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"Sasha?" Axel calls out to me again.
I turn back to him, my silhouette casting long shadows on the hardwood floor. "I'm not good at this," I confess, the words barely more than a whisper lost in the vastness of the room and the moment between us. "I'm not good at needing people."
He rises too now, closing the distance between us until we're standing face-to-face—two people caught in an intricate dance of desire and defense.
"Sasha," he repeats my name like it’s some kind of anchor keeping him steady in turbulent waters. "You don't have to be good at it. You just have to be you—that's more than enough."
"I want to believe that," I tell him softly, tracing patterns on the glass with my fingertip—a distraction from the raw honesty in his eyes.
"You can start by believing in us," he says gently, his hand covering mine against the cold windowpane—a gesture so tender it fractures something inside me.
And God help me—I'm ready to dive into whatever this is headfirst, because Axel Creed might just be worth every risk.
12
AXEL
"Come on, Creed, you seriously believe this place is hidden? Looks like every other piece of beach to me."
I can't help but crack a smile at Sasha's remark, even as the muscles in my shoulders tighten like coiled springs. "Trust me, it's not on any tourist map. It's our own slice of the world for a while."
Her steps fall in sync with mine as we navigate the trail leading to the cove. It's been my sanctuary, a place where I can let down the guard I'm paid handsomely to keep up. The irony isn't lost on me.
She sidesteps a fallen branch, her movements graceful despite the uneven ground. "Your 'own slice of the world'? That's almost poetic for a guy who barks orders like it's his second language."
"Hey, I read Hemingway," I retort, feeling the corner of my mouth twitch upwards. "Doesn't mean I'm soft."
"Never said you were." There's a warmth in her voice that wraps around me, steadying the storm inside.
The sound of waves crashing against the shore grows louder as we approach the cove. The sea's rhythm syncs with my racing heart—a symphony of anticipation and dread. With each step, I'm peeling back the shell I've spent years forging.
Sasha stays close, her presence a silent anchor in the swell of emotions threatening to capsize me. She doesn't push or prod; she just waits. It's unnerving and comforting all at once.
We reach the cove, and the world falls away—the only reality now is the sand beneath our feet and the relentless sea before us. My pulse hammers in my ears as I turn to face her.
"This place..." My voice trails off as I search for words that won't betray too much. "It reminds me of... simpler times."
Her hand finds mine—a lifeline thrown across turbulent waters. Her touch is light but sure, grounding me enough to continue.
"I can't help but think back to the last moments with my team, before everything went wrong. We were making fun of each other while waiting for our orders, never knowing it would be the last time we'd all be together."
"The guilt is like a constant weight on my chest, a reminder of the lives lost under my command. I keep replaying that day in my head, wondering if I could have done something, anything, to change the outcome," I continue.
Sasha moves closer, her shoulder brushing against mine in a silent gesture of support. “Axel, you've been carrying this burden alone for far too long. But you don't have to anymore. I'm here, and I want to help you shoulder this weight, in whatever way I can.”
It's strange how simple words can dismantle years of fortified walls. Her hand in mine feels like absolution—like maybe I can lay down some of this burden at last.
"I've been trying not to," I admit, my throat tight with unshed emotion. "But it's damn hard when it feels like you're dishonoring their memory by moving on."
"We honor them by living, Axel," she whispers against the sound of waves—a balm to soothe a soul long tormented by ghosts of war.
“Moving on doesn't mean forgetting them or dishonoring their memory, Axel. It means living the life they fought for, the life they would have wanted for you. It's okay to find happiness and peace, even in the face of such loss."
I nod slowly, allowing myself this moment with her—allowing myself to feel something other than guilt and duty. Here in this hidden cove, with Sasha by my side, I start to believe that maybe there's a chance for redemption after all.
Sasha's gaze locks onto mine, her eyes like open books, spilling secrets without a single word. I've always been shit at reading people, but with her, it's like I'm fluent in a language I didn't know I understood.
"Your turn," I say, nudging her gently with my shoulder. "What's got you pacing floors at night?"
