13. Axel
13
Axel
I ’m so excited to have a faux girl’s day with Katy. I miss her being around the house. She handles my “high definition” like no one else.
“Do you promise me I wasn’t a consolation prize? You didn’t want to do this with someone else like Spencer or Lincoln since that’s who you were talking with this morning?” My leg bounces, and she places a hand on my arm to calm me.
“First off, you’re never a consolation prize. Secondly, could you see Lincoln sitting in this chair with his feet soaking in lavender water? And third, you’re going to splash the poor woman if you don’t stop fidgeting.”
I look at my feet and give the pretty, dark-haired woman doing my pedicure a sympathetic look. “Sorry.”
“Your girlfriend is pretty.” My nail lady points at Katy, who almost chokes on air, and starts waving her hands.
“No. No. Not my boyfriend. He’s my…” She tilts her head at me, trying to find the right words. I’m not her father or uncle. I’m more than a friend. We’ve never labeled what everyone’s role is to Katy. We are all just family.
“We’re family,” she settles on. The lady smiles and goes back to my foot massage.
My heart swells with pride that we thought of the same word. Katy and Owen are both our family. I couldn’t imagine considering them anything else.
I jumped at the chance to have one-on-one time with Katy. We used to hang out a lot when she lived with us, but since she moved out, even though she’s only in our backyard, we see much less of each other.
“How much of my conversation with Lincoln do you know?” There’s a shyness to her tone that I’m not used to. I don’t know anything about their conversation, unfortunately.
“He wouldn’t tell us anything other than he told you Vik’s history. Believe me, we tried.”
After the texts, we were all chomping at the bit to get downstairs this morning.
Group Chat D:
Dempsey: Katy left the house and didn’t tell me where she was going. I assume she’s there. Can you please confirm?
Lincoln: She’s here. No need for you to come, Vik.
Group Chat 5:
Lincoln: Please stay upstairs until I give the all-clear. Katy seems like she needs to talk, and I think it would be better if she didn’t have a big audience.
Spencer: 10-4
Lincoln’s second message came to our house group chat, leaving us to believe he didn’t want Dempsey to read that particular message. Our minds were spiraling, wondering why she was here again without him.
There’s been tension between them for a while, but we know he would never be anything less than honorable with his intentions toward Katy. None of us would allow him to stick around if we thought otherwise.
“Lunch at the place that makes the frozen Pina Coladas? It’s not a conversation for an open audience.”
“You had me at all you can eat chips and salsa.”
“But I didn’t even say—”
“You didn’t have to.” She chuckles at me, and we relax and enjoy the rest of our pedicures.
“Two Pina Coladas. One virgin, please. And an order of queso for the chips to start us off.”
The pretty blonde waitress flashes me a flirty smile. “Sure. Can I see your I.D. handsome?” I reach into my back pocket and grab my wallet. I hold my I.D. between my index and middle finger on my left hand when I give it to her to make sure she sees that my left ring finger is taken.
We can’t legally all marry Spencer, but we decided last year to have a ceremony of commitment to each other. Blake hosted it, and Annie’s party planner did a fantastic job decorating their backyard. It was an amazing day. Miller, Spencer, and I all wear silicone bands most days because of our jobs, but I have my silver band on today. Five diamonds along the top represent each of us in the relationship. We each have one in the metal of our preference.
I see the recognition on the waitress’s face when she notices my ring. She quickly glances at my I.D. and walks away, telling us she’ll be right back with our drinks.
“What’s so funny?” Katy tries to contain a laugh behind her hand, but her shoulders shake, giving her away.
“You just had to flash the ring and crush her, didn’t you?”
“I’m a happily committed man. Now tell me why I shouldn’t kick Dempsey’s ass for whatever reason you ran away today.” As Katy is about to speak, her phone vibrates on the table. She looks at it apprehensively before turning it over and sighing.
“It’s my mom again.”
“Again? Your mom has been texting you?” I had no idea she even had Katy’s phone number. Why is Babs texting her? “What does it say?” She turns the screen to me.
Babs: 120 days sober today. I’d love to have coffee together. Or tea or hot chocolate if you don’t drink coffee.
“She’s sober? Do you believe her?”
Katy places the phone back on the table and gnaws on her bottom lip.
“I have no idea. I was never enough for her to get clean. I can’t imagine she would do it on her own. Justin told me at one point, he offered to send her to rehab if she ever wanted to go, but to my knowledge, she never went. At least not that anyone told me.”
“Want me to ask Tucker to have his P.I. check her out?”
“Tucker has a P.I.? Actually, that doesn’t really surprise me. Um, yeah. I don’t want to be that person who doesn’t allow someone to see their grandkids, but I also have to make sure Owen is safe. I think I’d like to give her a chance if she really has turned a corner.”
“I’ll ask him for you.”
The waitress drops off our dip and Pina Coladas, and Katy sips at her drink with a far-off look after the waitress takes our orders. She’s so brave to want to allow her mother to meet Owen despite her childhood. Although I want to get back to the Dempsey drama she’s already lost in thought, and I don’t exactly know what the drama is. I don’t want to bring her down any more.
“So what’s next?” We didn’t make any actual plans. We’ve just been going with the flow.
“We should probably get home. I don’t want to leave Owen with them for too long.”
I reach across the table and grab Katy’s hand. She looks guilty for leaving Owen with them at all. “Absolutely not. Lincoln went to work, and Spencer has recertification training, but Miller and Tucker are home. Owen is getting absolutely spoiled right now and probably doesn’t even know you’re gone.”
“Well, that doesn’t make me feel any better.”
I roll my eyes at her sarcasm. “Should we ask for a proof of life picture?” She perks up and nods.
Group Chat 6:
Axel: Katy needs proof of life pictures of Owen.
Katy chuckles when she reads the text on her phone. We have several group chats going between us, and they are all labeled by who or how many people are in the chat. For everyone in my household, it’s Group Chat 5 because there are five of us in it-Spencer, Miller, Lincoln, Tucker, and me. Group 6 adds Katy, and Group 7 adds Dempsey. There are also Group Chats D and K. D includes my household, and Dempsey and K is my household, as well as Katy. It sounds complicated, but really, it’s the easiest system we could come up with after Katy and Vik were privy to a few too many mistaken texts. I laugh at one in particular, and Katy gives me a strange look.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was remembering the time Tucker asked Spencer to send us a video of her pleasuring herself.” Katy groans as she remembers the same text.
“Please don’t remind me. The secondhand embarrassment is still strong.”
Before any of us realized that he sent it to the text thread Katy was also in, Spencer sent back a video. Katy was asleep because Tucker sent it late at night, but when she woke up, we all got an earful of her screaming at us through the house. She couldn’t understand why we were all laughing until we finally convinced her to open the video. Spencer had been cleaning her guns at the time and recorded it because it was her idea of pleasuring herself, and that’s the video she sent us. It became the last straw, and we decided that labeling the group chats would avoid any more confusion or mishaps.
“You can’t look back at it and laugh yet?”
“No. I’m still traumatized.”
Our food arrives, and so do several texts with pictures of Owen happily playing. The relief is evident in her posture. I know she thinks she has to do all of this on her own, but we do the best we can to reduce that burden from her. She never got to be a kid herself.
“I had sex with Viktor.”
I almost spit my cheesy burrito out of my nose. Grabbing a napkin, I quickly chew and swallow while gasping for air.
“Could you warn a man before you throw around life-changing sentences like that?”
She looks apologetic but also smug about the reaction I gave her.
“Okay, now that my mouth isn’t full, do you want to try that again? You slept with Dempsey? Wait, let me say that again. You. Slept. With. Dempsey. Okay, yeah. That doesn’t sound any different the second time. Do you want to talk about it?”
Of all the things I expected her to say, that isn’t one of them. Do I want her to talk about it with me? If anyone is capable of taming Katy, it would be him. He has confided in me about her nightmares, and I know he helps her at night. They could be good together if they allow themselves, but I know about the guilt he carries.
“I talked about it with Lincoln. I don’t really have any more answers or questions. I do have lots of emotions, though.”
“Do you want to talk about those?”
“Feelings suck. That’s what got me here in the first place. Well, that and wine.”
“Katy.” My tone is harsher than I mean it to be.
“I wasn’t drunk. Calm down, Dad .”
There’s a pause between us before my face sours, and we both break out into laughter.
“ Anyway . I was fully aware of everything I was doing and thought he was too.”
“Thought? Was he drinking too?” I’m liking this story less and less. I thought Dempsey was more respectable than that. I drop my hand to my lap, and my fingers curl into fists. She said she was aware, but was it consensual? She’s obviously upset about something.
“Axel. I see you panicking. Please stop.” She reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I wanted everything that happened, and so did he. It was after that was the issue.”
I inhale a deep breath and close my eyes. My fist opens on my thigh, and I rub out the tension.
“Okay, tell me what happened.”
I’m a little shocked to hear his reaction. More shocked that Katy would have sex without a condom despite being on birth control.
“I don’t know if I should be a dad figure or friend. Which response do you want?”
She eyes me, weighing her options.
“Lincoln went, friend. Give me your best dad advice.”
“Okay.” I sit up in my seat and straighten my back, folding my hands on the table. “Young lady.” Katy’s lip twitches, and I almost crack, too. Clearing my throat, I try again. “Young lady, you know better than to have unprotected sex. That poor boy probably freaked out because he thinks you’re trying to trap him with a baby.” Katy’s smile falls, and she drops her eyes to her lap.
“Do you think he thinks that? Is that what happened? Because it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
“From what I know of Dempsey, no, I don’t think that was it. He knows you’re on birth control. He’s seen your entire medical records file.” She cringes at that thought. “The only person that can honestly tell you why he freaked out is him. And that would require you talking to him and not hiding out with me.”
Katy sighs and flops back against the booth. “Is there another option? He’s so broody.”
“Katy?” A pretty, petite strawberry blonde stops at our table. She looks to be about Katy’s age with hazel-green eyes.
“Hey, Meghan.” Katy jumps up from the booth and throws her arms around the girl’s shoulders. “Oh my god, how are you?”
“I’m great. I missed you senior year. It wasn’t the same without you.” Meghan gives Katy a shy smile and looks around the table, pausing at me.
“Oh, Axel is family. Axel, this is Meghan. We went to school together. Owen, my son, is at home with more family. We’re just out having lunch.”
“Sorry, I missed meeting the little guy. I bet you’re the best mom and deserve a little grown-up lunchtime.” She hugs Katy again. “I really missed you. What are you doing tonight? I know it sounds totally crazy for me to invite you out somewhere after not seeing you for almost two years, but some friends and I are going to The Beat Brew Cafe. They’re having an open mic night and then a D.J. after. It’s just a relaxed night. We are meeting at nine if you’re interested.”
“That sounds like so much fun, but I’m not sure. I’ve already been away from Owen for several hours. I’m not sure I want to ask for more.”
“Go,” I tell her. “We’ve got Owen. He can even spend the night.”
“But I—”
“Katy, she’s right. You’re an amazing mom, and you never do anything for yourself. You know Spencer would love the chance to hang out with Owen. She was salty that she had her training today and was missing out on all the fun. We can go home now, and you can spend time with him, then go out with Meghan.”
Her face slowly lights up. Her entire life revolves around Owen. She barely asks us to watch him, and we tell her all the time we are ready and willing whenever she wants. I think she just needs this little push.
“Are you sure, Axel?”
“Do you want me to ask Spencer now to make you feel better?” Katy nods, and I pick up my phone. The girls exchange numbers while the phone rings.
“Axel.”
“Hey, Tails. Katy ran into a friend who invited her to hang out tonight. I told her we would happily watch Owen and have a sleepover, but she wants to hear more confirmation from someone other than me.”
Spencer chuckles. “Put me on speaker.” I click over and tell her to go ahead. “Katy, go be a teenager. Owen will be fine here tonight. And next time any of us tell you we’ve got him, don’t question us. We will always watch Owen.”
Katy’s smile beams. “Thank you, Spencer. We’ll be home soon. I’m not going out until nine.”
There’s a round of “I love you’s,” and I hang up.
“So, I’ll see you at nine?” Meghan confirms.
Katy’s shoulders fall. “Not just me. I’ll have a babysitter with me. But he won’t get in the way. He just watches like a stalker from the corner.”
“O-kay?”
I hate that Katy and Dempsey are having issues, and that’s her current thought of him.
“We love Katy and always want to make sure she’s safe. She has a bodyguard because of some issues we’ve had in the past. He’s a good guy and won’t bother you ladies unless he sees trouble.”
Meghan still seems a little apprehensive, but she’s obviously excited to go out with Katy. I’m not sure how this will work with the added tension between them tonight, but I know Dempsey is a professional, and hopefully , he won’t let his feelings get in the way of keeping her safe.