XAVIER’S POV

After Katrina left my room, I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. It felt like my lungs had been caught in a tight grip the entire time she was here, and now that she was gone, the air felt easier to breathe. Don’t get me wrong—she wasn’t doing anything outwardly offensive. She was trying, I could see that. Trying too hard, if I’m being honest.

Her voice was too sweet, her smile a little too forced, her hands hovering as though she wanted to ...