Levi:No ‘one’ is meant to be with Remi. He needs a harem.
Xander:The Remi who fucks every girl in a skirt like his father once upon a time? No, thanks.
Ronan:Don’t act high and mighty when you were the same, Xan.
Cole:He was not.
Aiden:Yeah, Astor. Remember that human rights violation case? Oh, wait, you were the last to know.
Ronan:Very funny. Not. I’m still revoking friendship rights for that.
Levi:My condolences, Xan. It’ll only get worse going forward.
Like fuck it will.
I’m about to reply back before the chat is buried in Ronan’s dramatics when I feel a soft, warming presence.
Kim sits beside me, a dark green sleeping robe tied around her middle and her hair falling to her shoulders. “You’re not going to sleep?”
“I’ll do it right here, so the little twat doesn’t try anything funny.”
“Oh, Xan.” She strokes my cheek. “You need to let her go. She’s not so little or under your protection anymore.”
“She’ll always be under my protection.”
“Okay, okay, she will. But you must let her fall in love and do what she wants. Our baby is a responsible adult, and we need to trust her choice.”
“That wasn’t what you said about Jonah. I don’t understand how you can change your mind like this.”
“Jonah was a fucker who’s locked up for it.” Her voice hardens before it lowers to her usual melodic tone. “Jeremy is the man who helped Cecily fight her demons.”
“What demons?”
“You’re well aware of how much she changed after secondary school. She hasn’t laughed this openly or smiled this freely in a long time. Our dads even suggested we take her to therapy due to her zoning out episodes, but she refused and waved us off. We should be glad that she found someone who can help her heal.”
“You and I could’ve done that just fine.”
“Sometimes, we’re not enough, and that’s okay, Xan. Letting her go is okay.”
I close my eyes and release a long sigh. “I don’t know how. It took so much in me to even let her study at a faraway university and now this. It’s like we’re losing her.”
“We’re not. We’re just letting her spread her wings and be her own person.” She kisses my cheeks. “Besides, we’ll always have each other.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, considering how the bastard easily seduced you.”
“Aw, are you jealous of a twenty-four-year-old who happens to be your daughter’s boyfriend?”
I wrap my arm around her waist and she gasps as I slam her to my side. “You know I don’t like it when you’re close to any other man.”
“Aside from our dads and Kir.”
“Even they get on my nerves when they confiscate your time.”
“Xan!” She laughs, running her fingers over my stubbled chin. “You will never change, will you?”
“Not in this lifetime, Green.”
“Good. Because I love you just the way you are.”