Chapter 22 Axel
AXEL
I’m staring into my whiskey, watching the amber liquid swirl as I turn the glass in my hand.
I take a slow sip, letting the burn slide down my throat, but it doesn’t help. It never does.
Emily.
The thought of her has been circling my mind since the second I saw Whit get down on one knee. Hell, it’s been longer than that—since I first pulled her up the ledge, and she opened her eyes in my arms.
I don’t know how I got here, how we got here, but what I do know is that I can’t give up.
The door swings open, and I glance up just as Jace walks in, looking as torn up as I feel. He spots me, his jaw tightening, and makes his way over without a word. He slides onto the stool next to mine, signaling the bartender for a drink.
“Long night,” he mutters after a beat, his gaze focused on the rows of bottles behind the bar.
I snort. “You could say that.”
The bartender slides Jace his drink, and he downs half of it in one go, his eyes narrowing as he sets the glass down with a heavy thud. “You think she’s okay?”
I don’t answer right away, because honestly, I don’t know.
Whit just threw a grenade into everything we had going on, and none of us know how it’s going to turn out.
The door opens again, and this time, it’s Ben and Tanner. They walk in together, both of them looking tense. I see the way Ben’s jaw is clenched, the way Tanner’s hands keep fidgeting like he’s trying to shake off the restlessness crawling under his skin.
They spot us and head over, taking the empty stools on either side. It’s silent for a moment, all of us staring into our drinks.
None of us are saying it, but we’re all thinking the same thing: What the hell happens next?
“I don’t know about you guys,” Tanner finally says, breaking the silence, “but I can’t lose her. Not to Whit. Not to anyone.” He gives us a sweeping glance.
I’m too tired to even argue so I just focus on the drink.
Jace snorts, shaking his head. “Like hell.”
Ben glances between us, his brows furrowed. “This is a mess. A big mess.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, taking another sip of whiskey. “It is.”
We sit in silence again, each of us lost in our own thoughts. My mind drifts back to earlier, to the way Emily had looked at me when I told her she was beautiful. The way her lips had parted, the way her breath had hitched. I’d felt it then—that connection, that pull. And I know she felt it, too.
I swirl the whiskey in my glass again, my mind wandering further, to places I haven’t let myself go in a long time. To her—my ex-wife, Amelia.
We were young when we got married. Too young, probably. I thought I had it all figured out back then. I thought I was building the perfect life—the career, the house, the marriage. But life doesn’t work that way. It falls apart in ways you never see coming.
She wanted more from me—more time, more commitment. But I was married to the job. I thought I was doing it for us, for our future. But the more time I spent away, the more distant we became. Until one day, I came home, and she was gone. No note. No explanation. Just gone.
I haven’t thought about Amelia in years, but sitting here now, thinking about Emily, I can’t help but wonder if I’m doomed to repeat the same mistakes. If I’m even capable of making something last. Of keeping someone like Emily close.
Because she’s different. She’s not just some fleeting thing. She’s the kind of woman who makes you want to be better. Who makes you think, maybe, just maybe, you could build something real. Something lasting.
“Axel,” Ben says, his voice cutting through my thoughts. “You’ve been quiet.”
I glance up, meeting his gaze. He’s watching me carefully, like he knows I’m holding something back.
“I’m thinking,” I mutter, taking another sip of whiskey. “About all of this.”
“And?” Tanner prompts, raising an eyebrow.
I set my glass down, exhaling slowly. I shrug. “Well, it’s not really our decision, is it? It’s hers.”
There’s a beat of silence. “She’s not going to choose that asshole.”
Tanner leans back in his chair, a scowl tugging at his lips. “She’s not going to choose that asshole,” he says.
“You sound real confident about that,” I say, turning to face him.
“I am,” Tanner shoots back, his eyes flashing. “Whit doesn’t deserve her. Not after what he did. She’s not stupid—she knows that.”
“Maybe,” Jace mutters, swirling the last of his drink in his glass. “But he still showed up. That’s all that has ever mattered to her. And if he’s a changed man—”
“People don’t change overnight,” Ben says.
“Yeah, whose side are you on anyway? I thought you liked her,” Tanner says, scowling.
“Well, I do. And it’s definitely more than like, always has been, even though I never told her that. But Emily is quick to forgive,” Jace says. “She forgave me.”
“That’s different. He cheated on her,” Ben says.
“Wow, you know a lot about that,” I say.
“Well, we talked after we…” He trails off, an awkward silence resumes. It’s safe to say that we’ve all been with her in some way or the other.
“Axel is right. It’s not about what he deserves. It’s about what Emily wants.”
And that’s the crux of it, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter what we think. It doesn’t matter what we feel. In the end, Emily is the one who has to make the call.
Tanner lets out a low growl of frustration, slamming his hand down on the bar. “Still doesn’t mean we have to sit here and let Whit waltz in like he’s some goddamn knight in shining armor.”
“We can’t control what Emily decides,” I say quietly. “But we can show her who we are. What we can offer.”
Jace looks at me, his expression unreadable. “And what’s that?”
I shrug, leaning back in my chair. “Honesty. Loyalty. Hell, I don’t know. A chance at something real.”
“And what happens when she does choose?” Ben says.
“What do you mean?” Tanner says.
“Well, there’s four of us and one of her. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what I’m trying to say here.”
“I asked her out first, so if we’re going on technicality…” Tanner trails off.
Jace barks out a laugh. “That’s rich. You’ve known her for what, two days? I’ve known her for more than two decades now. We practically grew up together.”
“But you also haven’t spoken to her in the past decade,” I point out.
Jace frowns. “That wasn't my choice. And aren’t you a little old for her?”
“I don’t think Emily has a problem with that,” I reply with a smirk. I have no doubt about that.
Tanner’s the first to break the silence, shaking his head with a wry grin. “You know, we’re all sitting here like a bunch of idiots. Maybe we should just duel each other, old-school style, and let Emily choose the last man standing.”
Jace snorts, downing the rest of his drink. “Right. I can just picture it now—us in a snow-covered field, pistols at dawn. Real civilized.”
Ben chuckles, leaning back in his chair, but there’s an edge to his amusement. “If it comes down to a duel, you’re all screwed. I’ve got way better aim.”
Tanner raises an eyebrow, smirking. “You think you can take me? I was state champion in wrestling, buddy. I could have you on your ass before you even think about pulling the trigger.”
I roll my eyes. “Survival instincts, boys. And that’s where I’ve got the edge.”
Jace shakes his head. “Survival instincts? Dude, I’ve seen you almost freeze your ass off more times than I can count. You might be tough but hate the cold more than anyone here.”
Axel shrugs, his grin widening. “Doesn’t mean I can’t outlast you when it counts.”
“You’re just jealous you don’t have my grace,” Jace says.
“Yeah,” I say, smirking into my glass, “jealous isn’t the word I’d use.”
Jace shakes his head, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a half-smile. “So what happens after the duel? Winner takes all?”
Ben shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. “I mean, that would simplify things. But I’m not really in the mood to get shot or stabbed over a woman.”
Jace snorts. “Yeah, because nothing says, ‘let’s handle this like adults’ quite like shooting at each other in the middle of a snowstorm.”
“Or,” Ben says, his expression thoughtful, “we could just arm-wrestle for her. Quick and easy. Plus, no bloodshed.”
Tanner laughs. “Oh, please. We all know Axel would win that one. The guy’s basically a brick wall with arms.”
I raise an eyebrow, a slow grin creeping onto my face. “I like those odds.”
“Of course you do,” Ben mutters, rolling his eyes. “You’d probably crush our hands in the process.”
Tanner chuckles. “I vote we don’t do anything that involves broken bones or possible disfigurement. I like my face the way it is, thanks.”
“Yeah,” Jace adds with a smirk. “And we all know how much your face means to the ladies.”
Tanner pretends to adjust his collar, grinning. “What can I say? I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”
“Seriously, though,” Ben cuts in, shaking his head. “As much as I enjoy a good joke about dueling and arm-wrestling, we’re not going to settle this with brute force.”
“Yeah,” I agree, setting my glass down and glancing at each of them. “It’s not about which one of us can beat the others in some competition. It’s about what Emily wants. If she wants any of us at all.”
There’s a moment of silence as that reality sinks in. We all want her—hell, we’re all ready to fight for her—but none of us can change the fact that it’s ultimately her decision. And none of us are in control of it.
“Duel or no duel,” I say, leaning forward and meeting each of their gazes, “we all know this isn’t going to be easy.”
Ben nods, his expression serious. “No. It’s not.”
“But hey,” Tanner says, flashing a grin as he raises his glass, “at least we’ve got each other, right?”
Jace snorts. “Yeah, real comforting. Remind me again, what do they say about competition?”
“So, let’s call a truce then,” I say. “Nobody makes a move on her. Let her choose.”
“She’s going to pick me,” Tanner says.
“Don’t be so cocky now,” Jace says. “And Axel is right. It has to be Emily’s choice, whoever she picks.”
“So unfair,” Tanner says, blowing out a breath.
“I think it’s completely fair,” Ben says. “So it’s decided then?”
I nod. “Emily is off-limits.” I finish the rest of my drink and put it down, wondering how the hell I’m going to resist her.