“H-hi,” I stammered. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” he growled incredulously. “What the hell are you doing here, Sophie?” he demanded.
My eyes darted nervously around the restaurant. “You should go.” My voice betrayed my worry.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he shook his head, his eyes sweeping my frame.
“Ax, seriously. I left for a reason. A good one. You should go,” I hissed.
“Can’t,” he shook his head.
My eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you can’t?”
He leaned forward in the booth, his hand reaching out to clasp my wrist. “I’ve spent over a year tormented over you, Sophie. We are going to talk. And I’m not leaving until we do.”
Oh, hell no. Just…no.
“Tormented over me?” I asked incredulously. “Since when? What?” I stammered, truly dumbfounded.
“That could be part of the talking portion.” he shrugged.
He said it so casually as though his hot and cold behavior had been no big deal. It pissed me right the hell off.
“You never could decide what you wanted from me. I’m not the same girl you knew.” I shook my head. “I don’t have time for this. I advise you to go straight back to Hawthorne,” I told him sternly, turning on my heel and rushing to the kitchen.
What was he even doing here? It had to have been Henry. I could have sworn he hadn’t seen me. My heart was pounding so hard; I was worried I’d need an ambulance at this rate. I collapsed on the ground next to the stove, panting for breath. Another shift hiding out in the kitchen, great way to keep a job.
When the door swung open, I winced as his motorcycle boots came into view. He heaved a sigh and crouched in front of me. “I knew this wouldn’t be easy.” His voice was gentle as he lifted my chin to force me to look in his eyes. “But, Soph, it’s not just me. Your brother, Kat, all of us miss you like hell. We’ve been searching for you, worried about you for over a year. You’re family. We’re going to talk,” he commanded, his beautiful eyes glittering with intensity.
I shook my head. “You should go.”
“Everything okay in here, sugar?” Dwayne’s high voice broke in.
I looked up at him in alarm. “Yes, fine. He was just leaving. Sorry, I’ll get back to work.”
Dwayne looked me over and met my eyes, cocking his head in question.
I nodded, letting him know I was really okay.
My eyes shifted back to Axel. “I have to get back,” I murmured.
“I’ll wait, drive you home after your shift,” he stated, rising and pulling me to my feet. His touch alone sent electricity zinging down my arm.
“No!” I practically shouted in alarm at the thought of him driving me home.
His eyes narrowed. “You have a man at home?”
Yes, a very small one, I thought frantically.
He eyed me keenly, our intensity blistering as it always did. Some things never did change. “Do you?” he demanded quietly.
“No,” I whispered.
“Good,” he whispered back, his voice hoarse as he took me in.
“But you’re not driving me home. It was good to see you, Ax. Tell everyone…” my voice caught, “tell them I miss them and hope they’re well.” I gave him the small smile I’d like to think I’d perfected. The one I could plaster on my face despite inner desolation threatening to swallow me whole. I’d had to wear it most of my life. I pushed my way out of the kitchen to see about my tables.
I spent my entire shift alternating between plotting where Mad and I should move next and freaking out over how amazing it had been to see Axel. I felt like someone had taken my heart and injected it with steroids.
When I got off at eleven that night, I snuck out the back. It opened into a dimly lit alley and I thought I’d be golden if he was still waiting all these hours later out front.
“You think I’d wait out front?” he chuckled, his tone nearly affronted.
I jumped about a mile in the air and smacked him in the chest. “You scared me!” I screeched.
“Soph, seriously, give me more credit.” He grinned through the dim light. “Let’s go get a drink.” He cocked his head toward the street.
I looked at him, biting my lip, debating whether I could realistically escape him. He stared back at me, watching my inner turmoil and allowing me to come to the only conclusion possible.
I sighed in defeat. “Fine. I just need to check on something,” I responded, firing off a text to Jill.
She was annoyingly thrilled that I wanted to stay out later. She said the boys were already crashed out and I should take as long as I wanted. I responded, telling her that her amount of exclamations marks needed to be toned down.
Seriously.
“Fine, one drink,” I agreed, going against my better judgment. “But,” I held up a finger, “you’re not driving me home.”
“Whatever you want,” he agreed – all too easily.
We walked in silence to a nearby bar I’d never been to. Sitting at the bar, side by side, he ordered us both a beer and swiveled slightly to face me.
“I’m so fucking glad you’re okay. Christ, Sophie,” he breathed, running a hand over his beard; something he always seemed to do when he was stressed.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I replied quietly.
“Why the hell did you take off like that? How could you do that to us?” he demanded heatedly.
I narrowed my eyes at him, the heat rising in my cheeks. “Us?” I demanded. “First of all, I feel like shit for leaving everyone – they were all so good to me,” I swallowed. “I love my brother. It meant the world to me to get to know him in a way I never had before. Given all that, don’t you think it’s fair to assume I had my reasons?” I shot back.
“What the fuck about me, huh?” he growled.
“What about you?” I shot back passionately as his eyes narrowed. I took a deep breath, trying to bring down the intensity a bit. “Look, I don’t want to fight. It is good to see you,” I nodded. “I just…I feel stupid really, naïve,” I shrugged.
“Why?” he asked when I’d paused, my embarrassment reaching a crescendo.
“I had thought maybe…maybe you and me…” I trailed off. “Sometimes the way you would look at me, I saw something there, but then you’d tell me I was too young or that I was Sal’s sister. It was always mixed messages with you,” I shook my head.
“We’ll get to that,” he interrupted. “I want to know why you left. What the hell are you doing in Texas?”
“We’ll get to that,” I retorted, throwing his words back at him.
We stared at each other in silent challenge before he nodded once and turned his gaze to his drink. I practically slumped back into my chair, relieved not to be the focus of his intensity for a few moments.
He completely undid me, always had.
“How are Sal and Kat?” I asked, unable to temper my curiosity and wanting to change the subject.
“They’re good,” he nodded. “They got married when they were in Spain,” he told me, rocking my world.