Page 103 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“You…asked him to keepyouaway? That doesn’t make any sense. Surely you were worried that I’d go allFatal Attractionon you and show up on your doorstep in a wedding gown covered in blood or some shit.”

I chuckle a bit at the image but quickly sober when her serious expression doesn’t crack.

“After I lost you, I unraveled. I didn’t want to do the wrong thing,” I offer, feeling like I’m revealing too much.

She gawks at me.

“Lost…me?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

Yes, Sweetness. I lost you.

Shae shakes her body, straightening her shoulders as if warding off bad energy. She clears her throat and her face.

“What would have been the wrong thing, Storm?” she presses.

Such as begging you to take me back, crying on your parents’ porch in the rain like I’m in a New Edition music video.

“I was a mess. Drinking way too much. Wrapped a car around a tree, so I wasn’t in a good place, and I didn’t want to get you pulled deeper into my shit.”

She nods slowly at that, and I wish I could know what she’s thinking.

“Let’s go,” I say, changing the subject. I get a few feet down the aisle when she says, “Wait.”

I pause, looking at her over my shoulder. She’s still in the same spot I left her.

“Yes, Sweetness?” I say, my voice a low murmur.

“Why did you do it? Why did you break up with me?” She asks the words and then rolls her lips back as if she never intended to speak the question. I’m on edge immediately,though, because I’ve had to live with the answer for eight years, and now, with the knowledge that Shae was pregnant when we last saw each other, I’m haunted by my decision.

I open my mouth without knowing what the hell to say to that, when she blinks and shakes her head.

“Never mind,” she snaps, her spine straightening. “Just get me back to my babies.”

She takes a step toward me, but I’m frozen in place.

“Please,” she adds, almost as a reluctant afterthought.

I swallow all the words I want to say and lead the way out of the aircraft.

“Is the missus settled?”

I bristle a bit when Axel asks the question as soon as I enter his domain in the converted office. I don’t want to think the reason for my reaction is guilt, but….

“She’s cleaning up to greet the kids when they arrive in a bit,” I say, heading to the armchair I’ve designated as mine across from Axel.

It’s amazing how quickly Axel and Riale got the Gold Coast house retrofitted to meet our needs.

There’s a feed of the property displayed on several screens at one end of the wall, but right in front of Axel is a 200-inch projector screen, on which he plays the latest version of his video game.

He’s so engrossed that he doesn’t look at me when I fall into the seat, his fingers flying over the controller.

“So…you finally gonna tell me how things went? I’m dying for the tea, bestie!” Axel drawls, putting on a high-pitched tone.

“Yeah, don’teveruse that voice again,” I say, giving him a perplexed look, and Axel shrugs and laughs.

That’s Axel through and through.

“You’re deflecting,” Axel says, not missing a beat in his game. “Your ass always deflects when you’re spooked.”