19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

WYATT

Axel showed up at the house with Laura an hour ago with beer and pizza. I’m not complaining and I get to hang out with the woman who is absolutely going to be my sister-in-law. She’s a replica of Axel in almost every way aside from the fact that she’s smarter than he is. She also knows it and lords it over his head as often as she can. Currently, they’re discussing something about Marvel comics and from what I can tell, Laura is winning.

Axel is getting flustered, his face turning bright red as he huffs with frustration. Her sweet kisses always bring him back and it’s like watching two high schoolers on their first date. They’re awkward as fuck but their love is so pure.

I glance at the clock. It’s been almost two hours since Jameson left to speak with Reggie. Unable to concentrate at the bakery, Axel came and packed me up and dragged me home to relax. I don’t need the money from my shop and spending time with my younger brother is relaxing. I’m just antsy that Jameson isn’t back yet.

“Stop worrying. I’m sure he’s just punching Reggie’s daylights out so that he finally understands and stops being a turd. That Facebook post was hateful but it’s already down.” Axel leans over the back of the couch and shakes his phone at me. “I spoke to Meta and all that bullshit, reported the post and poof! Gone.”

I narrow my eyes at him because that sounds like bullshit.

“Fine. Reggie is unoriginal and I figured out his password and took it down. I might have also changed his password so that he couldn’t get back in. Now, what’s for dessert? I know you have shit in your fridge.”

I bark out a laugh as I sit on one of the ottomans in the living room beside them and fold my arms across my chest. “I thought Jay was the sweet tooth.”

“Oh, he is. I want one piece. He’d eat the entire cake. Why isn’t he back yet?”

As if asking for him is a beacon, Jameson opens the door, a dark expression overshadowing him. He stalks toward me and I drag him closer, my head against his chest. If I was sitting anywhere else, it wouldn’t work but I hold him tight, Jameson doling out several kisses to the top of my head. “I didn’t expect it to fucking hurt. They just took him.” My entire body tenses and then relaxes. “An officer arrested him for fraud.”

I hear Axel and Laura gasp but I can’t think beyond that. For as many years as Reggie didn’t understand me or didn’t even try, I thought finally telling him I’d had enough would make all this right. Instead, it feels unfinished. The man I used to look up to, my protector, the one who taught me everything is no longer here to berate me for my choices or tell me not to hang out with his friends.

I’ve wanted his overbearing touch gone for so fucking long that it feels weird that he is. Most likely because I didn’t want him to hurt. I just wanted him to understand. I cling to Jameson, not sure what to feel. Anger? Happiness? Sadness?

I just feel… empty.

I want to cheer that maybe Reggie will finally learn his lesson but not like this. Never like this.

Time passes but I’m only focused on holding the one person who has kept me grounded in this world. The one who has seen me when no one else has. The one who has constantly put me first. The one who has made me want to submit to him on my knees.

Too soon, I pull away, all of us in our heads with the revelation. Jameson leads me over to the couch beside Axel and Laura, situating us in a way so that I’m leaning on him. I slide down until my head is in his lap and one of his hands rests on my head as I spread out. Laura chuckles as she climbs into Axel’s lap to make space.

“Reggie is looking at a few years if he’s convicted. I have no idea why he thought that was the road to go down and before either of you say it,” Jameson glares at me and then Axel, “Neither of you are responsible for this. I know he’s asked for money several times but not giving it to him has actually absolved you of any responsibility in this case. I don’t know any of the details, just that at some point Reggie fell off the wagon. I wish I had caught it or seen at what point we started to lose him to all this.”

“You’re not responsible either, Jay,” I whisper. I reach up to caress his neck before he bends down for a soft kiss. “If we’re not guilty of Reggie’s choices, neither are you.”

Axel tightens his hold on his girlfriend before sticking his chin over her shoulder. “As much as I hate to admit it, this isn’t how I wanted Reggie to learn a lesson. It feels weird and I hope this isn’t the end of things. I still need him to own up to everything else but… fuck, I don’t know.”

I don’t either.

“They should let us speak to him in a few days if everything works out. All we can do for now is move forward. One step at a time.” Jameson’s hand trembles as he continues to smooth down what little hair I have. I feel the same way but there’s an entire future out there for us. One that won’t demean my relationship and as much as it hurts that Reggie won’t be part of it, I won’t have to worry about the disrespect and the lack of boundaries.

“So… movie?” Axel pipes up. My younger brother did always know how to break up the awkwardness in the room.“Because Laura and I were discussing Marvel and I think we should-”

Laura snorts, “Absolutely not. We’re not watching that one. It’s not even first!”

They start bickering again, falling off the couch into a fit of giggles as we watch. Jameson’s trembling soon lessens until the rage and confusion he’s feeling make way for peace. I drag him down into another kiss, one of his hands sliding around my waist to cup my ass. I moan into his mouth as I roll toward him, needing everything he’s offering.

“Get a room, you two!” Axel yells.

“We’re in one,” Jameson mumbles against my lips before continuing to devour my mouth, making an obscene show of digging his fingers into my ass. I throw in an extra moan or two before rolling off of him. Both Axel and Laura are red-faced at our display but I ignore them as I choose a movie and click play. It takes them a few seconds to realize I didn’t choose anything Marvel.

Axel groans, “Seriously?”

I just shrug before resuming my position beside Jameson. “My house, my rules.”

“We at least get cake, right?” Laura asks. She bats her eyes sweetly at me.

“Cake?” Jameson perks up and I nearly fall to the floor with the way he leans forward. Well, now I have to get it. Watching him wiggle around eating my sweets is my absolute favorite thing. And the sweet kisses I’ll get afterward?

Yes, please.