True Blue (Imperium Coast #1)

Chapter 27

27

I place another folded pair of jeans into the open suitcase on my bed, tucking it in and moving things around to try to use as much space as possible. I can hear Axel yelling at the TV a few feet away, playing some online team game with random people while he waits for Layla and Gwen to be ready to leave.

A knock on the door gets him to quit the game and throw the controller down on the couch. I continue packing, figuring it’ll be one of his sisters.

“Hey, Blue!” Axel’s excited voice stops my movement. “What are you doing here?”

I walk over to the open door of my room, leaning against the frame and taking in Janette, standing all bundled up in the threshold of our suite, an overstuffed duffel bag and brimming tote slung over each of her shoulders.

“I wanted to see you guys again before I leave for Georgia.” She bites her lip, and I can see the nerves bubbling up under her surface.

I try to ease her tension. “Packed enough stuff, sunshine? It’s only going to be five days.” Janette walks into the suite, Axel closing the door behind her. I push off, coming forward to stand closer to them as she drops her bags and starts wringing her hands.

Janette shrugs. “You never know what the dress code will be with Mom. For all I know, she has the next five days booked up for me to do appearances with her. I packed for relaxation and formal events.”

Axel frowns. “I still think you should come to Maine with us.”

Janette shakes her head and takes a deep breath. “I’m going to need to face her at some point. The radio silence has been way too eerie. And it’s Thanksgiving. I'm not going to intrude on your family holiday.”

Axel wraps her up in his arms, leaning the side of his head against hers. “You are family, Blue. Not just to me, but Layla, Gwen, and Dad too. They’d all be so excited to have you home with us.” He kisses the side of her head, and she laughs lightly.

She turns in his arms, putting her hands on either side of his face. “I will come back to Maine with you some time. But not this time.” She pecks his mouth, Axel deepening the kiss as he presses her closer against him. She moans and he pulls back with a reluctant groan.

Shaking her head, she turns back toward me, one of Axel’s arms still loosely around her waist.

I raise one shoulder, the fire in her eyes matching the one roaring in my blood. I don’t want to be away from her for five days. “You could come to the Alps with me? I can get another ticket when we get to the airport.”

She chuckles nervously. “I’d need a lot more preparation to meet the parents, Bent.” I hold up my hands, tilting my head in acquiescence. She bites her lip again, eyes unfocused as she looks away from either of us.

“Hey,” I call, walking up to her and putting my hands on the sides of her neck. “It’ll be okay. If you need either of us, call. I will pick up any time of day, promise.”

“I’m just nervous about what she’s going to say.” I nod and she looks over her shoulder at Axel’s concerned face. “She was really pissed at the alumni thing and was so terrible to you. I don’t know what I'm walking into really. She could be totally over it, or she could have been stewing for the last month, planning out some lecture or intervention to get me ‘back on track.’”

Axel fishes around in his pocket, pulling out his phone. “I’m telling Layla I’m going home with you. You shouldn’t have to walk into that alone.”

Janette grabs his hand, stopping him from sending a text. “No, Axe. I'll be okay. I’m not ruining your time off with my family issues. And you need to go home and see your dad.” My heart squeezes for her when I think about how much she probably wishes she could do the same. “Go gorge yourself on turkey and Uncle Jack’s stuffing. I’ll be okay.” She turns back to look at me. “I’ll call if I need to.”

I nod. “I can always cancel my trip. My family doesn’t really do the whole turkey and stuffing thing so I wouldn’t be missing out.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t get to see your parents that often. Go be with them. I'll be okay, guys, I swear. I can handle my mom.” She glances at her watch, shaking my hands off her shoulders. “I need to get going, my Uber’s going to be here in a few minutes.” She walks back over to her bags. Axel and I each grab one before she can, helping her shoulder them both.

She leans up on her tip toes, kissing Axel quickly before turning toward me. I lean down and kiss her, holding her head in place as I deepen the peck she tries to get away with. She opens up to me, tongue tangling with mine before I pull back and wink down at her.

She leans back, looking a little bit dazed. “I love you guys,” she whispers, looking between each of us with a small smile.

My heart stops. Axel freezes up next to me, mouth popping open.

Janette chuckles, turning and opening the door and walking out of the suite without another word.

“What the fuck?” Axel exclaims, taking a step toward the door once it closes.

I reach out, grabbing his arm to stop him. “Let her go. She has a flight to catch.”

He whirls around on me, eyes wild, and runs a hand through his hair. “You’re fine with what just happened? She just dropped that bomb and then left!”

I chuckle, feeling like I’ve been losing mass ever since she said those words and could just start to float away any second. Shrugging at Axel, I squeeze his arm to ground me. “She said it on her terms. It very much fits with who she is.”

Axel shakes his head, shaking my hand off. “She didn’t even wait for us to recover. She just said it out of nowhere like it was no big deal.” He yells in frustration, starting to pace behind the side of the couch. “And now we have to wait five days to say it back!” His hands take up permanent residence in his hair, and I watch him spiral with a smile on my face.

He stops suddenly, pulling his phone back out. “I’m going to call her. I can’t wait that long.” He puts the phone to his ear after tapping a few times and I watch him go back to pacing, the ringing on the other end going on for a while.

“She sent me to voicemail!” He pulls the phone away from his face, looking at it like it personally attacked him.

I put my hands in my pockets, still standing by the door. “She’s probably freaking out in the back of the Uber. You know she has to settle into these things. Give her a little time.”

“Uh-huh,” he mutters, pulling the phone back to his ear and listening to the end of her voicemail message. When the record tone goes off, he stands still. “I can’t believe you just did that, Janette. I am so pissed off and turned on, and just—ugh—why did you leave like that? You didn’t even wait for us to say anything.” He shakes his head, looking me in the eyes as he leaves the rambling message. “I’m not going to say it back right now, because I want to do it in person, but ditto, okay? And when we all get back in a few days I’m never going to stop saying it.” The mania in his eyes dies down and he swallows. “Call us if you need us. I mean it, Blue. Don’t hold it in because you don’t want to ruin our vacations. We want to be there for you when you need us. Let us do that.” My smile grows, the light feeling expanding through me. “Alright, I'll see you in a few days. Layla’s going to try to make Mom’s cobbler. I’ll bring some back with me. Oh, and start planning how you’re going to make this up to me. Later, Blue.” He hangs up, a sly smile on his face. “I hope it involves chocolate sauce,” he says to me, still looking at his phone as he answers a text, probably from one of his sisters.

“I love you,” I say, waiting.

He freezes up again, recovering much more quickly though when his head whips up to stare at me. His mouth opens and closes, and I walk up to him slowly, stopping when we’re chest to chest. “I love you,” I repeat, grabbing the back of his head and crushing my lips to his. He kisses me back, arms wrapping around my waist. Our tongues tangle and I start to press him forward toward the wall a few feet away when another knock sounds at the door. We both jump apart, breathing heavily. His eyes scan my face, wide and unfocused. I run a hand through my hair, licking my lips before turning and heading back over to the suite door.

Opening it, I find my best friend standing on the other side, eyes alight and smiling. “Hey, just wanted to stop by and say have a great time with your parents! Ramsey’s downstairs waiting for me.” I nod, leaning in to hug Mira.

“Tell them we said Happy Thanksgiving,” she whispers in my ear.

“I will. You guys have fun too. Bring me back some of April’s food, Mir.” I lean against the door.

“Will do. Bye Axel! Have a great holiday!” She waves at him over my shoulder before heading back to the elevators. I shut the door, turning back around to look at Axel.

He stares at me, the desire from earlier drained from his face. A stony look takes its place. “If you love me,” Axel says, voice low. “You’d tell your friends about us.”

I rock back a little, seeing the hurt flash in his eyes before he turns and heads into his room, closing the door behind him. I stand in the same spot for a few minutes, debating going in after him, but knowing there’s nothing more I can say to make this better. Huffing a breath, I head back to my room to finish packing, ignoring the urge to go to him.