Page 154 of Double Standards
She blinks, and for once, she lets herself be soft. Vulnerable. Real. “You think we can handle this?”
“No,” I chuckle through my honesty. “But we’re going to anyway.”
Because she’s mine. Because I’ll burn down the world for her—and now for them.
The doctor goes on, saying something about due dates and appointments, but I barely hear her. I’m still stuck on the image of those twin heartbeats. Still reeling from the knowledge that life didn’t just give me one miracle—it gave me two.
Cassie looks at me, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and in that moment, I swear I’ve never loved anyone more. There’s something raw in her gaze, something wide open and unguarded that cracks me clean in half. It’s not just awe, though that’s there too—it’s fear, and wonder, and a kind of fragile hope that makes my chest ache.
Her lashes are wet, but she doesn’t blink. Doesn’t look away. Like she needs to see if this is real, if I’m really here, if we’re really doing this—together.
Something swells in my throat, thick and wordless. Because how do you saythank you for choosing me,when you never thought anyone would? How do you explain that the life you thought you didn’t deserve is suddenly sitting in front of you, glowing, terrified, and perfect?
My fingers tighten around hers, anchoring us both. I can’t speak, not with the way my heart is thundering, not with the way emotion surges up and chokes everything else down. So I just look back at her with everything I have—every scar, every promise, every ounce of love I’ve got.
And she sees it.
She has to.
Because she gives me a smile that’s trembling at the edges and full of everything we haven’t said yet—and it undoes me all over again.
Epilapter
Idon’t think I’ve ever been this happy. I wear a constant smile, and nothing—not even the ticking time bomb of my life—can take it from me. Every moment with Axel has been overwhelmingly perfect. I moved in with him a month ago after the doctors confirmed my pregnancy was going well, and not a day has passed without him finding some way to show me just how deeply he loves me. But with that love comes a growing edge of agitation—protectiveness that borders on suffocating. I can’t so much as lift a finger without him noticing. And when he does, he insists on taking over.
He’s still pissed that we technically conceived in my office. Ever since the doctor’s confirmation, it’s become his mission to christen every room in his house. Not that I’m complaining. There’s also been talk about moving to a bigger place—his words, becausehisplace, apparently, isn’t suitable for kids, despite the fact his house has been in his family for two generations.
“I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Axel states as we pull up to mine and Lexie’s favourite cafe. Even though he means well, his voice carries a commanding edge he can’t seem to hide.
As per our agreement, I accepted his offer todrop me off to meet Lexie. He offered to stay, to support me. And as sweet as that was, I needed to do this on my own. I wanted to spend time with Lexie alone.
Even though there are no known threats, this isAxelwe’re talking about—part of The Notorious Five. A threat could come at any moment. And even though he brought me himself, I know his men are watching me from somewhere close by.
“Yes sir,” I reply snarkily, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. His brow lifts in response, but I know he secretly loves it.
“I love you,” I sing, earning a familiar grumble from him.
It’s been three weeks since I last saw my best friend, and as I step out of the car, nerves coil tightly in my stomach. I’m excited to see her, of course—but there’s a thread of anxiety running just beneath it, tugging at my conscience. Lexie isn’t exactly Axel’s biggest fan at the moment, and to be fair, I can’t blame her. She’s never been one to sugarcoat her opinions, especially not when it comes to my love life.
While I’ve been doing mental gymnastics to justify the tangled lines I now straddle—defending the law in the courtroom by day, and coming home to a man who exists firmly outside of it, Lexie remains… unconvinced. She hasn't said much outright, but I can see the skepticism lingering behind her carefully controlled expressions. She’s always been loyal, but loyalty doesn’t mean blind acceptance.
I know her well enough to recognize that her stoicism is a front. She keeps her face neutral when the topic of Axel comes up, tries to act indifferent, like it doesn’t matter. But I can feel it; that slow, simmering disapproval bubbling just beneath her calm surface. It hasn’t boiled over yet, but it’s there, waiting.
I scan the café patio, my eyes darting through the sparse lunchtime crowd before I spot her. She’s seated at a table near the edge, half-hidden behind a giant laminated menu, like she’s trying to disappear into it.
“Hey!” I call out with a smile, already stepping toward her.
She startles at the sound of my voice, lowering the menu in a quick, flustered motion—and that’s when I freeze.
Her face is a mess of injuries. Dark bruises stain the skin beneath her eyes, already shifting to that sickly yellow and purple hue that screams of pain beneath the surface. A cut trails along her cheekbone, angry and raw, and her bottom lip is split open in the center—fresh, swollen, and clearly painful.
Up close, the damage is even worse. The discoloration is deep, layered like shadows on her skin, and it makes her look like she’s been through a warzone. My heart stutters in my chest, then begins to race with panic and fury in equal measure.
“Whoa!” I hold her at arm’s length, eyes sweeping her injuries. “What happened to you?”
I gently examine the bruises near her eyes, the cuts on her cheek. She looks like she’s gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but she doesn’t flinch as I prod. Doesn’t even wince.
She swats my hands away and slumps into the chair, sunglasses back on, face hidden once again behind the menu.
