Page 107 of The Saviors: Part One

“You did it to protect me.”

“That’s not the only reason.” I look over, and his eyes are closed. I stare at the ceiling, about to leave to let him sleep, when I feel his hand on my arm. “I did it because I didn’t want him to hurt you anymore.”

I swallow, remembering every time my old man beat me hard enough to break a bone. “I know.” His breathing evens out, finally giving up the fight.

“I did it because I was in love with you,” he whispers.

My head jerks toward him. “What?” After a minute of silence, I realize he actually passed out. “Are you kidding me? Now you fall asleep?”

My mind is reeling. Is it because of the alcohol? What’s that saying? A drunk mind speaks a sober heart. I feel like we’re taking one step forward in this mess just to take four steps back.

I know one thing for certain. We’re getting to the bottom of this.

Tomorrow.

* * *

When I wakeup the following morning, I go in search of Axel. I find him sitting on the side of the bed, freshly showered, and shut the door behind me.

“What the fuck was that last night?” I ask.

“What are you talking about?”Count to ten, Cole.

“I’m talking about what you said.”

“Oh, fuck. I was an asshole, wasn’t I?”

I lean against the door and let my head hit it with a thud. “You don’t remember anything, do you?”

“I remember the conversation with Chels and then getting shit-faced. I don’t remember much past that.” How the fuck do you ask your best friend if he’s in love with you? Especially since it was a drunken confession? I stayed up half the fucking night with his whispered ‘I’m in love with you’ running through my head constantly. There were never any signs. Maybe he thought I was Nolan, and I’m overreacting. “Have you seen her this morning?”

“Who?”

Axel looks at me like I’m crazy. “Chelsea. Have you seen her this morning?”

“Yeah. She’s downstairs eating breakfast. She seems good now, man.”

Axel flops back on the bed. “I feel like ten pounds of concrete is sitting on my head, and I feel like shit for her breakdown. I should have backed the fuck off.”

“Trust me, I know what it feels like to see and hear that shit for the first time. But Brady will get what’s coming to him.”

“How? She made us all promise that we wouldn’t touch him.”

“Yet.We just have to convince her that this won’t be on her. He was a massive dick in high school. We can blame it on that.”

Axel lifts up to look at me with a grin. “Do you remember when we stuffed his locker full of rubber cocks?”

I bark a laugh. “Holy shit, he was pissed. Or when we stole his car and parked it in front of the school?”

“I miss it. Not the home bullshit but spending my days with you and Chelsea.”

“Me too.”

Axel gets up and jerks me into a quick hug, then steps around me. “Let’s go get some food.”

“Were you in love with me then?” The words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them. I need to know. Not that I know what I’ll do with the information, but we need to get it out in the open.

Axel’s hand freezes on the doorknob. “What?” he asks without turning around.