Chereads / Falling for the Mr. Mafia / Chapter 27 - Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - Chapter 27

The quiet of the late night settled over the house, interrupted only by the soft snores of Caleb and Rory. Béatrice had curled up under a blanket in the recliner, her face serene for once, as if the storm of her personality had drifted off with her into sleep. Xander and I stayed where we were, the only ones still awake. "Kind of peaceful, huh?" he said, his voice a soft murmur. I nodded, sipping the last of my now-cold tea. "Almost too peaceful. It's weird seeing Béa like this. Usually, she's… you know. A lot." Xander chuckled quietly. "She is, but it's not all bad. I think she's just used to being the center of attention. Maybe tonight was good for her." "Maybe." I tilted my head, watching Béatrice for a moment longer. I couldn't deny that her energy had a way of overwhelming me, but it also brought an unexpected vibrancy to the night. Still, I was grateful for these quieter moments. "You're thinking too hard," Xander teased, nudging my shoulder again. "Am not." "Are too. I can see the gears turning." I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Fine. I was just… surprised, I guess. She didn't take over everything like I thought she would. It wasn't horrible having her here. "That's basically a glowing review, coming from you," he said with a grin. I laughed softly, shoving him lightly. "Don't get used to it." The comfortable silence stretched between us again, and I found myself leaning back against the couch, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me. Xander shifted beside me, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him glancing at me. "What?" I asked, arching a brow. He hesitated for a second before shaking his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Nothing. Just glad you're smiling. You seemed pretty stressed earlier." I shrugged, though his comment warmed me more than I cared to admit. "You guys make it easy to deal with the chaos. Even Béa." "Good," he said simply. The sound of a blanket shifting caught my attention, and I turned to see Béatrice stirring in the recliner. She blinked sleepily, looking around as if trying to remember where she was. "Is the movie over?" she asked, her voice groggy but still carrying that familiar dramatic edge. "Hours ago," I said, suppressing a laugh. "You fell asleep." "Oh." She sat up, smoothing her hair self-consciously. "Well, I'm sure it wasn't worth staying awake for anyway."