Page 49 of Something to Believe In
"I'll talk about it every day with you. What is stopping you?"
She swallowed the knot in her throat. "I don't know."
The light in his eyes dimmed. "If you don't know, I don't know what I can do to make you believe we're meant to be together all the time."
Her heart took on a weight and felt as though it was too heavy to continue to beat in her chest. She sniffed lightly as her nose tingled. "I'm sorry. It isn't about you and me not wanting to be with you. It's actually about me."
"Oh no! Not the “it's not you, it's me” argument."
She tucked her hands into her front pockets. "Axel, baby." She took a deep breath. "In the past week, look at all that's gone on. It's too much. It's all too much. I don't want to make a decision like this during chaos. It should be a fun time. It should be exciting and fresh, and finally, we're together. Not come here to be safe."
He kissed her forehead, then turned and moved toward the office. She saw him disappear behind the door, and her heart hurt. She'd hurt him again. The last person in the world she ever wanted to hurt, and she'd done it.
She turned to the refrigerator once more, the unshed tears in her eyes blurring the items she sought to make them breakfast.
She angrily swiped at her tears. Taking a big breath, she began pulling food from the fridge. Eggs, milk, cheese, bacon. Finding a frying pan in the cupboard, she set it on the stove and took a cutting board from the holder on the counter. She cut up the bacon and cheese; she enjoyed cooking. She absorbed the love of cooking ingredients into something delicious. As she whipped the eggs and milk, she hummed. Her song, beginning to take shape. She lost herself in the moment of creating both food for nourishment and song for enjoyment. Dropping the bacon bits onto the egg cooking in the pan, she folded it over and then laid cheese chunks on top.
Pulling two plates from the cupboard, she plated their omelettes, her song now forming solidly in her mind. It was good. She couldn't wait to share it with Axel. But it wasn't ready yet. There was more to add. A key phrase to repeat. The chorus line she sought was beginning to show itself to her.
She turned with the two plates in her hands and froze when she saw Axel staring at her from the entrance. His sexy body leaned against the frame of the doorway, and his arms were crossed in front of him. A soft smile graced his lips and his eyes – well, the light had turned back on.
"Hi."
He pushed himself off the wall, "Hey."
"Breakfast is ready."
"Thank you."
Setting the plates on the table, she straightened and faced him. "How long were you watching me?"
"A while. You were humming, so I came out to listen. In case I haven't told you lately, I love your voice. I could listen to you every minute of every day."
Her heartbeat sped up. She loved his praise. She didn't need it, but it sure made her feel fantastic to receive it. "Thank you. I love your voice, too."
"I wasn't fishing, Mads."
"I know. That's what makes it even more important that I tell you."
He chuckled and sat in front of his plate at the table. She swallowed. "Do you need more coffee?"
"A refresher would be great, thank you."
She busied herself with their coffees and marveled at the lightness now in her heart. A roller coaster came to mind. Her emotions had been riding a roller coaster for years, but this past week, they'd been on the most hellacious section of the coaster, and she really wanted to get off.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Axel opened Maddyn's door and helped her from the SUV. A car door slammed, and he spun around, faster than he should have. His sore muscles let him know that.
Sean strode up to him, concern on his face. "Are you two doing alright?"
Mads stood next to him, and Sean leaned in and hugged her. He watched his friend offer comfort and support to his lover, and his heart swelled. They really cared about them.
Sean stood back, then pulled him into a strong embrace. "We're solid on this."
Axel nodded and squeezed Sean once before letting him go. "Thanks. We appreciate it."
He wrapped his arm around Mads' shoulders and pulled her close. More than anything, he needed to keep her close. Worry had crept into his mind that if she wasn't near him, she wasn't safe. Knowing how foolish that thought was didn't make it go away. Danger was all around them, and he hated being a sitting duck, waiting for Lacey to make her next move.
