Chapter 86 Part 86

Chapter 86 Part 86
North

He gave Aspen a hug and kissed her cheek, holding her a second longer than necessary, not out of longing, but out of bittersweet nostalgia. He didn’t miss the look on Jordan’s face—the subtle tightening around her mouth, the way her shoulders drew inward. She’d been withdrawn the whole day, ever since Aspen had appeared at the venue with Axl.
“Take care of him.”
“You know I will,” Aspen said with a soft smile, her eyes steady.
Axl and North hugged as well, the embrace firm and familiar. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I’ll call you when we get back from wherever.”
North nodded, stepping back as he watched Axl and Aspen say goodbye to his mother and new stepfather. He lifted his hand and waved as the large SUV rolled down the driveway. As the gates opened, cameras flashed beyond the iron bars, the sound sharp and intrusive. North exhaled heavily. Axl hated the public spectacle—the way strangers consumed fragments of his life like gossip. North knew from experience he wouldn’t hear from him again for weeks, maybe longer.
His mother smiled when he turned around, but her eyes were soft with understanding. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I hate it every time he leaves.”
“Carlos is taking me to some resort in Spain. We should probably get going,” she said, adjusting her shawl.
“Have fun. Wear sunscreen. Just enjoy it, Mom. You deserve all the happiness in the world after what Dad put you through.” He pulled her into a tight embrace, breathing in her familiar perfume, feeling the steady rhythm of her heart beneath his cheek.
“I love you, North. Never forget that.”
“I won’t.”
She pulled back slightly, studying his face. “They look happy together, don’t they?”
“Yeah, they do.”
A faint sadness flickered through her gaze. “She’ll always be your first love,” she said gently, “but that doesn’t mean she was your true love. There’s nothing wrong with moving on. Jordan seems like a nice girl. If you want to be happy, you have to give it a chance.”
North swallowed, the words settling heavily in his chest. “I love Jordan. I do. But I can’t help wondering where I’d be with Aspen if things hadn’t gone wrong.” The admission felt raw, achingly honest.
“I can’t answer that for you,” she replied, cupping his face the way she had when he was a boy. “But no good ever comes from living in the past.”
“Jordan makes me feel lighter,” he said quietly. “There’s no drama, no family feuds, no history weighing us down. She’s bubbly. She’s happy. She makes me happy.”
“Then hold onto that. Take her hand and build something new. Don’t let ghosts steal your future.”
“Safe travels, Mom. I love you.”
He hugged her again, then shook Carlos’ hand firmly. Their car sped down the driveway, gravel crunching under the tires. Jordan nudged his shoulder gently.
“We should get back to the hotel,” she said, her voice softer now.
“Yeah, we should.”
The drive back was quiet, thick with unspoken thoughts. North glanced at her occasionally, noting the way she stared out the window, fingers twisting together in her lap. When he handed the keys to the valet, Jordan was already walking inside, her steps brisk.
He followed her to the elevator and sighed as they rode up in silence. The mirrored walls reflected their distance—standing side by side, yet somehow miles apart. Inside their room, she sat down on the couch and lowered her head into her hands, shoulders slumping in visible strain. North sat beside her and took her hand.
“What’s going on with you?”
“You still love her, don’t you?” The accusation in her tone pricked at him.
“It’s Aspen. I’ll always care about her,” he said carefully, “but I don’t love her anymore.” He met her eyes steadily.
“You were so happy to see her,” she whispered.
“Because she was a big part of my life. We went through hell together.” His voice was firm now. “But we’ve both moved on. I didn’t lie to you. Axl’s my brother—not just my best friend. My actual brother. That means Aspen’s going to be in our lives. You need to get a grip and move on from this, or it’ll ruin us.”
She exhaled shakily. “I’m sorry. She’s just so… I don’t even think there’s a word for her.”
North laughed softly. “Yeah. She’s Aspen. She’s always been like that. But you’re Jordan—the woman I love. The one I brought to meet my mom. The one I introduced to my brother.”
“He barely spoke to me,” she muttered.
“Axl doesn’t generally like people,” North said dryly. “He’ll warm up. It took him two months to say hi to Aspen back in the day. Don’t read too much into it.”
She hesitated, then lifted her chin. “I have four older brothers, North. If you break my heart, they’ll break you.”
“And if you break mine?” he countered, one brow raised.
“I won’t.”
“Neither will I.”
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains. North reached for his phone and saw a text from Axl—brief, casual, promising to check in again. He didn’t bother replying. He knew his brother well enough to understand that silence often meant survival.
Jordan suddenly looked up from her phone, eyes wide with alarmed disbelief. “Is this all true?”
“What?”
She handed him her phone. As he read the article, his stomach dropped. Each line felt like a punch—distorted truths twisted into something ugly. His jaw tightened as anger simmered beneath his skin.
“Shit, shit, shit,” he muttered, pressing his phone to his ear.
“This is Axl. Leave a message.”
“Axl, call me. This is important! Call me!”
Jordan’s hand squeezed his arm. “North? Is all that true?”
“Not all of it.” His voice was tense. “He did beat up Jackson Cathwell—but only because Jackson attacked Merit. She was at that show in Florida. She was pregnant, yes. But not with Axl’s child. She was pregnant with our father’s child.”
Jordan’s eyes widened. “Shit. Axl needs to stop these rumors!”
North dragged both hands over his face, exhaustion creeping in. “I don’t think Merit ever called him again. I know he never called her. He would’ve told me. This is bad. Really bad.”
“North? What else is going on?”
He looked into her eyes, a storm of memories rising behind his own. He thought of that night—of blood, rage, secrets that had never seen daylight. His chest tightened with buried guilt. But some truths were too dangerous to speak aloud. And he knew he could never tell her what had really happened.