Our eyes held as Axel appraised us. My brother didn’t comment on our status, but turned to look at me. “How long can you stay?”
Wiping at my face, I cleared the emotion from my throat. I wanted to say forever, but that wasn’t possible. “Ten days.”
“That’s a start,” Axel said, then looked around before releasing me to take a seat on the sofa.
I followed him, afraid that he’d disappear if I didn’t stay close. Clearing the overwhelming emotion away, I fought back the sadness in our separation for the joy of being together. “I have a million questions, but I’m still in shock about everything. I don’t quite know where to begin except to say I’m angrier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Axel grunted as his leg bounced. I smiled at the familiar response. “I am too, and I was ready to kill someone when I found out my twin was living in America.” His tone changed, and his jaw hardened as he looked at me. “We were separated for no good fucking reason other than the pretentious prick of a sperm donor was to blame.”
My eyes automatically went to Thomas before going back to Axel. “What do you mean?”
Axel furrowed his brow. “He caused this, Mason. Not that our mother was innocent, because she obviously agreed to the arrangement. If she hadn’t received an early diagnosis, I might never have found out. And I’m still fucking furious, especially now that I have you back.” He looked away and gritted his jaw,causing the muscles and tendons in his neck to flex. Just like mine did.
Propping my elbows on my knees, I clasped my hands together and rested my chin on them. “I’ve only known about you for two days, and let’s just say I didn’t handle it well. You don’t want to know what I did to our father’s desk after I questioned him about you. He went pale and started apologizing. I’d never lost control of myself before like I did in his office. It just all came to a head, and I exploded.”
Axel’s head turned, showing me his devious grin. He almost looked proud of me. “What did you do? I need to know.”
Thomas chuckled, obviously enjoying our interaction, as I relayed the story. “Initially, I thought I was adopted, but when he said we were his biological children, I stood and wiped everything off his desk. When I went to flip it, Thomas stopped me.”
Axel laughed. “Damn, I wish I’d been there. Did you take photos?”
I bumped his shoulder, like I would have done with my friends. “No.” Turning, I looked into my brother’s waiting eyes. “I don’t ever remember a time I was that hurt and angry. He’d just told me you were not just my brother, but my twin. And I lost it. Didn’t even give him time to explain. Just got myself out of there before I destroyed the place.”
Axel wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “I’m proud of you, little brother,” he said.
I shrugged, secretly loving it when he called me that. “For what?”
“Well,” he mused, “for being angry on our behalf, but also having the self-control I probably would lack in that situation. I might have torn the place to shreds. Sometimes my anger gets the best of me. I end up in the sin bin a lot.”
“Oh wow,” I laughed. At that moment, I didn’t care who was to blame for keeping us apart. I was simply grateful we’d found each other before more time had passed. “I’ve had this feeling…like something was missing in here,” I patted my chest, “for as long as I can remember.”
Axel’s expression changed from deprecating to solemn. “Yeah. I know that feeling,” he murmured. “But it’s eased once I found you online.”
“I still can’t believe you were looking for me.”
Axel pulled me closer. “Why? Of course I would. Just like you were looking for me. I stalked your social media for a while, which was bare, by the way. That’s why I had to go to your team pages to get your attention. Who do you think did all that tagging?”
My mouth flew open as I turned to look at him. “You started that? You’re the one who tagged me and the Storm?”
He smirked. “Only took a million times, but I had to get your attention in a way you wouldn’t freak out. If I’d popped up on your doorstep, what would I say? Hello, mate. I’m your older brother.”
I grinned at the eerily familiar words, then erupted in laughter. Glancing over at Thomas, he wore a dazzling smile that stretched from ear to ear, almost taking my breath away. I was fixed on him until Axel drew my attention back to him. “What’s so funny?”
Wiping my hand across my mouth, I shared it with him. “It’s the twin thing, I suppose. I said the same thing to Thomas on the flight over. And I, like you, didn’t want to freak you out.”
Axel nodded at my words. “I guess what they say about twins having a connection that goes beyond the physical is true.”
I was unable to form words as tears threatened to take over. The weight of the years we’d lost came back with a vengeance.Shifting on the sofa, I looked over at him with teary eyes. “Tell me about our mother.”
Axel’s demeanor changed as he curled his lips in. He breathed deeply before speaking. “What do you know about her?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
Accepting my admission, he sighed. “Okay, let’s start from the beginning.”
It occurred to me that as much as I wanted to know everything, I was also afraid. “Am I going to need a drink for this?”
He snorted. “Maybe not. From what I saw online, you like the asshole a lot more than I do.”
