Page 13 of Need for Speed

I sit up in bed trying to read a book that I’m not at all paying attention to. All I’m paying attention to right now is Axell. I’m memorizing every last detail about him as if it’s the last time I’ll lay eyes on him. Although, in this situation it just might very well be.

When we arrived back home, I was surprised when Jovi asked me if I could go to lunch with him tomorrow. Of course, I quickly agreed, I could see that he needed to talk. First thing in the morning though I have to try and make amends with Seth. I can’t leave L.A. not knowing if or when I’m coming back without fixing things with him first. I’m preparing for the worst as if that could soften the blow of the consequences.

I watch as the moonlight casts a glow over Axell’s chest, darkening the hair on his chest. His eyelashes shadowing his face. He looks much younger while asleep. I can almost see the teenage version I fell in love with without the stress of the world on his face. I can’t help but wonder what his face will look like the day after tomorrow? What will it look like after Ace’s wedding and I drop a bomb on us?

I can’t sleep so quietly I get up and make my way to the kitchen. I stop at Jovi’s bedroom door like I always have. I open it just enough to check on him. It’s been a habit of mine since I first moved in here. However, his absence is evident and my heart jumps to my throat. I run to the front door noticing thatthe deadbolt is unlocked. It only takes a second to realize that his car is not in the driveway. I run back to the bedroom, to Axell’s side of the bed and shake him “Axell!”

He sits up while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Jovi is gone!”

Axell throws the covers off his body and charges down the hallway to confirm what I just said. He re-enters our bedroom mumbling a string of curse words while grabbing his phone off the charger from the nightstand. Between the two of us we quickly rule out him being at any of the brother’s houses or at Monrowe’s, but we did discover she too is missing.

Minutes later Bowie, Jagger, and Ace enter the house, joining Axell as they go in search of their youngest James brother. Axell presses a kiss to the top of my head. “We’ll be back. Try not to worry.”

I watch as they all leave. He can tell me not to worry, but I will. An hour later but what feels like an eternity, they return helping a very drunk Jovi through the front door. “He’s going to regret this tomorrow,” Jagger says, as he and Axell walk him to the bathroom.

Bowie stops in the hallway and shakes his head. “Damn kid, Apparently, he and Monrowe had been on the phone and they got into an argument, so he went over to her place. She didn’t want to wake her parents, so she snuck out and they ended up at the beach. She claimed she didn’t know where he got the beer since he already had it when he picked her up. She took the keys from him afraid that he’d try to drive.”

I nod, trying to absorb that Jovi is drunk. I never thought I’d see that day or at least not for a while. “Where’s Ace?” I ask, just realizing that he’s not with them

“He went to get Kynlee, so she could drive Jovi’s car back. Monrowe’s parents came and picked her up,” Bowie explains.

I hear the shower start to run and Jovi cursing like a madman once he’s pushed under the stream of water, no doubt that it’s still cold. Bowie walks down the hallway to join his brothers in the bathroom while I go to the kitchen to find some Tylenol and water. As I’m heading to Jovi’s room, I hear the distinct sound of vomiting.

Ace and Kynlee walk in. “Where’s his dumbass?” Ace asks, as he passes by the bedroom.

“The bathroom, but why don’t you wait until tomorrow to get on to him? I’m sure you all want to because I also want to, but he won’t remember it tomorrow. It’s better to wait and do it while he’s sober. Also, we might want to try and figure out what brought this on. This isn’t like him,” I tell Ace and Kynlee.

Ace shakes his head, “No, it’s not. I think that’s why I’m so angry. He’s the smart one. He’s not supposed to make the same mistakes we all did.”

I laugh. “He’s a boy and on top of that he’s a James boy, he’ll make a lot of the same mistakes you guys did, but he’ll learn quicker.”

“God, I hope so,” Ace says, while running a hand through his hair. Kynlee squeezes his bicep and it warms my heart to see how supportive she is to Ace. I worried he’d never find anyone.

The guys get Jovi into bed while I give him the Tylenol and make him drink some water. Axell and I thank the rest for coming to help before saying good night to everyone. Axell and I make our way back to our bedroom. “Well, I never thought I’d have to go through that until we had a kid of our own. Jovi just always seemed so together, I think it shocked all of us for a minute. I mean, I don’t think the damn kid has ever broken a rule.”

We must have fallen asleep at some point last night, because I wake up on Axell’s side of the bed without him. Rolling over,I see him up and pacing the floor with coffee in his hand. “You okay?”

He stops and turns to look at me, “Yeah, I’m okay. Just trying to think of how we are going to handle this.” I get up from the bed and walk over to Axell wrapping my arms around him. After a few moments he presses a kiss to the top of my head and leaves the bedroom. Grabbing my robe, I quickly follow. Axell barges into Jovi’s room and yanks the shades open. “Rise and shine!” his voice booms as he claps his hands loudly.

Jovi rolls over and groans. “Really? You have to be kidding me!”

Axell chuckles. “I kid you not baby brother. Get your ass out of bed. You are going to shower, take your mom to lunch like you planned, then you are coming home and working around the house the rest of this week.”

Jovi is sitting up. “What work around the house?”

“I’ll make you a damn list and after you’re done here you will work extra at the shop.”

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Jovi asks.

“No!” Axell’s voice booms so loudly that even I cringe away from it. “You scared the hell out of us last night. You are grounded until further notice. Now, get up and get ready.”

Jovi stands, but he doesn’t look happy about it. “Will you get off my case?”

A harsh laugh escapes from Axell “Are you going to tell that to your drill sergeant, because I’m pretty sure if you do, you won’t last longer than a week in the Marines. Maybe you should consider a different path if you don’t like someone on your case.

“Marines?” I ask, as if that could change the words I just heard. Jovi wants to join the Marines? That’s why he wanted to go to lunch. He mentioned he wanted to tell me something.

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