Page 99 (1/1)

"God…" I cried and pressed my hand to my forehead

Austin stepped forward but I stepped back "Where is he now? I haven’t been able to get in touch with him all day"

A flash of worry crossed Austin’s face, but it quickly turned to stone when he said, "I told his, he just cut and run" I choked on a breath "Al, he’ll be long gone It’s what he does when the shit hits the fan He runs away"

Anger swirled within me, and I backed toward the door "You have no idea," I said in devastation to them all "You have no idea what he’s done for y’all, no idea how ed his life"

Austin’s eyebrows pulled down at my words, but before he could speak, I reached into my purse and pulled out the invites If Axel wasn’t able to tell his brothers what he’d been doing, then I would

Slapping the invitations on the side table, I looked each of the toht You need to be there"

Austin shook his head and Lexi walked to join him at his side "Al, I’m really happy and proud of you but, fuck, I just don’t think the tiht to--"

"You need to be there," I said interrupting hier dropped some Shit, I could never bebut accept Axel into her home, and out of everyone, she had cause to reject hi y’all need to see"

Reaching for my keys, I turned the doorknob, just as Austin said, "I know you liked him, Al, but Axel’s always been this way He’s always been drawn to the darker side of life, the illegal shit I’ back at Austin with incredulity, I replied, "I didn’t just like hied my life in every way for the better, and I’m real sorry that you are so blinded by his past that you can’t see hi ht"

As I rushed out to ain It went straight to voicemail I pressed END and stared out of the indshield

Tears ran downainst the headrest and whispered, "Axel… where the hell have you gone?"

The following night I stood in the bathroo at myself in thelike my heart had been shattered

Axel hadn’t appeared It was starting to becoone He’d actually left me Part of me screamed that it wasn’t possible, that he couldn’t have left h Austin and Levi were convinced it was his usual MO He loved me… he wouldn’t leave me behind

But then another part of me said it was entirely plausible He’d been rejected by his brothers again Of course he wouldn’t want to stay How ht he would have at least calledfor a while, that he loved me and, at some point, he would come back to me

On top of that, Vin had been in the Gallery all day, working on soht! I was livid I was exhausted, and I was racked orry I had no idea what he was up to, but as a patron and the sole funder of this exhibition, I didn’t really have a choice

Hearing the hustle and bustle of museum and University stakeholders, fans and students alike, waiting for the show to begin, I forced ht and shook my shoulders

You can do this, you’re a professional, I tried to convince ht and hanging down th column dress Finally, I checkedout of the bathrooette, the museum director, and nodded to her that I was ready I scanned the crowd for Vin, wondering where the hell he could be, but there was no sign My hands were daette introduced er eyes all looking an My naht to celebrate the inspiring and truly once-in-a-lifetime talent of Elpidio"