Sweet Hope

When Axel had left the room, Lexi faced Levi. “Lev, did you have to be like that?” she said, clear disappointment in her tone.

Levi shrugged. “I didn’t want a damn drink.”

Lexi sighed and dropped her head.

Molly shuffled forward to comfort Lexi, when Rome walked into the suite.

Rome, as always, bee-lined for Molly and, wrapping his arms around her, pulled her in for a kiss.

Austin walked in the room shortly after Rome, and immediately his eyes began to search the suite. We all knew he was looking for Axel.

Austin, seeing his wife clapping her hands at him in congratulations, laughed and, taking her face in his hands, brought her in for a kiss. As he broke away, he whispered, “Ti amo tantissimo,” in her ear, making her blush, then next took Levi in his arms.

“You were fucking unreal, Aust,” Levi said proudly.

“Thanks, Lev,” Austin replied, and just at that moment, the suite door opened and Axel stepped through carrying a bottle of water for Lexi.

Rome, who had just hugged me, stiffened. But Austin, Austin’s whole face lit up as he crossed the room and threw his arms around Axel’s neck. Axel’s assessing eyes looked up to all of us watching, and he awkwardly pushed Austin back after tapping his back.

“You came, Axe,” Austin said in relief.

Axe tapped his hand on Austin’s face. “You know it, kid,” Axel replied. “Sei stato grande, fratello.”

“Grazie, Axe, grazie,” Austin replied.

Slinging an arm around Axel’s shoulder, Austin led him back toward us. “We having drinks here first, then catching dinner?” he asked, looking to Rome.

Rome’s eyes narrowed and focused on Axel. Axel’s eyes were glaring at my cousin just as fiercely.

“Axe,” Rome greeted coldly.

“Rome,” Axel greeted back.

Austin tensed as he looked between his brother and best friend, but Rome broke the tension when he turned to Austin and said, “Dinner sounds good,” and sat down, pulling Molly to sit on his lap. Lexi moved next to Austin where he immediately sloped his arm around her neck.

Axel stayed next to Austin, drinking a beer, and listened to his brother’s rundown of the game. Levi watched on, unwilling to join them, but by the look on his face, clearly wanting to.

“I hate that fuck,” Rome said from beside me, too low for Axel to hear and my heart fell at his words.

“Rome,” Molly censured.

“What? After everything he’s done, Austin just welcomes him back? No questions asked?”

A sudden anger built within me as I listened to my cousin being so unforgiving toward Axel, and just as I was about to jump to Axel’s defense, someone walked into the suite.

“Well, look at this, it’s like a friggin’ UA reunion!”

My attention followed the voice and, there at the door, was Reece. I couldn’t help but smile as he stood there, beer in hand looking as preppy as always with his clean cut blond hair and thousand-dollar smile. He’d filled out some since college, but was still just as handsome.

Reece entered and slapped hands with Austin, Levi and Rome, hugged Molly, then turned his huge smile to me.

“Ally,” he said playfully. “You haven’t changed bit,” he added as he wrapped me in his arms. As I looked over Reece’s shoulder, loosely hugging him back, Axel was glaring at us, and in that glare I saw the real Axel Carillo. I saw the infamous ex-leader of the Heighters, the guy who took no shit. And this version of him, I actually feared.

Pulling me back by my arms, Reece leaned forward, and taking me by surprise, jokingly planted a kiss on my lips.

Pushing on his chest, I broke from the kiss. “Reece! Get the hell off!”

Reece winked at me. “Shit. You’re still my dream girl, Al. Still just as hot as ever.” I shook my head at him in reprimand, but couldn’t help but laugh. At twenty-three, he was still a hopeless flirt. I kind of missed having him around.

“Reece, get the fuck off my cousin, you horny little shit,” Rome said, amused.

Reece laughed, holding out his hands. “I’m off. I just couldn’t help myself.” He turned to me and his eyebrows danced. I laughed again. He’d always made me laugh. The guy was as laidback as they came.

Reece slung his arms around my neck and turned us to face all the old gang. “So, are we going out tonight? I fly back out to D.C., tomorrow and want to see what the Seattle nightlife’s like.”

“We can grab dinner, but I’m taking Molls home after,” Rome said.

“Same for us,” I heard Austin say.