Connor: Dude, this is the no girls allowed text chain. What do you think?
That one made him laugh.
Slater: Yeah, sorry. I kind of need this one to be just us.
Walker: No problem. See you soon.
He stood and stretched just as Axel came through the door. “You ready?”
Nodding, he grabbed his phone and keys so he could lock up. “Yup.”
It wasn’t until they were out on the path that Axel spoke again. “Does this have anything to do with you finding your next gig?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Ah. So then it’s about Evie.”
His head snapped around so fast that it actually made him hiss. “Why do you say that?”
Chuckling, Axel continued walking along. “It’s kind of obvious. We’ve all been wondering what you were going to do when she leaves.”
“I’ve been wondering the same damn thing.”
“And?”
“And that’s what I need to talk about,” he said with a huff. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is. I’ve lived my whole life hating the fact that I’m like my father and not wanting to do to anyone what he did to them. Like what he did to my mother.”
They walked in companionable silence as they reached the parking lot.
“Maisie and I are having a baby.”
Slater stopped dead in his tracks. “What?!”
Turning, Axel’s smile was a mile wide. “Yup. Found out yesterday. We were going to tell everyone tonight at dinner, but I thought I’d tell you first.”
“Holy crap! I…congratulations!” They did a bro hug, but when Slater stepped back, he was a little confused. “Why me? Why tell me first?”
With a huff of his own, Axel stepped in front of him. “I grew up in a super shitty situation and was abandoned by both of my parents. I lived through abusive situations in a few foster homes before I landed where I did.” He paused. “I spent a lot of years telling myself I could never have what everyone else did because of where I came from, and you know what? That’s a load of crap.”
“Axel…”
“No, you need to hear this. I thought it was okay to get involved with Maisie and even fall in love with her, but bringing a child into the world? I never would have considered it simply based on where I came from. And that’s a huge mistake. It’s not like I’m not borderline terrified or anything, but I know I’m not like them. I was just a damn kid and did a lot of dumb things in my life, but I was never like them. Just like you’re not like your father. You never were. Unfortunately, the only one who doesn’t see it is you.”
“There have been plenty of things I’ve done that are like…”
Axel’s hand landed hard on his shoulder. “No, you haven’t. You’ve done plenty of things that make you human.”
Evie’s words came back to him again.
“Did you ever purposely hurt someone? Were you ever deliberately mean to them?”
“No.”
“Do you think your father was?”
“Yes.”
“Then see? You’re not like him.”
