Page 5 of Crash and Burn

“Axel’s at the hospital.” She swings past me and takes the phone back with lithe fingers. “Pack those away for me, please.” She casts an absentminded look toward a tray of cupcakes not yet iced. “I have to go see him.”

“But what’s wrong?” I sprint past the tray of cakes and grab my boss just as she moves from the preparation area of the bakery into the store that customers see.

It’s the middle of a school day, past the lunchtime rush, which means only a customer or two glance up at my worried tone.

Still, I lower my voice and grit out, “I need to know what happened, Nic.”

“Nixon said there was an accident. Axel fell off a ladder and landed on his back.”

My stomach whooshes with nausea and panic. “Is-is he okay?”

She shakes off my hand, blind to the way it tremors. “I think so. Nix said he is. He’s been rushed into the emergency room, since he fell so far and landed so hard, but Nix says he thinks everything will be okay. He hurt his back, and they worried it could be serious.”

“Like… like he broke his back?” My blood pressure drops out so my vision turns spotty. “Axel broke his back?”

“N-no,” she stammers. “But they worried for a sec that was the case. He’s heading in for x-rays now, but they think he’s gonna be fine.”

“So why are you rushing out?” I glance to the customers who watch us. Then to our delivery drivers, who’ve abandoned their vehicle at the back of the store in favor of following me to the front. “If he’s gonna be fine, why are you freaking out?”

“Because he’s my brother!” She snatches a paper bag from the top of the glass display cabinet and fills it with a cupcake I know is Axel’s favorite.

Though of course, the man will eat a hundred a day and claim they’reallhis favorite.

“He’s my little brother, Hannah, which means I’ve gotta go.” Shoving the paper bag in her purse, and crushing the contents in her frenzy, she circles the counter and starts toward the door. “I’m sorry,” she babbles to her customers. “I’m sorry, I…”

This town is too small not to know everyone’s business. So they only wave her off with mumbledit’s okays.

“I’ll call you,” she says to me. “Could you get June from school if I’m not back in time?”

“Uh… sure.” My heart pounds in my throat, and my longing to be the one leaving right now burns me where I stand.

I’mthe one who should rush to his side. I’m his best freakin’ friend in the whole world, even if he won’t openly admit it.

“I’ll just… Um…”

“I’ll call you,” she repeats. “Before three, I’ll let you know if you need to get her.”

“Okay…”

She swings the front door open so the bell on top jingles, then she’s gone. Like a storm that blew through only to disappear again, unapologetic for the mess it’s left behind.

My phone doesn’t trill with an emergency call the way hers did. I’m not invited to Axel’s bedside when he’s hurt, although I’m the one he calls every time something good happens. I’m the one he texts. The one he side-eyes when I flirt a little too loudly.

Damn him, I’m the one he looks for in a crowded room. The one whose back he places a hand on when we walk.

He says it’s inappropriate for us to flirt or, god forbid, consider anything more.

But I’m the one his eyes come to. Every single time. Every day. Everywhere we go.

“Hannah?” Theo Griffin is a local IT guy who works with computers and tech stuff. He owns a massive company, and his logos sit on the back of my phone. To the rest of the world, he’stheTheo Griffin, the way Steve Jobs wastheSteve Jobs. But in this town, in this bakery, he’s just the guy married to a cop who buys enough cake to keep everyone happy when the three-o’clockblehshit. “You need to sit down or something?” He wanders closer and reaches across the counter to press his hand to my arm. “You should sit.”

“No, I’m…” I shake my head and take a step away so his hand falls. “I’m okay.” I clear my throat and try not to overthink whatever has happened.

Axel was working. He fell. But Nicole was assured he’ll be okay.

So everything’s okay… Right?

I drop my hands into the pocket of my apron and finger the corner of my phone. But I don’t take it out. I don’t check the screen for missed calls I know won’t be there. For messages I know he won’t have sent.

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