Page 85 of The Sound Of Us

“Can you say thank you to Axel in sign?” she asks. With a broad grin, the little girl tips her fingers to her chin and then back at Axel. He smiles and signs back, you’re welcome.

Every evil thought from before evaporates as I watch this exchange. This hearing world that has chosen to speak my language with each other, just to make me feel welcome. And I’m reminded that Frank’s toxicity and cruelty is his burden to bear. I can’t let him ruin all the good in the world. Not even when I’m committed to stealing his husband away from him.

The little girl and her mother look to me for approval and I provide it with a big smile.

Alone with Axel now, I stick out my hand, offering him the cappuccino. He dusts his hands on his sweats. My eyes drop to his crotch. The bulge there makes my mouth water. He catches me staring and although his eyes tell me differently, his face remains a mask of nothingness. A quick flick of his eyes in Frank’s direction is code for please be careful.

He takes the cup from me and says, “Thank you.”

I lift my hand to sign but change my mind when I remember this whole town has been taking sign language classes for the last few months. They’ll hear everything I say.

Frank appears out of nowhere. “Are you done with this deaf cunt?” he asks. I don’t know how loud he’s speaking and if anyone else besides Axel can hear him, but I’m hearing him like a hearing person with how smoothly he enunciates his words, each one sliding out of his mouth on full display.

Axel’s eyes widen and he gives me a look, pleading for forgiveness.

“Eli can lip read,” Axel says tightly.

Frank flicks his eyes at me and then back at Axel. Then he just grins and shrugs. His friends gather around, tipping their heads up at me as if that’s meant to be some sort of greeting. I give them deadly stares, which seem to make them squirm.

“I’m working extra time this coming Tuesday and then Thursday, so get me some extra sodas from the store when you go back into town,” Frank tells Axel.

Axel nods stiffly.

“I’ll do the Thursday shift first and then the Tuesday shift.”

“You mean the Tuesday shift first and then the Thursday shift,” Axel says.

Frank frowns. “No. Thursday first, then Tuesday. Thursday comes before Tuesday, Axel.”

Axel argues back unnecessarily, and I watch this exchange with amusement at first. I'm surprised I'm able to catch these long sentences. Even with my above average lip reading skills, getting this many words is nearly impossible.

“Frank, Tuesday comes before Thursday.”

His friends’ mouths hang wide open as their bodies shake with laughter. Frank’s frown deepens. “The fuck you know, you dumb fuck. You didn’t even finish high school.”

I set my cup of cappuccino down on the table next to me, my fists clenched at my sides. Axel steps back, his anxiety radiating from his body in waves. “Yeah, okay. Thursday shift then the Tuesday shift.”

“What’s with the attitude suddenly?” Frank steps into Axel’s personal space.

We both move at the same time. Frank’s hand rises to Axel’s chest. My hand gets there a second faster and I deflect Frank’s hand and push him back hard at the same time.

He must not have been expecting it. He’s bigger and more muscled than me. So his initial non-response is more the result of surprise than from a lack of strength.

Axel stares, horror exploding all over his face as he watches Frank recover from his fall. But Frank doesn’t come for me. The crowd has mostly dispersed, and whoever is left aren’t paying any attention.

Frank’s lips move. “You think you’re so smart, huh?” He lunges for Axel, but I jerk Axel to the side and out of the way. Frank glares at me. I don’t know why he won’t come after me.

His friend pulls him back. “C’mon Frank. Stop this. If you’re going to hit someone, hit me.”

Frank gives his friend a pat on the cheek. “Hit you?” he says. “Kenny, you’re my brother. I could never hit you.”

He gives me a disgusted look, then pins a terrified Axel with a glare and lets his friends pull him away.

Axel turns away from me and I’m left seething.

Chapter 47

Axel

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