Chapter 78

“Who the fuck’s that?” She jerked her head in the direction of the couch, where I sat, unable to take my eyes off the arguing siblings. “Did you bring a fuck boy here, Ax? Did you bend him over the couch and shove your dick up his ass? Did you?” Annie scrunched her nose and raised her chin, goading him.

“Don’t talk about him like that!” He kept his tone calm, but there was a bite to it that hadn’t been there before. Annie’s eyes widened. “He,” Axel pointed at me, “is my friend and he stayed with your daughter when you couldn’t be bothered.”

“How dare you?” She sizzled and cracked like a lightning bolt.

“Are you drunk?” Axel bent over and sniffed her. She raised her hand to slap him, but he took a step back just in time to avoid it. “I swear to God I’ll call the Social Services if you’ve been drinkin’.”

“Ma won’t let you.”

“I don’t care. I told you last time was your last chance. Four hours! You were gone for four hours! I’m callin’. No matter what Ma says.” He conveyed how serious he was without raising his voice.

She stepped back as if he’d slapped her. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“Try me.”

Annie went slack. Her arms untangled and fell to her sides and she hunched over. “I didn’t,” she muttered.

“What?”

“Drink. I didn’t drink, okay. I just wanted to see Billy.”

“I woulda stayed if you’d asked me.”

“And risked being lectured by you?”

“Wouldn’t that have been better ‘n leavin’ Bea all alone?” Axel scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t understand you. You know Ma and me would do anythin’ to help you. Why don’t you just ask?”

She threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know.” Squinting her eyes at him, she raised her voice. “Maybe I’m tired of competing with you, Mr. Perfect.” She stepped into his space and poked her finger in his chest. “Get out of my fucking house.”

The tension was so high it would have singed my arm if I’d reached out and tried to touch it. None of them was willing to back down, but after a few seconds, she gave him a last stab with a long fingernail and strode away. She didn’t look at me as she passed by. “And don’t forget your fuck toy,” she threw over her shoulder and disappeared down the hall.

As soon as she was gone, Axel balled his hands into fists but quickly uncurled them again. A vein pulsed in his neck, and all color had disappeared from his face, but he was completely still as if he was afraid a single movement would make his anger go off like a rocket.

It was painful to watch, and I walked over to him, hesitating only for a second before putting my hand on the small of his back.

He relaxed into my touch. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he said.

“It’s okay.” It wasn’t his fault his sister was such a bitch.

“No, it’s…” Groaning, he rubbed his neck. “She had no right to talk about you like that.”

“I’ve heard much worse, I promise.” No sounds were coming from the bedrooms and I assumed the newly-fucked Annie had conked out on the bed. “Are you comfortable leaving Bea, or do you want to stay?” I asked.

Axel shook his head. “No, we’d better leave. I’d better give her space or all hell’ll break loose.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

He nodded and soon we were back in his truck and on our way to town.

The snowing had stopped, finally. The plow hadn’t been out yet, so there was a couple inches on the road, and Axel was cautious. We didn’t speak and after a few minutes, he turned on the radio.

Christmas music filled the cab and I grimaced when I recognized the opening of O Come All Ye Faithful. I wasn’t a fan of the overly religious stuff. But when Axel opened his mouth and sang along with Bing Crosby in Latin, all I could do was stare.

He knew every word and was as good as Bing when it came to pronunciation. His voice—even darker than his speaking voice—took up all the empty space inside the truck and enveloped me. He had an intoxicating vibrato and I could feel every drawn-out E in the word Bethlehem all the way to my spine.

Far too soon they switched to singing in English, but I was still enthralled. My heart beat so hard I had to press my palm against my chest, afraid it would break out of its cage.