Though his shutters were closed, a gentle light already filtered through the slats. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and took in a sharp breath as his feet settled on the frigid marble floor. Reaching up, he ran his fingers across his lips. He swore he could still taste the sweetness of Sammy’s lips from the night before. A smile spread unbidden across his face. After all the hardships he’d been through over the past week, it felt incredible to have something he could trust so completely. He dressed quickly, eager to start his day. He was slightly less eager to get back to training with his aunts and uncles. At least today, he would be training with Giovanni. Of all his aunts and uncles, Giovanni was the most approachable and the one with whom he had the strongest connection. The Italian was quirky and used humor Xander didn’t always understand but his laughter and smile was infectious. Downstairs, a cold breakfast sat on the table. He assumed that was Sammy’s doing, since he doubted any of the others on the island would actively go out of their way to help him out like that.
