Sweet Hope (Sweet Home #4)(73)

“Better. She’s already marking term papers from her bed. Rome’s not happy with that, but we both know he’ll give her anything she wants. She’s on stronger medication. I'd say that she's already feeling like her old self.”

Molly had been discharged from hospital earlier today. I made sure I was there to greet her. Rome had obviously told her about Axel, and in typical Molly fashion, she’d told me she was happy I was happy. Rome scoffed at that, but then Molly had never been one to judge people. I loved her for that.

Just then, the crowd jumped to their feet as the team was announced. Axel stood, pulling me with him. I lifted my hand to hold his that draped over my shoulder. His heart was racing as he waited for his brother run out. When Levi appeared on the field, I heard him exhale loudly.

As Levi ran to the sideline, tears filled Axel’s brown eyes. As they tracked down his cheeks, I reached up and wiped them away with my thumb. Axel squeezed me tighter, just as Austin’s arm wrapped around Axel on his other side. When I glanced up at Austin, tears were running down his cheeks too. Putting his hand on the side of Axel’s head he pulled Axel to lean against him.

I watched the two older Carillo brothers, broken inside by tragedy and circumstance. Both were alike in their Italian looks and personality and my heart filled with hope. Bridges were being built, shattered hearts were being glued back together… blood ties were being strengthened.

The crowd roared as the players took their positions. Levi was in sight. Just before he put on his helmet, his gray eyes sought out Austin and Lexi, a smile pulling on his lips… until they wandered to Axel in Austin’s arms. Those gray eyes that were normally so sweet and guarded, suddenly blazed with contempt.

I wasn’t sure Axel and Austin had seen it, but I had. When I glanced to Lexi, the sadness and stress on her face told me she had too.

My stomach sank.

I wasn’t sure this was going to go as well as I’d hoped.

*****

The game came to close with the Huskies up by ten. Levi had played amazingly well. He scored two touchdowns and was named MVP. I couldn’t have imagined a better day for Axel to watch his little brother play. But although Levi had played so well, he’d also been aggressive. Overly aggressive. He fought with other players, stormed up and down the touchline. The entire time, Austin cussed at his brother to calm down.

Only once did Axel look to me during the game, and I could see regret in his expression. He was regretting our coming here.

As the crowd began to disperse, the four of us sat and watched Levi stand central in the field, crouched down on one knee with his head cast down. His teammates and coach all passed by him, but they all left him alone. Levi and the four of us seemed to be the only people left in the large stadium.

We all knew Levi was livid that Axel and I were here without his permission. I couldn’t help but think that whatever was between them had to be confronted finally...

“We better go down and see him,” Lexi eventually said. Austin agreed, though with hesitation in his voice.

“We’d better get going,” Axel said, and I sighed. He and Levi had barely interacted the whole time he’d been out of prison. Hell, Levi stopped seeing Axel in prison after only a few visits, so they’d pretty much not spoken a word in over five years, unless it was Levi tearing Axel apart.

The tension between them was palpable. It was horrible to be around.

Silence followed. Austin, who was leaning his elbows on his knees, looked to his left and said, “He knows you’re here, Axe. You both have gotta face this someday… why not now?”

“Fuck, Aust,” Axel rasped. Austin dropped his head in his hands, breathing hard.

Eventually, Austin looked up at Axel, his dark eyes filled with emotion and said, “I want the three of us to be brothers again. I want all this f*cking hatred between y’all to stop…” Austin rolled his lips together, his nostrils flared and tears filled his eyes. On a ragged breath, he added, “It would tear Mamma apart if she could see her sons acting like this. All she ever wanted was for us to have each other… think of her proud face as she watched us all together, Axe, and tell me that ain’t the truth.”

I blinked rapidly so I wouldn’t breakdown. I could only imagine how a statement like that would affect Axel. His mamma and Levi were the remaining two walls to fall from around his heavily guarded heart. Axel’s arm around my shoulders pulled me in closer and as our gazes met, I could see the severity of his hurt staring back at me.

I knew he wanted my support, so I gave him a smile and nodded my head, “It’s time, querido.”

“Okay,” Axel said in a broken voice, as his attention went back to Levi who still hadn’t moved from his position in the middle of the field.

Austin released a long relieved sigh. Together, we walked toward Levi.

As we approached, Levi’s head snapped up and his gray eyes locked on Axel who was holding my hand. We stood behind Austin and Lexi.

“Good game, Levi,” Lexi said trying to be upbeat. Levi ignored her, having eyes for one person only.

Axel’s hand was tight in mine. As Levi continued to glare at Axel, his hand adopted a slight shake. I closed my eyes briefly anticipating how this was going to go down.

Levi rose to his feet, dropping his helmet on the field. His sandy colored hair was in disarray, his face still flushed from the exertion of his game. Towering to the same height as Axel and Austin, his torso slightly leaner, Levi looked every inch a Carillo.