Dread washes over me. I grab my phone from next to the pillow and call my parents.
“Hello,” my mother answers.
“Hey, it’s me, Elena.”
“You have been ignoring us,” she says. “No phone calls.”
“You know you can call me too.” My mouth slams shut. It slipped out before I could stop it.
“What did you say to me?” she asks.
“Nothing,” I mumble. “I’m just calling to say I’m not coming home for my birthday.”
“You’re not what?” she screeches. “Yes, you will. I’ve organized dinner, made plans with Henry’s family. Don’t you embarrass me like that! You’re coming and that’s final.”
“Actually... I’m not. I appreciate the dinner; send Henry and his family my regards. I’ve decided I want to have a quiet birthday here.”
“Youwillcome home!”
“I’m not arguing with you. I told you what I’m doing. See ya, Mom.” I disconnect the call and send Henry a message that I won’t be seeing him, but I hope he’s well.
My phone rings, alternating between my parents’ number and his, but I let it ring and lie down, knowing I’ve got another shift in a couple of hours. I take the time to rest, though my brain won’t shut off from the negative thoughts.
Reluctantly, when the time has come, I pull on my uniform, preparing for my next shift. My heart’s heavy, and it’s hard to shake the unsettling sensation in my stomach. I take a deep breath, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. I’ll need to put on a customer service smile tonight.
I go searching for Rage. He’s in the living room, Grace on one side, Mercedez on the other. I groan. I’d rather not go to him, but I need a lift.
“Excuse me, Rage. It’s time for me to go to work again.”
He’s on his feet in a second, but the girls whine. I dart out to the truck before I hear what they’re saying.
The drive over is silent. He parks outside of work. “Don’t you drive?” he asks.
I point over to my sad car that’s still sitting there. “That’s mine. It’s not working.”
He chuckles. “Isn’t Axle a mechanic?”
“Yes, he is.” That reminds me: I need to get onto him about fixing it.
Work goes by slowly, my eyes flickering back to the clock constantly. I’m relieved once my shift is over.
After Rage drives us home, and once I’m out of the truck, I say, “Do you know when Axle will be back?”
Rage replies, “I think he’ll be here within the next hour.”
Anticipation bursts through my chest. “Finally!”
He chuckles. “You two seem great together. I hope I can find something like that one day.”
Oh... he’s so sweet.
When we go inside, the sweet butts don’t affect me... nothing does. I’m glowing and have a bounce in my step. Closer to the time Axle’s due to arrive, I stay by the front door and wait. My stomach is doing flips, but adrenaline is firing through my veins. He’s a drug, and my body aches for another hit.
As soon as I hear the rumble of motorcycles, I run out the front door and impatiently stand on the porch. As they all pull up, I wait until I see Axle, then I hurry down the steps to him. He gets off his bike and takes his helmet off just in time as I launch myself at him and wrap my legs around his waist. I pepper his face with kisses while he laughs.
His head inches back. “I missed you too, baby girl,” he says, then presses his lips firmly against mine.
Sixteen
