Page 39 of Beyond the Storm
Baxter was my closest friend. We’d been together for decades. Which was how I saw through his act. He pretended not to care, pretended things didn’t bother him, but then I would remember that brokenhearted male who had been hurt so deeply that he’d tried to soothe the pain by drowning himself in bottles of ambrosia-laced rum. The male who’d cried and swore he’d never let another person hurt him again.
It was a lonely existence, guarding your heart and never allowing anyone in. I knew that from experience.
“You know…” Baxter angled his face to the darkening sky. “It takes a lot for me to admit when I’m scared. And back then, when we learned what the cursed sons had to do in order to defeat Lucifer, I was fucking terrified for you, Titan. You were finally happy. Having Raiden torn from you like that? I knew it’d break you.”
A memory flashed through my mind of when Raiden’s soul had been transferred to Night Fall. He’d fallen to his knees and gone so still as an orange cloud rose from his body and seeped into the blade’s hilt. Without a doubt, losing himwouldhave broken me. More than that, it would’ve destroyed me. Completely.
I didn’t know how to respond. If I tried to speak right then, my voice would crack anyway.
“Sorry.” Baxter offered me a small smile. “Didn’t mean to make you relive it. I guess I’m just thinking a lot tonight. Definitely a sign that I should be drinking instead. Or fucking. Both are great distractions.”
“Distractions from the loneliness?”
“I’m not lonely,” he said. “Not when I have your husband’s hot videos to keep me company. Seriously. The latest one with him smacking that meat?” He kissed his fingers. “Perfection.”
Typical Baxter—reverting to humor when things got too real for him. I wouldn’t push him though. He’d talk when he wanted to.
“I’ll tell him you said so. But knowing him, he’ll fail to understand the reason why you like it.”
“That boy is too damn wholesome.” Baxter laughed under his breath. “He makes a mean burger too. You guys need to come cook dinner for me again.”
“How about tonight?” I used to cook for Baxter nearly every night prior to marrying Raiden. Breakfast most mornings too. The realization that I’d stopped made my heart ache.
“Only if you don’t have other plans,” he answered before releasing an exaggerated sigh. “I’m in rare spirits tonight. All in my feelings. I need a Titan Burger to make me feel better.” He winked.
“Oh, mock me all you want. But I’m sure he’ll name something after you next. We’ll see who’s laughing then.”
“Probably still me.”
Raiden had no problem cooking dinner at Baxter’s villa. In fact, he was excited about it. He loved cooking for the people he cared about. Shortly after Baxter and I left the beach and walked to his house, Nico, Gray, and Mason showed up with Raiden. They carried bags of ingredients through the patio door. Gray and his husband had arrived that afternoon, which was where Raiden had been when I’d gone to the beach. He had helped them get settled in.
“This should be enough,” Raiden said, unpacking what he’d brought on the kitchen counter.
“Enough for a small army,” I told him.
He flashed me the dimpled grin I adored. “Or close to it. We should invite more people over.”
Naida and her husband, Zale, joined us, as did Kallias and Elasus. Some of Nico’s friends came over too. Dargan and Oliver, angels from Lazarus’ and Michael’s units, arrived not long after that. The two of them had become friends with Baxter and the rest of us during the war with Lucifer and came to visit every so often when their schedules allowed.
The villa soon became alive with activity, people hanging out in the living room and others crammed into the kitchen. Laughter rang out from the various conversations. The old me would’ve hated it. Then again, the old me had avoided most people because it was easier to be alone.
Baxter leaned against the counter and smiled as he talked to Dargan. A genuine smile, not one of his fake ones that often hid his true feelings. His mood from earlier was quickly improving. Lifting.
“Are you still keeping tabs on His Royal Dickhead?” Baxter asked.
“Occasionally,” Dargan answered. “Since Asa’s release back into this realm, he’s kept a low profile. Having no power would do that, I suppose. His powers are so faint he is nearly human.”
“Please tell me in order to make a living for himself he was forced to get a job flipping burgers or something.” Baxter grinned at the thought. “I can just see Asa at the counter taking someone’s order and being like, ‘I used to rule the underworld, you know.’ And the customer’s like, ‘Cool. I’d like some fries with that.’ I don’t think I’d ever stop laughing.”
Dargan chuckled. “Well, I can’t give many details on his whereabouts. But know he’s having a shit time trying to adjust to the modern world.”
“Music to my ears,” Baxter responded.
Gray pointed at Nico. “After dinner, you and me. Xbox. Call of Duty.”
“Game on, short stuff,” Nico said. “Prepare to be destroyed.”
“I don’t lose.” Gray hopped up on the barstool and spun it around.
