Chapter Twenty-six
Aksel
“That was a doozy of a reveal,” Cammie says lightly, but there’s a sharp edge under her humor.
“I guess we now know what you meant by past mistakes being made. Why didn’t you tell Hale his mom was going to be joining your parents in Vegas?
That feels a little more serious than your typical white lie. ”
Aksel exhales slowly through his nose and shakes his head once, then again, like maybe if he does it enough, the question will disappear.
“I didn’t know how to tell him,” he says finally. His voice is quiet. Stripped down. Gone is the easy confidence and the teasing warmth he usually carries. This version of Aksel looks broken down.
“Care to expand on that?” Cammie pushes.
Aksel lets out a humorless huff and brings both hands up to cover his eyes, fingers pressing hard against his brow. His elbows rest on his knees as he folds in on himself, posture screaming regret.
“I messed up,” he admits. The words fall flat. “That’s all.”