Page 113 of Before We Break

She wipes her chin and faces Lexi. “Be home at six. Aunt Kiki and Jax are bringing the twins to exchange gifts.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Lexi says, staring pointedly at me before she hops off her stool.

She disappears down the hallway, and Clio’s attention shifts back to me. “What was that about?”

I shrug. “Nothing. Just making sure she’s safe.”

Her bottom lip wobbles as she stands and walks around the island, wrapping her arms around my waist.

I return the embrace, resting my chin against the side of her head. “Not that I’m complaining, but what’s this for?”

“Because you care.”

“Of course I care.”

Somewhere along the way Lexi became my family, too. The implication of that fact should send me running for the hills, but all is quiet. For better or worse, Clio has become my center—the calm in my storm.

“I’m all done,” Auggie says. “Can I go play now?”

Clio gets him situated in the living room with a coloring book and cartoons while I busy myself cleaning up the mess from breakfast.

“Mom!” Lexi’s voice carries down the hallway a moment later.

“Yeah?” Clio hollers back.

“I need help picking an outfit.”

“Teenager problems,” Clio says. “I’ll be back.”

Ten minutes later, I’m elbow deep in sudsy water when a soft hand presses against my spine. “You didn’t have to clean up.”

“Too late. Already done. Besides, we had a deal, remember?”

She squints, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “Refresh my memory.”

I drain the sink and dry my hands off on a dish towel hanging from the drawer. Palming her hips, I walk her backward until her ass hits the side of the counter. “I said I would take care of you and the kids, and later, you’ll take care of me.”

She runs her index finger down my chest, hooking it in the waistband of my sweatpants. “What exactly does that entail?”

Fuck. Do not get hard.

Lexi strides past in a blur of blonde hair and bright colors. “Bye Mom and Dad,” she says, pure amusement dripping from her tone as she grabs her jacket off the hook and waves.

I shake my head as she disappears from view. “She’s so much like you, it’s scary sometimes.”

Clio’s dimple takes center stage, and she scrunches her nose. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

CLIO

I wrap my arms around Noah’s neck, enjoying the newfound freedom to touch and tease now that all of the pesky feelings are out in the open. “So, Noah Weston. What’s it like to have a girlfriend who’s smart, beautiful, and fun?”

His arms tighten around my waist, erasing the remaining distance. “Girlfriend, huh?”

“That’s usually how it works. You catch feelings, pretend you don’t have feelings, finally admit you might have feelings, and then boom. Boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“To be fair, this is all new to me. Are there any other rules I should be aware of?”

“There’s so much canoodling.”