Page 52 of The Saviors: Part One

“Charlie happened.” I’m not going to explain the many ways my dad has ruined my life. “Anyway, we left the day after graduation because she wouldn’t turn eighteen until two weeks later.”

“Why, though? Couldn’t she go with you?”

“No. Not at the time.”

“Why didn’t you go back for her when you could?”

That’s a damn good question with a short answer. I’m a coward. I couldn’t handle seeing the hurt on her face like I did the night we left. We left her standing there with tears streaming down her face, begging us not to leave. When we got in the car to go, we made a pact never to mention her again. Not that Cole has ever stuck by it. In reality, neither of us did. I practically stalked her until I found out she was married. Is he the asshole that used her as a punching bag? Fucking Brady Stinson was a jackass in high school. How the hell did she end up with him? Maybe I need to pay him a visit and find out.

“We couldn’t,” I answer instead. “We were already too deep in the Saviors by that point. My main goal was to get rid of my dad. I never thought they would look to me as their leader when that happened.”

“Please don’t shoot me for this. But that sounds like bullshit.”

I want to be pissed but leave it to Nolan to call me on it. I bark a laugh. “Honestly? I don’t know anymore.”

“What are you going to do about Sean and Kai? You’re getting them back. Right?”

“I think I need to give them some space right now. Let them make their own decisions.”

“What if they don’t come back?” Nolan asks, sounding worried. I know he’s gotten close with Sean, but I don’t know what to tell him. I haven’t seen that look on Sean’s face since I bailed him out of jail. He was so fucking angry that day, and it took forever to explain to him that I was just trying to help him. He was already damn good at what he did, but I made sure he’d never get caught again. I’ve never seen someone who can pull the stuff that Sean does. It’s like he physically turns himself into a shadow. He’s played more than one prank using that creepy shit before.

“They’ll come back.”

At least, I hope they do.

* * *

“Axel!”Chelsea hisses. “Where did you go?” I creep between the headstones, our favorite place to hide, and grab her around the waist. Her scream echoes through the night, and I start laughing. She punches me in the chest. “That’s not funny, asshole.”

“Oh, come on. It was a little funny.”

“Not at all, douche canoe. Ew, I hate you.” She puts her hand over her heart, trying to get her breathing under control. “I think I almost had a heart attack.”

“No, you didn’t.” I pull her to sit beside me and lean against a headstone. She stretches her legs in front of her, and I can’t help staring at her bare legs.

“Do you think Cole’s okay?”

I shrug. “Yeah. I’m sure he is.” I try to play it off so she doesn’t worry, but his dad was pissed off when he came to pick him up. I’m sure Cole will come back to us with bruises or a broken bone like he has plenty of times before.

“I wish we could help him.” I pull Chelsea into my side with my arm around her shoulders, and she snuggles in, just like she always does. “We can make it six more months, right?”

“We can.” Ever since we made the pact, we’ve been counting down the days where we no longer have to worry about creepy stepdads, alcoholic moms, abusive parents, or psychotic ones like mine. I just need to keep Cole and Chelsea safe for six more months. Then, we can leave this shithole behind.

She cuddles deeper into my chest with a sigh, and I pull her closer. We sit there for the longest time, listening to the crickets chirping. It’s well after midnight, so the only light we have is from the moon. We accidentally found this cemetery one day when we were nine or ten, and for whatever creepy reason, it became our hangout spot.

Chelsea looks up from her spot on my chest, and something in her green eyes takes my breath away. I’ve been in love with this girl since I knew what love was, and now could be my last chance to make a move. I lean forward, and when she doesn’t move away, I lay my lips against hers. She gasps into the kiss, and I press my advantage by pushing my tongue into her mouth. She doesn’t immediately move away, so I stroke hers with mine. Is this finally happening? Can I finally tell her how I really feel? Could she feel the same way?

I lean into her until she lays back on the ground, my body covering hers. I deepen the kiss with a groan, and she jerks away. “Wait! Axel, wait.” I sit back immediately, and the look on her face fills my gut with dread. “We can’t do this.” She sits up and scoots away from me.

“Why not? You didn’t feel that?”

She stands up and starts pacing. “I did. I do, but we still can’t.”

I grab her hand to stop her. “Why?” I ask again. “I like you, Chelsea, as more than a friend.”

She turns around with tears in her eyes. “I like you too, but…”

“But what?”