Axl walks out of the room and leaves me to sit in his living room. It’s cozy, and there are dents in the couch like him and Ledger spend a lot of time here. The aroma in the air is strong, both electric and sweet from their combined scents. Video games sprawl over the surfaces, stray guitar picks, and ashtrays. Then I see his drumsticks lying on the coffee table, the pink bow I gave him when we were teenagers hanging out beside them.
I pick the sticks up and feel them over. The wood is smooth but with worn, little specs of dirt and paint blended into the surface. There’s a rough edge, like tiny indentations in the side that feels nice against my fingers. I turn it over and squint at the tiny letters I see there, trying to make them out. When they come into focus, my heart picks up speed.
LITTLE RECKONING.
His nickname for me is carved into the side, tiny and sacred.
My face cracks into a smile as I put them down seconds before Axl comes back into the room.
“Sorry, we had to make plans to get breakfast before the meeting tomorrow since he’s going on a date tonight.”
“With someone here?”
“Hell no,” he says, laughing. “A few towns over. That’s why he can’t meet up in a bit.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have told you I was coming.”
He waves me off again. “I see him all the time. Plus, itwas about the video. Apparently, he thinks he can get it taken down, and if not, he thinks you and I have a case for legal compensation.”
The surprise of that hits me hard. “What? Really?”
“Yeah, and he plans to bring it up in the town meeting tomorrow,” Axl adds, his lips turned into a smirk. “So, Gabby is going to get what’s coming to her.”
I groan, thinking about the meeting tomorrow. Most of the town attends because it’s seen as a big collaborative effort to keep the town the way it was intended. Kids and teenagers aren’t allowed, because sometimes it can become hostile. It looks like tomorrow won’t be any different. “That’s really cool of your dad to look into this.”
He shrugs. “This is his hometown, and he loves it, but he isn’t blind to its many faults. Mainly its people.”
I nod, feeling lost in my head. Silence falls between us as we both think about the past few days since the gala. I finally look back up at him and sigh. “I’m sorry I haven’t called since that night.”
Axl shakes his head. “It’s fine?—”
“No, it’s not. I wish there was a good excuse, but really, I just needed a few days to sort things out. To make sure it didn’t turn into a bigger situation. Like, with my parents and Brent.”
He nods, understanding, but his face falls slightly. “That’s a relief. I thought, maybe… you were embarrassed. Of being found with me.”
“No.” I scoot closer to him, finding his hand automatically and lacing them together. His skin sparks against mine, and it feels like another thing I’ve been missing the past few days. “I mean, people tried to make me feel ashamed about it. My mother was a bitch as usual. She doesn’t understand, called me a disappointment…”
Axl growls, the sound deep in his chest. “You’renot.”
“I know.” I caress his face, loving the protective instincts he has. “They wanted me to feel those things, but I don’t. Ripping off the band-aid, having everyone know, was the last step. Now, all I feel is relief, because I amfinallyfree to be with you.”
He puts his hand on mine and meets my eyes. “You want to be together?” There’s so much emotion on his face, but he’s trying not to let the hope seep in. I have so much practice with keeping my emotions in check, but my beta has always had his heart right on his tattered sleeve. It’s one of the things I love about him, how he’s never had to be someone he isn’t.
“More than anything. I’m done hiding. I want to go to the bistro with you, shop for our clothes at the mall?—”
“Ew, the mall.”
“Hey, I’m giving a speech here!”
He chuckles. “Sorry, go ahead.”
I square my shoulders, loving the teasing look on his face. “I want to be who I am; my wild, adrenaline-junkie mess of a person. But I want to be that person with you, my boyfriend who is in a band and loves street racing and getting high and flipping off anyone who judges him for it.”
He fakes a gasp. “You just said the ‘B’ word.”
“Yes, I did.” I laugh, climbing onto his lap and straddling him. His jeans feel amazing against my bare thighs, and my skirt rides up as his hands slide up my skin. “Will you be with me? Go through this adventure with me?”
Axl’s hands come up to my hips, and he grips me in a delicious way. “I’ve dreamt of this moment for years, my Little Reckoning.” He guides me over him, my core colliding with his hardened cock for a second before he angles me to grind on his thigh. A moan escapes me at the way the rough denim feels against my clit, and my nails dig into his chest. “But never in my wildest dreams did I think you’d be the one asking.”
