now that I could. When I stopped in front of him, I let my eyes fall to the photo. “Do you remember that night?”
“I do.”
“What do you remember about it?”
“In relation to you? Honestly?”
“Honestly.”
“I remember you being a complete jerk.”
Yeah, that was pretty much what I’d figured. I’d been in a particularly shitty mood that night, courtesy of yet another uplifting chat with my father.
Xander had been a convenient recipient for my teenager anger that night, something I wasn’t proud of. But one thing I bet he didn’t know was just how big of an impact he’d made on me through that one conversation.
“You’re right. I was a total jerk, and that’s probably being kind. Back then I was on a mission to live up to my father’s low opinion of me. You caught me right after he’d reminded me what an embarrassment I was to him and Mom.”
Xander’s eyes softened, and he reached for my hand. “I never knew he was like that.”
“No one did.” I squeezed Xander’s fingers and then let them go to pick up the photo. “Just like his drinking, he kept it under control for the most part. But even the most controlled person will eventually snap.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. In fact, if anything say: ‘You’re welcome.’” The confusion in Xander’s eyes made me grin. I flipped the photo around and said, “Do you remember what you said to get my ass in this photo?”
Xander winced and looked down at the picture. “Yes. We got into an argument, and you told me that your father said Bailey was the nice son, not you. And I said that if you left, you’d prove him right. I’m not very proud of that.”
“Well, you should be. Your words changed my life that night.”
Xander’s head snapped up, eyes wide.
“It’s true. After that night, I decided to do everything I could to prove my father wrong. I worked my ass off to get through school and later the academy.”
“And look at you now. You’ve become one of the best detectives on the force.”
“Well, let’s not go crazy. I haven’t been a saint by any means, and for a little while there I fell off the bandwagon. But at least I can look myself in the mirror.”
“That’s why you keep this photo out of all of them?”
“Mhmm. I have a few more of the family out in the living room—”
“I don’t remember seeing them.”
“That’s because the only other time you’ve been here, you were a little stressed out.”
I held my hand out, and Xander took it. I tugged him in close to me and rested my forehead to his.
“Will you stay with me tonight?”
Xander pulled back. “Tonight? I’m staying until you’re fully recovered, if that’s all right with you.”
I wasn’t sure why I was so shocked—he’d said as much back at the hospital—but the idea of Xander wanting to stay at my crappy bachelor pad when he had a high-rise mansion made me chuckle.
“You sure you don’t want to go home to that fancy apartment? You haven’t been home since—”
“The night everything happened.”
The cool, detached way he said that made it clear he didn’t want to talk on the subject anymore, and for now I’d let him get away with it.
“Hey, I’m not complaining. I’m just shocked you’re not.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with your place.”
“It just needs a little color, according to my designer.”
Xander chuckled and slipped his hands into his pockets, and I wondered if he was doing that to stop himself from reaching for me.
“I need to go and pick up some groceries for us, plus the extra meds they called in for you. I want you to rest while I’m gone, okay?”
“Just dying to get back in your sporty car, huh?”
“Guilty as charged. If I don’t start it soon, I’m worried it won’t start at all.”
I stepped aside and followed him back out into the hall. As he walked toward the front door, I called out his name.
When Xander looked back, I said, “On your little walk through just now, you did realize there’s only one bed and bedroom, right?”
Xander’s eyes flicked to the loveseat in the living room and then back to me. I already knew what he was going to say before he said it.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“No?”
“No.” I let my eyes roam down over him and shook my head. “If you stay here, you stay here with me.”
Xander nodded and said, “Good. Your bed looks much more comfortable than the