Page 103 of The Saviors: Part One

“Yep. With you.”

Sean’s name flashes across my screen, and I slide to answer. “What’s up?”

“Hey, motherfucker. You guys coming over?”

“If you want us to.”

“Why would I fucking ask if I didn’t want you to?”

“Okay, asshole,” I laugh. Fuck, I missed his smart mouth. “Yeah, we can come over later.”

“Cool. Chelsea dug up some more information on your dad’s fake shit. So, get Nolan off your dick, and I’ll see you soon.” The line goes dead, and all I can do is shake my head.

“We’re headed to Chelsea’s later. You going?” I ask Nolan.

He yawns and stretches. “Yeah. She’s cool.”

“Go shower, and I’ll see if Cole’s awake. Then I’ll start breakfast.”

He kisses me before sliding from the bed and going to the bathroom. With a roll of my eyes, I climb from the bed, grab some clothes, and go to the bathroom in the hallway to shower since the little shit just took mine. Showering quickly, I brush my teeth, get dressed and go in search of Cole. I find him in the kitchen, already making coffee.

“Hey, Chelsea found some more stuff on Charlie’s documents. You going over there with us?”

“Yeah.”

I walk around the island to pour Nolan and me some coffee and turn back to Cole. “Are you coming back to stay here?”

“Are you done being an asshole?”

I deserve that.“Yeah, man. I am.”

Cole gets a weird look on his face. “What did Nolan do to you?”

I laugh. “What do you mean?”

“Axel, I haven’t seen you this relaxed in over six years. Whatever it is, don’t fuck it up.”

“I can’t explain it. He just,” I shrug, “makes me happy.”

“And I’m damn happy for you and him. But I’m dying to know, man. How the fuck did this happen? You don’t like guys.”

This is where I have to tiptoe around this conversation like it’s a fucking landmine. “I never said I didn’t like guys.”

“You’ve never said you do either. I know you said last night that he isn’t an experiment, but that’s what it feels like to me, and Nolan’s a good—”

I hold my hand up before he can finish that thought. “First, don’t call him a kid. He’s twenty-one and more mature than us put together. Second, you know me better than that. I might not have a fucking clue what I’m doing, but what I do know is that what we are doing feels good, and not just in a sexual way. You’re acting like I forced him into this.”

Cole sighs. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant. But why didn’t you talk to me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me when you figured out you were pansexual? Why didn’t you tell me about Sean? This communication goes both ways, Cole. And you weren’t here. The day you left is the first day something happened.”

“What?”

“When you found me in the gym, I was trying to work through everything that happened. It was new for me, and I was going to find you after that to talk because I knew if anyone knew what I was going through, it would have been you.”

“When did we stop talking?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.” Cole and I used to be able to talk about anything, and over the years, we stopped doing that. Job after job, mission after mission, we grew further apart without realizing it because, for six years, he’s blamed me for leaving. “But I want to make it right.”