Page 30 of Don’t Say You’re Sorry (Hawthorne University #2)

ADAM

T he next morning, I find Axel in the kitchen.

He’s shirtless, shaking his ass in a pair of football shorts as he dishes out bacon onto the several plates lined up on the worktop.

He’s singing—badly—to whatever song is playing through his headphones.

He’s got his back to me, but I recognize the apron he’s wearing.

It says “Eat my meat” on the front. It’s his favorite out of his extensive collection of aprons.

Exasperated, I look at Easton, who’s sitting at the island with a half-eaten sausage stabbed on a fork. He must have swiped it when Axel wasn’t looking.

“He’s still a morning person, huh?” Easton asks.

I sigh, waving a hand at my brother’s back. Clearly.

He’s still dancing, oblivious to my presence here.

“Does Nate know about this?” I ask Easton.

He shrugs. “Haven’t seen him.”

“Great,” I mutter, walking over to Axel and snatching the headphones off his head.

Still singing, he snatches them back, wrapping them around the back of his neck.

“Axel, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like?”

“We’ve talked about this. You have to ask people before you use their kitchens.”

“I did ask.”

“You asked Nate?” I check, knowing he likes this house to look a certain way at all times.

“Yes, Adam.” He nods. “This morning. I ran into him after he got back from his run.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he would love to eat my meat,” he says dryly, popping some sliced bread into the toaster.

“He did not say that.”

“No, I said that,” he admits. “He threatened me. I still have all my teeth though, so I’d say the encounter went pretty well.”

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose as I grab two mugs from the cupboard. As I pour myself and Easton a cup of coffee, I ask Axel, “What are you making?”

“Breakfast.”

“English?”

“Obviously.” Propping his hands on his hips, he frowns at the line of plates in front of him. “Easton, why am I missing a sausage?”

“No idea,” Easton mumbles around the last bite of the missing sausage.

I hand Easton his coffee. Just as I’m about to sit on the stool next to him, he wraps his free arm around my waist and pulls me into him, his eyes moving up and down my body.

I’m wearing a pair of gray joggers and one of his Hawthorne Hawks T-shirts I found in a pile of clean laundry.

I didn’t get to do my laundry this weekend, too preoccupied with worrying about where he was for two days.

“You’re up early again,” he says quietly.

I nod. Unlike my brother, I’m not a morning person, but I like to see Easton before he leaves for the day. I like knowing what mood he’s in. It’s a good one today, and it makes me smile softly.

My fingers twitch with the urge to brush them over his face, his lips, but I don’t touch him without permission.

His fingers creep up under the shirt I’m wearing, brushing my hip, then my waistband.

I shiver, moving even closer until I’m standing between his legs.

My dick hardens beneath his hand, and he notices, licking his lips before his eyes travel over to Axel beside us.

I take a small step away when I realize Axel’s watching us with a pointed look.

Easton clenches his jaw, his hand slipping off my body.

“Are you sure you want me here?” Axel asks Easton just as Carter walks into the kitchen, followed by Nate, Xavi, and Frankie. Carter’s eyes are on Axel, but Axel’s looking at Easton expectantly, waiting for an answer to his question.

Easton smirks. “I’m sure. Your misery pleases me.”

Axel lets out a single, quiet laugh. “You’re confusing misery with disinterest.”

“Whatever you say, pretty boy.”

“I thought I was your pretty boy,” Carter jokes, coming around Easton and running his hand through his hair, all the while staring at Axel as if he’s jealous. Which, in turn, makes me jealous. Why does Carter care what Easton calls Axel?

Not caring what anyone will think of me, I grab Carter’s wrist and move it away from my guy, once again standing between his legs.

Carter raises a brow at me. I flip him off.

Easton can’t help but laugh as he drops his forehead to my chest. He inhales deeply through his nose, his arm around me tightening briefly before he gestures for me to sit.

I drop next to him, thankful for the island hiding my tented joggers from the others.

With breakfast ready, Axel walks toward us with a plate. When Easton reaches for it, Axel smacks his hand and leans over, setting it down in front of Frankie with a grin. “There you go, beautiful.”

She reciprocates, picking up her fork and digging in. “I like you,” she says around a mouthful of food. “Mm. I really like you. You’re a chef, right?”

“Oh, so you were listening to me last night.”

She chuckles. “I’m a great multitasker.”

“Yeah, I bet you are,” he murmurs, still grinning.

I scrunch my nose. I don’t know why he’s pretending to be so interested in Frankie when I can tell he’s not.

They didn’t hook up last night. Axel went to bed alone, and Frankie took Zoey upstairs shortly afterward.

I haven’t seen Zoey since, so she must have left after.

I don’t think she sleeps over. Judging by what Xavi’s told me, no one sleeps over. Ever.

Axel hands out the rest of the plates, making a point to save Easton’s for last.

“Nice apron,” Carter says to Axel, raising a brow. “Can I be first in line or are you saving that spot for Frankie?”

Seemingly used to Cater’s shit already, Axel ignores him as he hangs his apron up. Carter looks annoyed, his eyes dropping to Axel’s bare chest. When Carter catches me looking at him, his creepy smile returns, and he winks at me. He’s so fucking weird.

Carter clicks his tongue as Axel puts on a T-shirt and takes the last empty seat next to him. “Straight boy,” Carter mutters under his breath.

Axel doesn’t look at him as he begins eating his breakfast, but I don’t miss the tiny smirk on his face. I frown at him and Carter.

Xavi’s frowning at them too. He flickers his gaze between them for a few moments, and then his jaw drops as if something just occurred to him.

“Axel,” he says.

Axel lifts his eyes to look at him. Nate leans forward in his seat to look across at Axel.

“Hey, big mouth,” Carter says to Xavi, lifting his finger up to his lips.

Xavi snorts. “Says the big mouth.”

“You would know,” Carter teases, a wicked look on his face as he chews. “Remember when I fucked you and I?—”

My eyes widen as Nate grabs the scruff of Carter’s hoodie, yanking him back until his stool tips and he hits the floor with a crash.

Silence follows for a couple beats. Next to me, Easton’s shoulders shake with a silent laugh.

Axel finally looks down at Carter then. It’s a passing glance. He’s still eating his breakfast as if nothing happened. “Endgame,” he says, nodding to himself. “Got it.”

Not knowing what that means, Nate glares at him. Axel lifts his hands in mock surrender.

Carter pulls himself up, pleased with himself as he picks up his chair.

“Go sit over there before I kill you.” Nate shoves his so-called best friend.

Shrugging, Carter grabs the edge of Axel’s seat and pushes him toward Nate, the barstool screeching loudly across the floor. He sits on Axel’s other side, leaving a barrier between him and Nate.

Carter manages to keep his mouth shut while we continue eating, the conversation moving on to basketball.

Carter’s head seems to be somewhere else as he pushes his food around with his fork.

But when it’s time for everyone to leave for class, Carter grabs his backpack and throws my brother a teasing look over his shoulder. “Later, straight boy.”

Axel lifts a hand and wiggles his fingers. “Bye, beautiful,” he says to Frankie.

Carter looks away, but not before I catch the slight flare of his nostrils.

Nate and Xavi leave shortly after, and then I’m finally alone with Easton and Axel and free to talk about what the hell just happened. “What?—”

“Eat,” they say at the same time, and I huff, looking down at my plate of hardly touched food.

Easton glares at Axel as if he wants to be the only one who gets to boss me around, his hand on my lower back, his fingers brushing my spine.

I like the way it feels, which is why I pick up my fork and begin eating like he ordered me to, hoping it’ll keep his hand there.

It works. But it doesn’t stop my mind from reeling.

Carter fucked Xavi? When? I’m guessing it was before Nate and Xavi got together, but still.

It obviously bothers Nate. What kind of person rubs it in their best friend’s face like that?

“Why are you all friends with him?” I ask Easton.

He laughs a little, his voice quiet as his fingers continue drawing little patterns on my back. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but Carter’s got a good heart. A big heart.”

“Where?” I deadpan.

“It’s in there,” he assures me. “He just doesn’t like to show it to anyone.”

I’m not sure I believe that.

I look at Axel to see if he agrees with me, but he’s already turned away from us to start the dishes.

With a moment of privacy, Easton stands, wraps his arms around me from behind, and puts his mouth near my ear, his lips brushing my lobe. “When’s your first proper shift at The Hideaway?”

“Tonight. Why?” I know why.

He hums in my ear. “I wanna play again.”

My dick is solid now, the tip brushing the edge of the worktop. My hips flex, the underside rubbing the marble. I suppress a groan and turn my head toward him.

“Will you wear this for me?” he whispers, fisting the shirt at my hip.

I take a breath. “I need to look hot, E. This is too big. Do you have something smaller? A vest, or?—”

“No. I like this one.”

“Why?” Again, I know why.

“Because it covers your body and stakes my claim. They might not know you’re mine, but they’ll know you’re a Hawk boy. That’s hot, baby.”

A Hawk boy.

I smile. “I’ll have to take it off when it’s my turn on the podium.”

He seems to think about that before he turns my chair, making me face him fully.

His eyes move over my shoulder before dropping to my body, his hand lifting the hem of his shirt to expose my torso.

I already know what he’s about to do, and I shake my head in warning.

Not in front of Axel. Still, my skin buzzes with anticipation. Do it.

Reading my mind, Easton lowers his head and presses his mouth to my chest, right above my tattoo. He sinks his teeth in, and I cover my mouth with my hand and grab the back of his head, my fingers raking through his hair as he brands me with his mark, then another one for good measure.

I didn’t get permission to touch him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He enjoys making me desperate and reckless.

Once he’s done, he pulls back to look at me before dropping his forehead to mine, both of us catching our breaths. He’s just as worked up as I am.

I tilt my head slightly, slowly going in for a kiss, but he dodges my lips, a wicked grin on his face as he stands. “No kissing.”

I make a noise in my throat and look at my lap, adjusting myself. I don’t ask him why this time, too afraid of the answer.

“Later, straight boy,” he says to Axel’s back, mocking Carter’s earlier words to him.

Axel flips him off without turning around.

Easton gives me one last look before turning away, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. When the front door closes and it’s just me and my brother, he looks at me over his shoulder. I stay in my seat, still hard, a helpless look on my face.

“Are you fucking him?” he asks.

My jaw tics. That’s none of his business, but I answer anyway. “No. I mean, we’ve…done things, but we haven’t slept together since…”

He nods, filling in the blanks. “You remember what I told you when I found out about you two? You didn’t listen, but I’m gonna tell you again. End it before it’s too late. Before he traps you under his spell again.”

Doesn’t he realize it’s already too late for that?

“No.”

No.

I’m aware I convinced myself I was coming back here to be his brother and friend again, not his lover, but who the fuck am I kidding?

He wants me back. He wants to be us again.

I know it. I feel it. And like hell am I going to say no to that.

It might take a while for him to trust me again, but I’m working on it.

I’ll do whatever it takes, whatever he wants me to do.

Every day, for as long as he needs me to, I’ll prove to him that I’m in this time. All in .

And one of these days, he’ll kiss me again.

I’ll make sure of it.

Axel sighs, not letting it go. “Adam, be serious. Are you gonna be his dirty little secret for the rest of your life? Is that what you want?”

No hesitation. “Yes.”

I’d love to be his and for him to be mine in public. But if that’s not in the cards for us, so be it. I’d rather have him in secret than not have him at all. I already know what that feels like, and it broke me. I won’t go through that again.

Axel rolls his eyes. “Why can’t you find a nice, normal boy to settle down with? An artist. Or a gamer. Someone who doesn’t want to fuck up my face just for sharing DNA with you.”

“No, I don’t want anyone else. I want him.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s…mine. He’s my person, Axel. He’s the one I’m supposed to be with.”

He lifts an unimpressed brow. “Like fate?”

I shrug. He can call it whatever he wants.

“Why would fate look at you and your person and say, Hey, I know a way to get these fuckers together . Let’s make their parents fall in love and get married ?”

“Maybe she thinks she’s funny.”

He laughs, nodding as he turns back to the dishes. I don’t think he’s talking about me and Easton when he says, “Yeah. Maybe she does.”