Page 62 of Hello Forever
She only held me tighter. “You’ve been through so much, you two. But it’s going to getbetternow.”
Was it? I wish Ibelievedher.
Ms. Armitage stepped back, and I could see that her eyes were damp. “I’m going to go to his apartment to shower and sleep some. Can you stay awhile?”
“A couple of hours,” Iwhispered.
She nudged me toward the chair. “Sit. I’mgoing.”
I sat and made myself take a good look at Axel—at the destruction I’d wrought. One arm was in a cast. His face was discolored and looked so very painful. He breathed peacefully enough in his sleep,though.
His good hand lay right there beside me, and I wanted to pick it up and kiss it. But I didn’t do it. He needed his sleep. I’d done him enough harmalready.
I leaned my elbows on the edge of the mattress and propped my head in my hands. I was so, so tired. It was hard to believe that I’d ever feel upbeat about anythingagain.
I must have nodded off. My head had sagged against the edge of the mattress. And now there was a warm hand sifting throughmyhair…
On a gasp, Isatup.
“Sorry,” Axel whispered. “Couldn’t help myself.” He smiledatme.
The sight of that familiar smile set into his beat-up face made my eyes suddenly hot. I gulped back tears. “I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice breaking. “You…I…”
His smile faded. “Don’t cry. It’s not as bad as itlooks.”
“It is, though.” I grabbed his hand and held it in both of mine, kissing his palm. “He could havekilledyou!” A sob escaped mythroat.
“But he didn’t,” Axel said quickly. “I’m still here. But for three days I’ve been wondering where you were. And nobody would talk about you. Where haveyoubeen?”
Tears ran down my face, and I swiped at them. “Well, after I got outofjail…”
“What?” Axel’s good eye got round. “Whatthefuck?”
“Nobody told youaboutthat?”
He shook his head a little and then winced. “No. Why were youinjail?”
“I got arrested for your assault. Because of that sexual harassment claim, they thought Imighthave…”
“Jesus,” Axel gasped. “They asked me when I’d lastseenyou.”
“Yeah. It was messy. And I was freaking out because my brothers were home alone. There was talk of sending Scotty to a foster home, because theassholeran.”
“Nobody told me any of this,” Axel whispered, squeezing my hand. “Ididn’tknow.”
“I think they were trying not to scare you.” I sighed. “Anyway, it took a day to straighten that out. They gave me a polygraph test and everything. I might still be in there if my father hadn’t fled the state, making himself look guilty as fuck. When they let me out, I had to round up the boys and sort of half-explain why their father was apprehended in Connecticut and is now in jail. And then I had to find a family-law expert to be mylawyer.”
“Jesus.Why?”
“Because I have to sue for custody of my brothers before my father gets out. His bail hearing was today. I went to it to testifyagainsthim.”
“Holy shit,” Axel said. “You have been busy. So…” His tired face creased with confusion. “Where ishenow?”
“They caught him in Stamford, in a car he’d rented with cash. The rental agent called the cops when she saw his faceonTV.”
“TV?”
“Yep. Manhunt. Anyway, he’s in the county jail. He was denied bail, thank God. Otherwise I’d be in a real panic right now, hoping he didn’t show up to scare me away from the boys. He actually yelled at me in court today. ‘Keep the pervert away frommysons.’”
