Love in the Mix (Love in the Mix #1)

Chapter 39

thirty-nine

XAVIER

Two months later

F or the first time in what feels like an eternity, I wake up alone. The soft morning light filters through the hotel curtains, casting a warm glow across the empty space beside me. I'm so accustomed to Sebastian or Luna being attached to me in some way that their absence is immediately noticeable.

I stretch, letting my muscles slowly come to life, the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the air, mingling with the faint scent of clean linens. Luna must have been up for a while now, her signature morning ritual filling our suite with its comforting scent.

I take a few extra minutes to lie still, my eyes tracing the ornate patterns on the ceiling. The weight of today's packed schedule settles over me like a heavy blanket. Savannah, ever the meticulous manager, has planned every hour for all three of us. Tonight’s the night.

We're finally showing the world what we've been cooking up together. It's new territory for all of us, but damn if it isn't some of our best work. Before we hit the stage, we're planning to tackle all of the swirling rumors head-on. Getting exposed was definitely not on the bingo card for our year, but after Dahlia left us no choice, we knew we had to do this on our terms. We knew people would be nosy as fuck. Comes with the territory. It's only natural.

I take a deep breath and haul my ass out of bed. The marble floor feels like ice on my feet. If I'm gonna face this day, I need coffee.

I round the corner and?—

Jesus Christ, it's like room service exploded in here. The smell hits me like a truck—cinnamon, coffee, is that bacon? And there's Luna, standing in the middle of it all, looking like a delicious snack in my old T-shirt, her hair all messy on top of her head.

She’s a vision of nervous energy standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, staring out over the strip, biting her lower lip, clearly lost in thought.

"Baby girl?" I call out softly, not wanting to startle her.

She jumps slightly, turning to face me. "Oh! You're up." She glances around at the dome-covered room, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I, uh... I might have gone a bit overboard."

I can't help but chuckle as I make my way towards her, carefully navigating around the trays. "A bit? Did you order the entire menu?"

Her eyes move to the ground. "I didn't know what everyone would want. And I was up early, and nervous, and you know how I get when I'm nervous, I usually?—"

"Cook," I finish for her, pulling her into my arms. She melts against me, and I breathe her in. Damn, she smells good. "Or in this case, you order enough food to feed an army."

I plant a kiss on top of her head. "Tell me there's coffee in this feast."

“Always,” she says, tilting her head back with a smile, wiggling out of my hold. As she moves and pours me a mug of the steaming liquid, I take a moment to really look at her. Despite the smile on her face, I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands tremble slightly as she hands me the coffee.

"Hey," I murmur, voice low and reassuring. "We've got this, baby girl. Together, we can handle anything. Got it?"

She leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment. "I know," she whispers, a small smile curving her lips. "It's just—It's a lot, you know?” Her face goes white as she starts babbling, “I mean, not compared to you. I mean, you know I—” I pull her lips to mine quickly. It’s the best way to cut off the babble, at least so we’ve learned.

“It’s okay, baby girl. We're a team, and nothing, not the press, and definitely not some bitchy gossip blogger can touch that. We can handle it, right?” I kiss her forehead, pulling back just in time to see Sebastian strut in like he owns the place.

"Rise and shine, lovebirds! We've got a big day ahead of us!"

Luna groans, burying her face in my neck. "Remind me again why we thought this was a good idea?" she grumbles, her lips tickling my skin.

I chuckle, gently pulling away from her. "Because we're ready, baby. And because I said so."

Tonight we are finally showing the world what we’ve been building together. Something new for all of us, but really some of our best work. Before we can step into the spotlight, we've agreed to address the swirling rumors head-on. The butterflies in my stomach intensify as I contemplate the impending revelation. We knew people would be curious—even nosy. It's only natural. Being outed by Dahlia set off a chain reaction that's led us to this moment. While we didn't get to orchestrate this entirely on our terms, the truth remains: Sebastian and Luna are my world, my everything. Today, everyone else gets to know that, too.