12. Theo
12
THEO
I hit the button on the lighter and burned the tip of the cigar. It smoldered with ash before the smoke started to rise to the ceiling. The beginning and the end of a cigar were always the worst. But the center was sublime.
“You seem pissed off,” Axel noted.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“I can still tell.”
I sat with him in his study, Scarlett in the kitchen cooking, while Aldo helped with the kids. They had a chef who did a lot of the cooking, but sometimes Scarlett wanted to get her hands dirty. The difference in the quality was noticeable because she took her time, let every tomato simmer to perfection, hand-picked the produce from the store, so whatever she made would be exquisite. She had a natural touch that couldn’t be taught in a cooking class.
“Work or pleasure?” he asked.
“Neither.”
“If you’re this moody for no reason, maybe you should get a dog or something.”
“Dogs are too much work.”
“I’ve been wanting to get a dog, but Scarlett shot down the idea.”
“Why?”
“She wants to wait until the kids get a little older,” he said. “So, what’s the problem?”
It’d been a week since Astrid had ambushed me at the restaurant. I thought I would be over it by now, but I was still angry. Angry that she’d interrupted my life when I finally started to move on. When I tried to forget her. “Astrid tried to get back together.”
Axel was just about to take a drink when he stopped. “What? When?”
“Last week.”
“Last week? And you’re just mentioning this now?”
“There’s not much to say.”
“If you’re still pissed off, then there must be lots to say.”
“She told me I was right about Bolton.”
“In what way?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t ask. Probably the cheating or the burglary. God knows what else.”
“I’m sorry, but isn’t this a good thing?” Axel sat forward in his chair, leaning into the conversation.
“Yes,” I said sarcastically. “Being a woman’s second choice is fucking great.” I sank into the armchair and released a cloud of smoke from my mouth. “A goddamn fairy tale.” I sucked in another cloud of smoke and let it settle on my tongue like a heavy fog.
He stared at me for a while before he gave a nod. “I see what you’re saying.”
“I told her to fuck off.”
“Really hope you didn’t.”
“Well, not in those words.” I released the smoke then let the cigar rest between my fingertips. “But I got the message across. Wished her the fucking best.”
“I understand your decision,” he said. “But I don’t understand the rage.”
I didn’t understand it either.
Axel continued to stare at me, like he wanted me to answer.
“It’s just a waste.”
“What?”
“A woman like that, choosing a man like him. We could have had something, but…too much bullshit. There was only one woman I couldn’t have, and I didn’t stop until I got her. But it wasn’t because there was someone else in the picture.”
“I wouldn’t compare the two, Theo.”
“I know my worth, and I shouldn’t have to prove it…is all I’m saying.”
“Are you speaking out of anger, or is this really want you want?” He held his glass on his thigh, his fingers resting over the top. “Sometimes we feel one way in the moment but feel differently after some time has passed.”
“I’m pissed off that she kicked up the dust again. It was hard for me to chase her. It was really fucking hard to tell her about Shayla. I did all of that, and she turned me down. To walk back in and start that shitshow again just when I started to get on with my life pisses me off.”
He gave a slight nod. “Yeah, I get it.”
“Just let it lie.”
Axel looked into his drink for a while. “What did she say about Shayla?”
“Just said sorry. What else is she supposed to say?”
“She didn’t ask questions?”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t have answered them anyway. Wasn’t the time.”
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t tell Scarlett about her?”
He shook his head. “Why would I?”
“She’s your wife. Don’t you tell each other everything?”
“I do tell her everything. But my everything—not yours.”
I appreciated that he protected my privacy, even from the love of his life and the mother of his children. He was my priest in the confessional, and my secrets stayed in the box. “You’re a good friend, Axel.”
“I know.” He smirked. “But I prefer brother.”
I smirked back. “I’ll drink to that.” I tapped my glass against his.
We both took a drink.
“Not to mention,” Axel said, “I’m sexy as fuck too.”