Page 48 of Breach Point


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"More?"

"I'm good." I covered her hand with mine briefly. "It's perfect, Mom. Thank you."

Her eyes searched mine, seeing more than I wanted her to. She squeezed my shoulder once before releasing me, a wordless acknowledgment of things we'd never say aloud.

After dinner, dishes clattered in the sink as a good-natured argument broke out over whose turn it was to clean up. Miles claimed dishwasher exemption due to his cooking contributions, and Matthew insisted that loading wasn't the same as washing. Marcus stepped in to mediate with the stern authority of the eldest.

I seized the moment of distraction, catching Alex's eye and tilting my head toward the back door. He nodded almost imperceptibly.

We slipped outside unnoticed, the screen door closing with a soft click behind us. The back porch wrapped around the house, weathered boards creaking beneath our feet.

Night had settled fully over Seattle, bringing with it the cool breath of early spring. The air hung heavy with the scent of wet grass and damp earth, a welcome respite from the overpowering warmth of the kitchen.

Alex moved toward the railing, his profile illuminated by the soft glow from the kitchen windows. One of Mom's wind chimes tinkled softly overhead.

"Your family is extraordinary."

I leaned against the railing beside him, our shoulders not quite touching. "That's one word for it."

"I'm serious." He turned to face me. "Do you know how rare that is? What you have in there?"

The question caught me off guard. I'd grown up in the whirlwind of McCabe anarchy, too close to recognize its uniqueness. My brothers drove me crazy, pushed every button I had, and somehow always knew exactly when to back off and when to push harder.

"They're just my family."

"No." Alex shook his head. "They're not just anything. They haven't mentioned Tahiti once. They're not tiptoeing around you or treating you like you might break. They're loving you. Exactly as you are."

The simple observation struck deeper than he could know.

"You're lucky you have this."

I wanted to agree, but the words stuck in my throat. I was lucky, but it wasn't without consequences. My family had saved me countless times, pulling me back from edges I'd wandered too close to, but they could also break my heart when I failed them. When I couldn't be the man they believed I was.

"I thought bringing you here would scare me less."

Alex's eyes widened slightly. "Did it?"

I couldn't answer. The truth was too complicated to put into words. Bringing Alex into my family's orbit and wanting him to stay meant admitting that what existed between us was more than a momentary connection forged in crisis.

It meant admitting I wanted him. Maybe even needed him.

Alex didn't push for an answer. He stood beside me, patient and present in a way few people had ever been.

Finally, he reached across the small space between us, his fingers brushing against mine on the railing. The touch was feather-light, barely there.

"Your mom asked if I'd been to Pike Place Market yet. I don't think it quite registered that I've lived here my whole life. She's probably planning an outing."

I groaned. "She'll have you buying overpriced fish and touristy souvenirs."

"I'd like that, a normal day with normal things."

He was right about the appeal of a momentary escape. Nothing about our situation was normal—not the danger lurking in the shadows of Project Asphodel or the connection that had formed between us on the beach. It wasn't normal for anyone to slip past every defense I'd built.

I reached out, my hand finding the curve of his neck, thumb brushing against his pulse point. His heartbeat quickened beneath my touch. For one unguarded moment, the weight I'd carried since Tahiti seemed to lift, replaced by something lighter, something like hope.

The kitchen door banged open behind us, shattering the moment.

"There you are!" Miles grinned from ear to ear. "Mom's breaking out the photo albums. Alex needs to see Michael's bowl cut phase."