Page 116 of Make-Believe Match

When I handed him the box with the earrings, he regarded it sadly for a moment. “Guess I’ll put these back.”

He disappeared into his bedroom, and I went upstairs to mine, where I shut the door, dropped my bag at the foot of the bed, and flopped onto my back across the mattress, one arm flung over my eyes.

How was it possible this room reminded me of her, when I’d spent thousands of nights in it without her and only two with her next to me?

I don’t know how long I lay there before someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” I said.

The door swung open, and Xander appeared. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He tucked his hands in his pockets. “Dad told me about you and Lexi.”

“Yeah.”

“Sooner than planned, huh?”

“Things took an unexpected turn.” I explained what we’d learned about the will.

“No chance that you’d last five years?”

“I offered. She turned me down.”

Xander nodded. “You okay?”

“Yes and no.”

“I’m heading to the bar. Wanna come hang out?”

“I guess.” I swung my feet to the floor. “Kelly in town?”

“Not yet. She’s flying in early tomorrow. I’ll pick her up at the airport around ten.”

I nodded. “So things are going well with you guys?”

“Things are actually fucking great.” Xander had a look on his face I’d never seen before, something between disbelief and gratitude.

“That’s cool.” I rubbed the back of my head. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Sounds good.” He slipped out of the room.

“Hey Xander?”

“Yeah?” His head popped around the door.

“I don’t feel like explaining shit to anyone tonight. Can you keep the news about Lexi and me to yourself at the bar?”

“Sure, brother.” He studied me. “You don’t have to come out if you don’t want to.”

“Actually, I want to.” I stood up and reached for my bag. “Sitting around here will just make me feel worse.”

* * *

I parked myself at one end of the bar and nursed a few glasses of whiskey, growing more miserable with each one. Anyone who came up and tried to chat with me got nothing more than a few grunts in response.

All I did was think about Lexi. What was she doing tonight? Had she gone out? Was she home alone? Had she gone back to our place or was she still at Gran’s? Every now and then, I took out my phone and contemplated answering her text, but I didn’t know what to say.

I read her messages over and over again, my feelings vying for control like my brothers and I used to fight over the last donut in the box. Sadness. Guilt. Anger. Frustration.