Chapter 31 #2
He tenses for a moment, his gaze focused ahead of us. For a moment, I don’t think he’s going to say anything, but he surprises me. “I know. ”
Okay, that didn’t really surprise me at all. Of course Axel knows about Cooper and I, I just don’t know how. I’m not sure I even want to know.
“Anything else?” he presses.
I guess I should go with the next thing that’s been playing on my mind. Something I probably should have told me straight away.
“Daniels said something to me after your trial.”
He stops mid-pace, his whole body going rigid. I stop beside him.
I hesitate before looking at him. “He said you’d get your comeuppance.”
I take a step back, expecting that familiar flash of fury, the kind I’ve seen when someone crosses a line. But his expression stays composed, controlled—like he’s putting me above whatever pride got bruised by Daniels’ threat.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, pulling me back into his side. There’s a tightness in his voice, but it’s tempered.
“I don’t know,” I murmur. “I didn’t think it was significant.”
Even as I say the words, I realize I was lying to myself. I did think it was significant. I just didn’t want to believe it happened. That the possibility of Daniels’ doing anything to harm Axel would actually be a reality.
“So why are you thinking about it now?” he asks. There’s no judgment in his tone, just a quiet curiosity that makes me ache.
He’s got me there. But there’s a bigger question that needs answering.
“Why does the D.A. want your head so badly?” I eventually ask. “I mean, he falsified evidence to put you away…”
Axel’s silence says more than words. I know he’s not surprised. But I can’t help the confusion twisting inside me. Why him? Why this relentless obsession?
“Something about cleaning up the city,” he finally says. “It’s no secret he wants all of our heads. He’s just doing it one at a time.”
We reach a bench near the edge of a frozen pond. The ice glitters under the soft light, and in the distance, a few ducks linger at the edge of the unfrozen water. Axel gestures to the seat, and I follow him.
“I don’t get it. I mean… I do —no offense,” I add quickly, cheeks heating.
He chuckles under his breath, and I can feel his eyes on me even as I look away.
“But why not just find something on all of you and?—”
“—And take us all down?” he finishes for me, reading the direction of my thoughts too easily. “I think that’s easier said than done.”
I look down at the cocoa tray, suddenly fixated on the frayed edge of the cardboard. My hands fidget with it, needing something to ground me.
“Is that what you want?”
“No!” I blurt, instantly. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” His voice is gentle, but it digs deeper than it should. Then his finger tilts my chin, and my eyes meet his. I forget how to breathe. His gaze strips me down to nothing.
“I’m joking,” he whispers with a soft smile. “All I can say is this: Daniels isn’t as clean as he appears.”
I let his words settle with me, not bothering to digest them. I tuck myself into his side, soaking in his warmth. “You think?”
“I know,” he assures, and his voice holds that edge of certainty I’ve come to recognize.
I’m about to ask him more, but he kisses me instead—harder this time. It catches me off guard, and a startled sound slips past my lips before his tongue finds mine. My fingers curl into the front of his coat. I don't push him away. I pull him closer.
By the time we break apart, we’re both breathless. My face is flushed, and I know I must look ridiculous with my nose pink and my cheeks burning—but Axel looks at me like I’m art.
“Let’s talk about something else,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against mine again. “I’m done talking about that asshole.”
I nod wordlessly. For once, I agree. I don’t want to share this space in my mind with anyone but him.
He opens the take-out bag, the crinkling sound drawing my attention. The scent hits me before I see what’s inside.
“Waffles?” I ask, laughing softly.
“Waffles and cocoa,” he says, as if it’s no big deal.
But it is . It’s thoughtful. Unexpected. Sweet in a way that completely undoes me.
We eat in silence, the occasional breeze sending a chill through me. I lean into him, and he instinctively adjusts, pulling me closer.
“For someone who isn’t romantic,” I murmur, resting my head on his shoulder, “this is pretty far up there.”
He goes still. Not tense, just… surprised. Like he wasn’t expecting that reaction.
“You think this is romantic?” he asks.
“You don’t?” I smile up at him.
“I don’t know.” He scratches his brow, looking adorably uncertain. “I’ve never done romantic before.”
“Well,” I say softly, “you’re doing well so far.”
And I mean it. He has no idea how much this means. How seen I feel. How safe.
We sit for a while longer, and when the air grows colder, he walks me back to my apartment. I don’t want the afternoon to end—and judging by the way his hand holds mine, neither does he.
When we reach my door, I stop and turn, heart racing. I don’t think. I just feel . I grab his coat lapels and pull him close, lips brushing his.
“Kiss me.”