Chapter 16

16

M om’s alumni event is in a huge ballroom at some fancy hotel an hour away. She offered to send me a car, but Axel said he’d rather drive so I told her I have a ride and she didn’t ask any follow-up questions.

Sitting in Axel’s car, my hands grip the gauzy skirt of the mint green dress Pietro handed off to me this morning. We park, Axel shutting the car off and letting the noise of the city drift in around us. I sigh.

“Want to make a run for it? There’s still time.” Axel gives me a toothy grin, reaching across the center to squeeze my exposed knee. I suppress the shudder his touch causes.

“It’d only make things worse.” I showed him the text from my mom yesterday, so he knew what we were walking into together, and he clenched his jaw so hard I worried for the structural integrity of his molars.

“It’ll be fine, Janette. I won’t leave your side the entire time.” He squeezes me again and I nod, psyching myself up before opening the door and getting out.

A few people walk in ahead of us, dressed in suits and nice dresses and we follow. Axel places his hand on my lower back as we walk across the swanky lobby. I can’t help but focus on the tingly heat soaking through my dress at the contact, distracting myself from the walk of doom we seem to be on.

We enter the ballroom under a Welcome Alums! banner and balloon arch, the room decorated in the Coast’s black and white color scheme. Multi-sized star shaped sculptures wrapped in sparkly gold tinsel sit haphazardly throughout the room, creating a walking path through the standing tables that leads to the lacquered dance floor, currently filled with people mingling and sipping champagne. A table covered in baskets and random paraphernalia sits against the wall, serving as the silent auction space where a few people meander, reading the cards on the table. We continue to follow the couple from the lobby into the room, greeted by wait staff with drinks and appetizer trays. I take a flute of sparkling grape juice from the waiter with the nonalcoholic drinks and Axel waves him off when he offers. We walk onto the dance floor, but turn and head to the corner, standing together on our own by the food tables. Axel looks around, hands in his pockets and surprisingly quiet.

I find Mom standing near the front of the room, smiling, and speaking animatedly with a bald man sipping champagne. I watch her look over and notice us, her smile becoming a bit tighter as she takes in and recognizes Axel. She nods to the man a few more times before excusing herself and walking straight toward us.

“Incoming,” I whisper, twisting the silver ring on my right hand at the same pace as her steps. I take a sip of my juice, suddenly wishing I grabbed a champagne flute instead.

Axel rubs my back and I lean into him, realizing how much I need him here right now. Christopher walks in with his father at that moment, seeing me and Axel immediately and glaring at the two of us. My eyes toggle between him and Mom, stomach churning as it tries to eat itself.

“Breathe, Blue,” Axel whispers as Mom clears the crowd and Christopher and his father start heading toward the dance floor.

“Janette,” Mom hisses, a smile still on her face as she waves to someone nearby. “What is he doing here?”

“Good to see you again too, Aunt Sandra,” Axel drawls, still rubbing my back lightly.

“You need to leave, Axel.” Mom looks over her guests as she speaks. “Why are you trying to embarrass me, Janette?”

Christopher and his father make it to the dance floor, immediately stepping off to the side at a table near the edge only a few feet away from the three of us. “Come say hi to Chris and Paul with me,” Mom says, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly at me.

“No, Mom. I think I’ll go mingle with Axel. But feel free to pass on my well wishes to the Tonkins.” I pull out the smile Pietro had me practice for days leading up to every photo shoot and grab Axel’s hand, pulling him into the crowd and away from Chris and his father.

“That was hot,” Axel whispers in my ear, his breath on my neck making me shudder, but I keep my fake smile in place. We walk between people, stopping to make small talk with the handful of people who recognize me as The Senator’s daughter. They all ask me the same thing, how I’m liking the Coast, and I gush about classes and West Tower, joking about the food not changing since they attended, while Axel stands beside me, still holding my hand.

Finally on our own again, he lets go of my hand, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and kissing the side of my head. “That was amazing to watch. You’re a natural at this.”

I snort, grabbing another sparkling grape juice as a waiter passes by. “Hardly. All of that was pre-planned talking points drilled into me by Pietro and Belinda from Mom’s team. I’m rarely allowed to have my own thoughts at public events.” I down the juice, ignoring the sting of the bubbles in my nose. “If I could drink at these things, they would be so much easier.” I place the empty flute onto a nearby table and cross my arms.

“Janette,” Christopher says, suddenly appearing out of the crowd and eyeing Axel up and down. The hairs on the back of my neck instantly go up at the angry look in his eyes. He smiles though, keeping up the outward facade everyone here is wearing. “This the reason you decided to end things between us? Or was it the other guy?” He turns toward Axel. “You tell your newest guy why we broke up? Are you aware she hooked up with someone else while we were out on a date together?”

My heart sinks as he hisses the words and I close my eyes, feeling my hands start to shake.

Axel shrugs beside me. “Probably the same guy I hooked up with a few weeks ago,” he says, squeezing my shoulder and pulling me closer. I look up at him, eyes popping wide as he waggles his eyebrows at Christopher.

Christopher reels back, face turning red as his facade drops and a look of disgust takes over. Then he shakes his head in disbelief before locking back in on me. “Oh my god, you brought a gay guy as your beard. Could you get any more pathetic, Jan?” He laughs, hand on his stomach.

“I can assure you I am not a beard, though I won’t claim to be completely straight.” Axel pulls me back, away from Christopher. “Come on, Blue. I think your mom wants a photo.” I glance around, finding Mom deep in discussion with Paul and a few other people, but let Axel take my hand and pull me away as Christopher’s angry eyes watch us escape.

Axel continues walking the edge of the dance floor, avoiding everyone and heading straight for the food and drinks area. He grabs an unopened bottle of champagne off the back of the table and then heads toward a door with a sign next to it showing stairs. I glance around, making sure no one is watching and catch Mom’s eyes as she watches us disappear.

The stairwell echoes with our footsteps as we enter and close the door behind us. My pulse races as I lean against the wall and watch Axel, waiting for him to say something.

“How the fuck do you get this wire shit off?” He pulls at the cage around the top of the bottle, and I step forward, pushing his hand out of the way and twisting the intertwined wires until they’re loose enough to pull off. I can feel Axel watching my face as I do it and ignore him.

I lean back, holding the wire cage, and watch him rip off the foil and place his thumbs under the head of the cork. My hands come flying up to protect my face as he points it away and starts to squeeze it off. A loud pop ricochets off the concrete walls and I laugh as I look back, seeing the foam pouring down the sleeve of his bright blue button down.

“Fuck,” he mutters, laughing a little with me. “Thought you might need a little bit of fun and a break from all that, but half of this just went all over me.”

My laughter dries up, eyes meeting his as he holds the bottle by the neck and stares at me, dripping wet and totally at ease. “You don’t want to ask about what Christopher said?”

He shrugs, taking a sip from the champagne before holding it out to me. “I don’t care what you did while you were with that prick. I know who you are, Blue. Nothing someone else tells me would change my mind about you.”

I take the champagne bottle from him and gulp down a mouthful before passing it back. “I kissed Bentley.” He pauses, the bottle halfway to his lips and blinks, before bringing it the rest of the way to his mouth and chugging a little more than before.

“We slept together,” he says, and my mind instantly conjures up the image of Axel and Bentley tangled up together. My mouth goes completely dry at the image and heat flares in my veins. “Well, sort of. I sucked him off and then he let me fuck his face. So, just oral really.” The image changes, Bentley on his knees while Axel grips the back of his head and pumps his hips into his mouth. My stomach clenches and I take a shaky breath, trying to keep my reaction off my face.

He watches me for a moment, eyes molten, before passing me the bottle. I take it and pour more champagne down my throat, trying to cool the new fire growing inside me.

“So, you guys hooked up and now you're not speaking?”

He nods.

“Was it bad?”

Axel sits down on the stairs next to me, running his hands through his hair. “No, it was kind of amazing actually. But I think he wanted it to be a one-time hook up.” He looks up at me. “And then he did that shit with Cassie like the next day and I just got even more pissed because that night fucking meant something to me, and I don’t think it meant anything to him.”

I feel the need to soothe him. Letting it lead me, I sit down beside him, leaning my head on his shoulder and passing him the champagne. He takes it and swigs, wrapping an arm around my back and resting it against my waist on the other side.

My head pops up as what he just said hits me. “Wait, you guys hooked up after Mira’s party?”

He nods, looking down at me. I laugh breathlessly, expecting to feel hurt that he tucked me into bed then went to his room and fucked Axel but the only feelings that bubble up are warm. I still can’t clear the images of them entangled, suddenly imagining myself in between, and I rub my thighs together to try to alleviate the ache that’s started in my core at the thought.

“When did you two kiss?” he asks, starting to rub my side and passing me the champagne.

I wave off the bottle and he sets it down on the step next to him. “Two weeks ago. The night I broke up with Christopher.” I peek over at him, but he just stares back with the same heady look as before. “We ended up sitting next to him and Cassie out on their date at a hibachi place and I needed to get away from the table because watching the two of them together while Christopher was annoying me was making my blood boil. So, I went outside to scream out my frustration and he followed me and cornered me, and we argued.” I can hear my voice getting hysterical, but Axel just watches me falling apart and keeps rubbing my side. “And then I don’t know what happened. We kissed. And I realized I needed to break up with Christopher.” I turn away and bury my head in my hands, trying to ignore the comforting feel of Axel’s hand moving over me.

“Bentley Marshall really did a number on both of us, huh?” He chuckles humorlessly.

I bleat out a laugh too. “I was really worried that you were going to be mad if you found out.”

“To be honest,” he says, hand stopping on my waist. “The idea of the two of you together is hot to me.” I look up at him, eyes wide again. “Oh, come on Blue. You have to know I’m attracted to you. I've never been described as subtle before.”

I laugh, tendrils of sparks unfurling in my chest. “No, I kind of figured that out. But that’s why I thought you’d be mad.”

“Are you mad I hooked up with Bentley?”

“No,” I say instantly, realizing how deeply true the answer is. “To be honest, I find the idea of you two together kind of hot too.”

He smirks, fingers digging into the side of my dress. “Interesting,” he murmurs, eyes trailing down to my mouth. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

“Who’s stopping you?” I murmur, leaning forward.

He surges in, lips meeting mine as he pulls me forward. My eyes fall closed as his other hand comes up and cups my jaw, tilting my head to where he wants it. His tongue meets mine and the sparks in my chest blossom into full blown fireworks, fizzling out to my fingertips. I grip the front of his shirt in both hands, pulling him closer as I nip his lower lip. He groans, fingers sliding from my jaw to the back of my head and gripping my hair. I moan when he grabs a handful and tugs lightly, breaking the kiss and staring up at the ceiling. He trails his lips down my throat, biting my pulse point when he reaches it and I cry out, the move drenching my underwear.

Axel chuckles, pulling back and looking into my eyes. “As much as I love where this is going, maybe a stairwell at your mom’s campaign event isn’t the best place for us to get together?”

I nod, trying to catch my breath as he brings reality back into focus. “You’re right,” I say a moment later, letting go of his shirt. He loosens his grip, slipping his hand out of my hair and we both turn to sit side by side again on the stairs. He keeps his arm around me, going back to rubbing my side soothingly while I lean my head on his shoulder again and he places his chin atop it.

“While we’re admitting truths to each other, I should probably let you know that I hate your mom.” He stops rubbing, tensing beneath me as he waits for my response.

I stare ahead, letting his words settle for a minute. “Yeah, she’s not the same person she was in Maine.” My voice breaks and tears suddenly flood my eyes.

Axel wraps his other arm around me, tucking me in against his chest. “I was pissed when she took you away from Layla...and me.” He hugs me tight against him, turning his head so his cheek lays on my scalp. “Mom and Uncle Levi had just died and suddenly you and her were just gone too. But hearing her speak to you like that, seeing who she is now. I hate her. I know Mom wouldn’t want me to.”

I pull back wiping my eyes and looking into his.

He stares back with a hardness in his eyes. “But I can’t help it.”

I place my hands on either side of his face, swiping my thumbs across his cheeks as he watches me with trepidation. “I think Aunt Tati would understand.” His eyes get misty. “She’s not her best friend anymore. She’s barely my mom most days. I love her, because I know she’s hurting still. She doesn’t talk about Dad or Aunt Tati. Doesn’t talk about anything from Maine at all. There are no pictures of anyone in our house and she spends most of her time in this world.” I gesture at the door beside us. “I think she really needed to escape when she woke up and they both died. She gets drunk on Dad’s birthday every year and spends Aunt Tati’s out of the house, usually at her office or planning some event so she doesn’t have to slow down enough to think. She’s my mother and I love her, but I hate her too. For taking me away from Maine, and Layla, and you. For making me miss the funerals and changing so much I don’t recognize her anymore.” I hiccup as hysteria starts to edge up my throat. “But she’s all I had of them for a while. And now I have Layla and you and I'm starting to get better at telling her no. So, thank you for coming and helping me with that. Please don’t feel bad for hating who she is now.”

Axel leans forward and kisses my forehead. “I’ll be there for you anytime, Blue,” he whispers as he tucks me back in against him. “I’m sorry we lost so much time.”

I laugh. “We were thirteen, Axel. Who knows what would have happened if we had stayed in Maine.”

“I do.” He resumes his methodical rhythm against my waist. “You would have continued to live across the street and come over all the time to annoy me and hang out with Layla and I would have slowly fallen in love with you. What other choice would I have had?”

I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me and smile despite myself. An ache blooms at the picture he paints that I never let myself imagine once we settled in Georgia.

He squeezes me, saying, “We all got back to each other in the end though.” I nod and we sit together, the mild warmth from the champagne settling in with the lingering sparks from our kiss.

“Think they’ve noticed we’re gone?” He leans back, nodding toward the door.

“Mom saw us escape so it doesn’t really matter.” I shrug my shoulders.

“Let’s get out of here then.” I look over at him and his head tilts to the side. “We drove on our own. We can leave any time you want.”

I look at the door, imagining going back in there and having to make small talk with a bunch of random people while Mom tries to get campaign donations and Christopher leers at us from the sidelines. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

He stands up, holding out his hands and I give him both of mine, letting him pull me off the step to stand in front of him.

“How’s my makeup look?”

“Messy,” he says with a shrug before swiping his thumbs under my eyes. “Not much we can do about it in here.”

I nod and purse my lips before taking a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”

He takes my hand, opening the door with his other and pulling me back into the ballroom behind him. I look up and see a handful of people throwing us scandalized looks and the idea of the two of us emerging from a dark hallway disheveled makes a laugh bark out of my throat. Axel chuckles, leading me across the dance floor. We weave through people, and I see Mom notice us trying to make a hasty exit.

“Janette,” she calls, plastic smile in place even as her eyes beam lasers in our direction. She stands in front of someone with their back turned, leaning over the silent auction table Axel and I never went to before our escape to the stairwell. “Come say hello to Judge Marshall and his grandson.” She waves us over and Axel pauses, looking down at me.

He lifts a shoulder. “We can tell them we’re on our way out.”

I nod, squeezing his hand and then heading over to her. Her smile stays in place as she turns away from us, stepping to the side so we can fill in the little circle she’s creating. We walk up and I smile and nod to the older man in a grey suit who holds a champagne flute and beams at us with twinkling eyes.

“Hello, Judge Marshall,” I say, offering my hand for him to shake. He takes it and the man beside him, who I assume is his grandson whips around, nearly knocking into his grandfather with his speed. I hear Axel’s sharp intake of breath before my eyes slide over to find Bentley Marshall staring down at me in horror.

My perfected facade falters as his eyes find Axel, trailing down his wet shirt and then stopping on our hands intertwined between us. His cheeks flush as he stares at the point of contact, seemingly frozen in place.

“Nice to finally meet you, young lady. Your mother was just telling me you’re a freshman at The Coast.” Bentley’s grandfather lets go of my hand, turning toward Bentley and clapping him on the back. “Bentley here just started as well on the pre-law track.” He chuckles. “Following in my footsteps, though that was nearly a millennium ago.”

Mom laughs, the sound harsh inside my ears. “Oh, Tyson, stop.” She waves her hand at him. Bentley finally comes out of his fugue state, eyes finding mine before moving over to Axel and narrowing. “You’re not that old,” Mom finishes, oblivious to the tension choking me right now.

“We were just on our way out,” I blurt, unable to look away from Bentley. I can see Axel standing up to his full height as they stare each other down and feel his grip tighten around my hand.

Mom looks at me, radiating annoyance while Judge Marshall looks a little surprised, but chuckles politely. “Of course, darling. Go have a good rest of your Saturday. You kids are always running off, having something to do. It’s a wonder I got Bentley to accompany me at all tonight.”

I nod, taking a step back and tugging on Axel’s hand. He doesn’t move at first and I look between him and Bentley, trying to predict who will lunge first. My heart feels ready to burst through my chest just as Axel finally responds, walking away and breaking the standoff between the two of them. We rush out of the ballroom, people moving out of the way when they see Axel coming. I see Christopher smirking at us, leaning against a wall with a champagne flute in his hand.

Glancing back at Mom, my eyes find Bentley’s blazing gaze instead as he watches the two of us leave together, knuckles white around a flute of sparkling grape juice.

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