Xavier had headed for the kitchen, grabbing a broom and cloth from a tall cabinet by the fridge. All the broken shards were picked up - he and Gina didn't need any more of those, methaphorically and literally. He was on his hands and knees when she came back, drying it. Automatically his smile curved into something apologetic, before his eyes fell on the book in her hands.
If he wasn't already smoking, he'd pull out his pack. But the cigarette was still clenched between his teeth, though his jaw slackened at her whisper. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. He should never have left that out for Edmond - fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-
"I was reading it-" Which wasn't a lie. It shouldn't have been hard to lie to her, fuck, all he did was lie these days. He forced a smile on his face, even though his whole body shook. "I didn't think mentioning I had been reading it would go over well after you mentioned your fable. It would be absurd, wouldn't it?" His eyes fell and he continued to dry the floor.