Page 5 of Hard Rain
“I don’t need your help.”
He didn’t need anyone.
Whip shook his head. “Unpack your shit. I’ll make dinner,” he said, stepping out into the hallway.
Once the door shut, Axel stared at the ceiling.
Third time he’d thought it might actually work.
Third damn breakup.
The room was quiet. Too damn quiet.
He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes.
Fuck it.
He was better off alone.
HOUSE RULES
They’d gone back for the rest of Axel’s things.
Now Whip’s spare room looked like a damn storage unit had exploded inside it.
Clothes hung over the end of the bed, garbage bags lined one wall, and most of the time, Axel stood in the middle of it all looking irritated enough to punch something.
Every time he passed by the room, Whip wanted to laugh, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Axel was like a bear with a sore paw.
Not much else had been put away.
Like Axel was still waiting for somebody to tell him this wasn’t permanent.
The hell he would.
“How’s the arm?” Whip asked, eyeing the bruised skin still wrapping around Axel’s forearm where the cast had finally come off a few days ago.
Axel flexed his hand once like he was testing it.
“Still attached.”
Whip noticed the stiffness anyway. Better than the day the cast had come off, but not by much. Axel still favored it whenever he reached for something.
“You ever going to unpack?”
“Maybe?”
Axel sounded sullen and looked like he hadn’t slept worth a damn. Not long ago, he’d had a house with May. Now everything he owned was piled into his spare room.
Whip spun the keys in his hand.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Where we going?” Axel eyed him.
“Gotta case.”
“But I just started unpacking,” Axel whined.
