Chapter 49

Adelaide

“This is weird,” I say, looking out the window of the truck. “Isn’t this weird?”

Axton shrugs, keeping his eyes on the thick University traffic as everyone fights to get a good parking spot for graduation. “We’re friends. Friends drive each other to graduation.”

We’ve spent the last few weeks as friends.

I smile over at him, the small bandage across his knuckles catching my eye. “How’s your hand?”

“It’s fine.”

“My mother’s very grateful for all your help the last couple weeks.”

“I’m sure I erased whatever good will I had built up when she heard me cuss yesterday when I got cut.”

“She knows we’re not perfect. Did you apologize?”

He nods. “Profusely.” He looks at me as we wait for people to cross the street toward the auditorium. “She frowns exactly like you do when I cuss around you.”

“I got it from somewhere I guess.” I angle my head so I can see past the crowd to the front doors, then down inside my small clutch.

“Are you nervous?” I nod. “It’s a big deal, but you’re one in several hundred. Everyone here is only looking at one or two people. Your family will be watching you.”

“I forget you performed in arenas bigger than what we’re walking into today.”

“Don’t let my calmness now fool you. I was terrified every time I went on stage.” He shakes his head. “That’s a lie. Nine times out of ten, I was drunk and didn’t give a shit who was in the audience.”

“Things are different now,” I tell him as he parks and pulls the keys from the ignition.

The look on his face melts my heart when he turns to me. “Some things are different.” His warm fingers caress my cheek. “Some things will never change.”

“I hope not,” I whisper.

Abruptly, he pulls his hand back and climbs out. I wait in the cab until he comes around and opens the door for me.

“This weather,” I complain, “I should’ve worked harder last year and graduated in December. These gowns during summer are brutal.”

“Let’s get you in to the AC then.”

With a familiar hand on the small of my back, he guides me to the meeting point with my class before heading into the stadium to look for my family.

Fifteen minutes later, we’re being herded into the arranged chairs so we can begin. For the first half hour, during all the speeches and presentation of several awards, I search the audience for his hazel eyes, holding them nearly every second after I find them.

“Where did Axton go?” Mandy asks as she walks into the living room and plops down on the couch.

“He had to run home and change clothes.”

My phone dings, a sound I recognize as a new email. I bend to scoop it off the table.

“What did Mom say when you told her you weren’t going to hang out at their house between now and your graduation dinner?”

I grin at her. “I didn’t have to say a thing. Axton told her he’d made some plans with some friends at the lake this afternoon. We were off the hook.”

“She wants y’all together,” she says. “You realize that, right?”

“I do.” I pull up my email and frown when I see a message from the apartment complex we’re moving into next week.

“Why are you frowning? Did he back out?”

I shake my head, my frown turning into a grin. “You’ll have to unpack.”

I’ve put off all my packing until the last minute, just like I’ve put off talking to Axton about moving.

“Why is that?” She leans forward.

“Email says there’s been a water main burst. They have to repair the apartments with current tenants, and won’t be able to have ours ready until late July, early August.”

“That’s horrible news. Why are you smiling like that?” I look up at her, not needing to say a thing. “Now you have several more months to spend with Axton.”

I nod and bite my lip.

“Is it even going anywhere?” she asks. “Last time we talked, he hadn’t so much as tried to kiss you.”

I place my phone back on the coffee table and settle back on the couch. “We’re working on trust and just being around each other.”

“And you think he wants more with you?”

“I know he does. He tells me all the time that he’s letting me adjust, giving me time to wrap my head around spending the rest of my life with him,” I explain.

“And that’s what you want?”

My smile falters. “I love him, but for some reason, it’s like I’m waiting for him to show up in the middle of the night and tell me he’s leaving again.”

We both snap our heads toward the door at the wrap of a knuckle.

“That’s your man,” Mandy says as we both stand.

I reach for my bag, and she walks past to answer the door.

“Hey,” Axton says as he steps inside. “You ready?”

I nod and sling the strap of my bag over my shoulder only to take it off and hand it to him when he holds his hand out for it.

“Keep a close eye on her,” Mandy says as he walks out onto the porch. “The bikini she’s wearing is going to have them coming out of the woodwork.”

She closes the door behind us before I can even glare at her.

“Bikini, huh?” Axton’s hand hits my back as he guides me to the truck. It’s the only contact we’ve had since the hug on stage at the bar two weeks ago.

“It’s the most modest one I could find,” I tell him as he opens the truck door for me.

“There’s going to be a lot of people, Addi.” His eyes trail up my legs until they meet the fringe of my cutoff shorts. “Maybe we should go watch a movie.”

The fire in his eyes ignites the one that’s been simmering in my body for weeks.

“I want to swim,” I pout, arms crossed over my chest. The actions draws his gaze, and I love the way he looks at me. I never have to doubt how he feels because it’s always evident on his face.

“It’s not a white swimsuit, is it?”

I laugh. “White? That’s ridiculous. If I wore a white swimsuit everyone would see my nip—”

“Enough, Addi.” He clears his throat. “What color is it?”

“Navy blue,” I tell him.

“Thank fuck,” he mutters before slamming the door and walking around. His frustration level is so funny, I don’t even think to scold him for the language.

“Are you going to come to dinner tonight?” I ask after he settles in and we head to the lake.

“Of course,” he says. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I can’t wait for you to see what I got you.”

“I don’t expect a gift from you,” I answer honestly. “But I know I’ll treasure it.”

“Gabe won’t be there, will he?”

“No,” I tell him. “He decided it would be best if he stayed in Atlanta. He was offered an associate pastor position at one of the small churches up there.”

“I thought he was going to work with your dad?” He smiles. “I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep from knocking his lights out anytime I was at the church helping your father.”

“Violence doesn’t solve anything,” I chide.

“But it would feel so good.” His smile tells me he’s joking, at least a little anyway.

“My father told him he didn’t think he was a very good fit at our church.”

“Really?” He angles his head toward me briefly at a four-way stop before turning it back as we roll through.

“Yeah. I didn’t say anything to him, but I talked to Renee and Mandy about the things he said and how he really creeped me out. I think one of them talked to my dad. He really likes Gabe, but he’s not going to have him there all the time at my expense.”

“So, who’s going to replace your dad?”

I laugh at his words. “He’s not planning to retire anytime soon. He has plenty of time to find someone before he even considers that happening.”

“I’m glad he won’t be there. Just knowing he’s two hours from you in Atlanta helps me sleep better at night.”

I cringe, grateful he’s paying attention to the road and doesn’t see.

Tell him about Atlanta.

I don’t want to ruin the day, so I stay silent.

“I’m not sure he would’ve been so quick to dismiss Gabe if you hadn’t been so helpful these last couple weeks.”

“I don’t mind,” he says, flashing his perfect smile.

“I know.” My attention is pulled from our conversation when we drive up to the lake. “There are so many people here.”

“Yep,” he mutters, looking out at the crowded parking lot. “This is going to suck.”

“Why’s that?”

He shakes his head. “I’m going to kick anyone’s ass who looks at you.”

He climbs out, then helps me out of the truck. Pulling his t-shirt over his head, he tosses it on the seat of the truck, and my mouth goes dry as the apex of my thighs dampen and my fingertips itch to touch him.

Tall, tan, and cut to perfection, Axton Lane stands in front of me. His swim trunks hang so low on his hips, my eyes linger on the arrow of muscle pointing down and the dark trail of hair disappearing into the top of them. I gawk so long, he waves a hand in front of me to get my attention.

“Earth to Addi.” When my eyes meet his, I find a salacious smirk and knowing look burning in his hazel eyes.

“I think I may get into a fight today too,” I tell him on a rushed breath.

Pushing my shorts down to my ankles, I pull my tank top over my head before bending to grab my shorts from the sandy parking lot.

“Nope,” Axton says, ripping the clothes out of my hand. “We can’t stay. Movie’s on me. Get dressed.”

He hands over my clothes and pulls his t-shirt back over his head after he recovers it from the front seat.

I don’t argue. I hate being the center of attention. I’m also selfish and want Axton to myself for as long as I can have him.

He walks around to the front of the truck, mumbling about sirens and tempting the devil as I get my clothes back on.