden boy of Sandy Haven again, keeping everyone at arm's length.

The Solarium door suddenly swings open, and time seems to slow. A woman glides in through the rising steam, her gold string bikini catching the light like she's been dipped in liquid metal. The gauzy wrap floating around her hips does nothing to hide her perfect figure. Even her heels click across the tile with practiced precision.

The guys fall silent, their conversation dying mid-sentence. Mason's mouth actually drops open. Xavier's jaw, on the other hand, is clenched, shoulders rigid.

This has to be Jacee Rockwell. Everything about her screams 'look at me'—from her flawless tan to her perfectly styled dark hair cascading over one shoulder. She moves like she's on a runway, each step calculated for maximum impact.

"Mommy!" Finn squeals, leaping up from his perch by the hot tub. Water droplets spray everywhere as he runs toward her.

She bends down, arms outstretched in a practiced pose. "Well hello, honey. How's my baby boy?" Her voice is honey-sweet, but there's something artificial about it. It's too sweet. Too gushing.

Finn crashes into her embrace, but she stiffens slightly.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're all wet…" She takes a step back, perfectly manicured hands hovering over his small shoulders, holding him at arm's length. "Get a towel, alright? So you don't get mommy all wet."

"Okay!" Finn doesn't seem to notice the rejection in her body language. He dashes over to the shelves stacked with pristine white towels, grabs one, and wraps it around himself like a superhero cape.

Xavier's voice cuts through the heavy air, taut and weary. "Christ, Mom, why do—" He pauses. Swallows, and tries again. "Could you… just…"

"Just what?"

"Maybe put on a cover-up or something."

Jacee's laugh tinkles. "Oh, honey, are you embarrassed of your mother wearing a swimsuit? When we're by a pool? "

"Swimsuit?" Xavier scoffs, his cheek ticking. "It's barely even a bikini. "

Usually so composed, he can't even look at his mother. His knuckles are white where they grip the edge of the hot tub.

"Wow." she takes a step closer. "No 'hi mom, welcome home?'" she practically pouts. "Not even an 'I missed you'?"

"Welcome home, mom." Xave doesn't even attempt to tone down his disingenuous edge.

Jacee's perfectly lined eyes sweep over Mason and Nick, who both look like deer caught in headlights. She tilts her head, lips curving into a coy smile. "You boys don't have a problem with my swimsuit, do you?"

Mason's eyes go wide as he shakes his head.

Nick swallows hard, managing a strangled "No, ma'am."

Seb won't even look at Jacee, his gaze fixed somewhere near the clump of palms a few feet away. He keeps throwing concerned glances at Xavier, like he's trying to telepathically communicate an escape plan. I've never seen Seb look so uncomfortable—and that's saying something considering I once witnessed him accidentally lock himself out of his own house in nothing but his Star Wars boxers just as the Ocean Heights school newspaper writers showed up collecting donations.

Finn bounces back over, still wrapped in his towel-cape, oblivious to the tension crackling through the air. "Look, Mommy, I'm all dry now!"

I want to grab him and run, shield him from this shit-show of a world that looks like a dream from the outside but is like being stuck in a fun house filled with twisted, warped mirrors in reality, with no signs pointing to the exit. But I stay rooted to the spot, watching the twisted dynamic play out, the final puzzle piece clicking into place explaining why Xavier behaves the infuriating way he so often does. But also, making it equally astonishing he turned out as impressive as he did.

"Look what I made for you in art class," Finn announces, retrieving a painted clay pot from a nearby chaise lounge. His small hands cradle it like it's made of spun glass instead of kiln-fired clay. The thick stripes of pink and green paint overlap in messy layers, clearly applied with enthusiastic five-year-old determination. Finn presents it to Jacee with such hopeful pride my chest aches. "It's to put a plant in… so you can put flowers in it. In your bedroom. Or anywhere. Anywhere you want at all."

Jacee bends down, taking the pot from him. "Oh, that's really lovely, sweetheart… That's so nice that you made something for me." She studies it for another few seconds then adds, "It's very, very nice." Her tone is positive, but there's something hollow about it. Also, a little unsure, like she's out of her element right now.

"Wow, it's beautiful, Finny," I chime in, unable to stop myself from trying to amplify the moment for him.

His face glows with such pure joy at having created something for his mother.

I step forward, extending my hand. "I'm Maggie, by the way. Finn's nanny."

Jacee's eyes flick over me, taking in my pink hair, green cords and pink blouse in one swift assessment. Her handshake is brief and limp. "Ah, yes, Denise mentioned we had a new one." She says it like I'm an appliance that's been replaced. "Well… she did say you were young." She clears her throat. "And you definitely are, aren't you?"

I'm not sure what to say to that, so I don't say anything. Just give her a rather awkward smile. But then she turns and looks right at Xavier and gives him this… look. A knowing look that makes me feel uncomfortable, because I think she's insinuating something, and even though I'm not sure what it is exactly she's insinuating, it feels wrong and kind of gross and definitely demeaning.

My eyes flit to Xavier, and for some reason I'm relieved to find he looks just as uncomfortable. I guess because it means at least he's not complicit in whatever his mother's look is trying to convey.

And then I feel bad for being relieved that Xavier seems uncomfortable. Because what kind of person finds solace in someone else's discomfort?

Me, apparently. When being appraised like a piece of dollar-store candy by Jacee Rockwell in relation to her son.

Jacee's attention slides back to Xavier, her face transforming into an expression of manufactured delight. "Oh, baby, it's just so good to see you!"

Xavier nods.

"It's wonderful that you're actually home," she continues, absently fluffing her hair. "It seems like you're usually out whenever I come home to visit."

Does she even realize she just referred to coming home as 'visiting' ?

"Yeah." Xavier's response is flat, emotionless.

A laugh bubbles from Jacee's throat—the kind that's meant to cover awkwardness but highlights it instead. The silence that follows is deafening, broken only by the steady hum of the hot tub jets.

Jacee's smile falters slightly. "Xavier, sweetheart—where are your manners? Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Xavier's jaw tightens. "Mason. Nick." He gestures to each guy in turn, his movements stiff. "From hockey."

"Ah, hockey… that's right. Well, you must all be very fit young men, then." She gives them a smile that would be fitting for one of her magazine covers, but is anything but in the current situation. "It's lovely to meet you both," she purrs.

Her gaze lands on Seb, brightening. "And of course I know the handsome Sebastian. How are you, honey? Still playing football and breaking hearts?"

Seb's eyes dart to Xavier, then back to Jacee. He gives a single nod. "Still playing football, yeah." He clears his throat. "How're you doing, Mrs. Rockwell?"

Jacee's head tips back, releasing a laugh that echoes off the Solarium's glass walls. "Oh, please don't call me Mrs. Rockwell… It makes me sound ancient." She places one manicured hand on her hip, striking a pose. "I don't look ancient, do I?"

The question hangs in the air like cloying perfume—too sweet and too much. She's fully aware she doesn't look ancient. Truly, she looks like she could be in her twenties, which makes this whole scene even more uncomfortable.

Mason and Nick exchange panicked glances, clearly unsure how to respond to a friend's mother fishing for compliments while wearing what amounts to dental floss and sequins. Seb's still staring intently at the tropical plants like they're his offensive line, praying they'll buy him enough time to escape this impending sack of embarrassment.

Xavier stands suddenly, jaw clenched, eyes staring straight ahead. "You guys want to head to Seb's now? Shoot some hoops for a bit?"

Water cascades down his chest, tracing paths along the defined grooves of his abs, following the cut of muscles disappearing beneath the waistband of his green swim trunks. The bruises from the fight have faded to smudges of yellow and green across his ribs, but somehow, they only emphasize the lean strength of his body.

I snap my eyes away, face burning. This is not the time to be checking him out. Not with his mother right there being inappropriate enough for all of us.

"Yeah, man. Let's do it." Seb practically leaps out of the hot tub, water splashing everywhere.

Xavier snags a couple of towels from the shelf, tossing one to Seb, who's already moving toward the door.

"Nice seeing you again, Mrs…. Ah, Jacee," Seb calls.

Mason and Nick follow suit, though they seem to have trouble tearing their eyes away from Jacee. Nick actually stumbles as he climbs out.

Xavier tosses them each a towel as he wraps his own around his hips. His jaw is still clenched, a tension running through him that makes me want to reach out, offer some kind of comfort. But I don't. I can't. Not here, not now, with his mother watching us all like we're characters in some reality show she's producing.

"See?" Jacee practically pouts. "I just got here… and you’re leaving."

"Already told some guys we'd meet them at Seb's." Xavier says as a way of explanation. "You want to come Finny?" he asks, his expression a little pinched as he looks down at his brother, like he already knows what his answer will be, and it's not the one he wants.

"I'm gonna stay with mommy, okay?" Finn bounces a few times on his toes. "I want to show her the card I made when she was gone for the special mom celebration at school."

Xavier nods. "Sure… Yeah." He glances over at his mother, his lashes seemingly darker and longer from the water, and just says, "I'll see you later." Then turns and follows his friends to the door.

I wish I could follow them, too .

As Xavier nears the glass door, I exhale a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Tonight can’t come fast enough.

Despite everything, we’re keeping our date plans.

When Xave texted earlier to confirm, I could tell—without him even saying it—that he was bracing himself for his mother’s arrival. I figured sticking to our plans would be the best thing for him. Something normal. Something to pull his focus away from the inevitable tension that come with Jacee. And if there’s anyone who deserves a break from that, it’s him.

Besides, it sounds like he put a lot of thought into this date.

"Xavier, honey?" Jacee calls out, just as he's about to push through the door to the atrium. "You're coming to lunch with your father, Finn and I at the Club at one, right?" Jacee's voice sounds the most like a mother since she strode in on her mile-high stilettos. "That's non-negotiable, baby. You're not getting out of important time together as a family."

Oh, Good God, the irony…

"Sure thing," Xavier answers, not even bothering to look over at her as he pushes the door open with his shoulder and disappears into the atrium.

"And you'll be joining us, too, Mackie, alright? To help with this little man," she says, her hand hovering just above Finn's curls. "He can be a handful when we go out to eat."

Because, of course, family time with the Rockwells includes the nanny. Why would I have even assumed I'd be off the hook? That I'd get to finish my shift a couple of hours early, with extra time to get ready for my date with Xavier?

No, lucky me, I will be joining the Rockwells for their quarterly family meal.

Should be interesting.

Should be a total disaster.