Calypso darted out of the living room to get the door, leaving Xavier alone with Elaine. His mother tilted her head toward the bedroom.
"Let's talk in private," she said, her voice leaving no room for negotiation.
Xavier followed her into the bedroom, watching as she closed the door with a soft click that somehow sounded as final as a prison cell locking.
She said nothing at first, just walked around the space. Her red eyes took in everything—the queen-sized bed with its rumpled comforter, the stack of textbooks on the nightstand, the two coffee mugs side by side on the dresser.
Xavier stood near the door, unsure what to do with his hands.
Elaine paused by the foot of the bed, bending down to pick something up from the floor. When she straightened, she was holding a piece of black lace between her thumb and forefinger.
Calypso's lingerie.
She raised an eyebrow, dangling the garment in the air between them.
"We don't sleep in the same bed," Xavier said quickly.
