Axel kissed Andrea passionately. They had been meeting up secretly for several weeks now. The only difference was last night, Axel stayed over the entire night. He would tell Reese he was hanging out with Cannon, or something to that effect. Reese had been unaware of Axel's affair up to this point and he was starting to get sloppy in hiding it. Andrea was thrilled he stayed the whole night. She was trying not to let herself get attached to him but it was happening anyway. "I got to go." Axel stated all too soon. Andrea sighed and pulled herself away from him. It was getting harder and harder to let him walk out that door. And to Reese. Andrea felt jealous, and was startled by the emotion. She had just meant this to be a fling. Now it seemed it was becoming something more.
That night Andrea felt sick to her stomach. It had to be the fried pickles she had attempted to make for dinner. They had been a bit undercooked.She stood to her feet, vowing to never eat fried food again.
She had made it to the bedroom before feeling the urge to puke again. As realization hit Andrea she felt her hands sweat and began to cry. No. No. No! This could not be happening to her! She looked frantically for clothes and spotted some gym clothes in her laundry hamper. She threw them on and headed to the Pharmacy. She had to get a test, had to be sure. Her father's words seemed to find her now. She had told him she would prove him wrong. Andrea wiped the tear from her eye and headed out the door.
Reese was getting more and more frustrated with Axel. He spent all his time out with Cannon and never home. She could take being ignored, his temper, and even his lack of help around the house. But she couldn't stand him not telling her where he was. He would say Cannon's house, the bar, or another hotspot but he always changed his story and Reese detected lying. She would get to the bottom of it!
Poor Cassidy would usually end up watching their fights. She never wanted to. They would just start fighting, forget she was there, and she would be too scared to leave the room. She hated when they yelled and raised their voices. She had seen Axel hit Reese once and anytime they fought she thought about it. She wondered if all grown ups fought. And if all kids watched. Reese stomped out of the room.
Andrea held the phone nervously to her ear. She didn't want to make this call. Never in her life did she want to make a call like this. Andrea had planned on spending her young adult years partying and only getting married once she was older. Kids had never even crossed her mind. She already knew how Axel would react.
Axel's phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?" Andrea conveyed her news without an ounce of happiness. Axel was in shock. How could this have happened to him....again?! He felt like he was reliving his high school experience with Reese. Only it was Andrea. Axel glanced over at Cassidy who was standing very still. He hoped she hadn't heard.
Axel wasn't trying to be a jerk, but..."And your absolutely sure that..." he lowered his voice so Cassidy wouldn't hear..."that it's mine." Andrea snapped on the other line and spewed a string of cursing that made even Axel blush. "Okay, okay! alright, we'll deal with this, I just need some time to think." He hung up the phone before she could say another word.
Axel had called Cannon. Cannon had forgiven him. Eighteen years of friendship wasn't something you just threw away over a disagreement.
Axel had never been an eloquent speaker so he blurted, "Andrea is pregnant. Reese doesn't know anything about it...and I don't know what to do!"
Cannon couldn't help feeling snappish. "Dude, I told you not to go there and you did. You just had to do the exact opposite of what I told you to do. You never listen! You always go into things thinking that you can do whatever you want, consequences be damned!" Cannon felt nearly done lecturing. "There are always consequences to what we do, Axel."
Axel didn't disagree with Cannon. "I'm starting to get that, Cannon." Axel didn't care if he looked undignified at this point. He begged his friend. "Cannon, tell me what to do. How do I fix this?" Cannon sighed. Axel wasn't evil. He just tended to be a complete moron when it came to important things. Like faithfulness. And family. Cannon wondered yet again why he was friend's with Axel. "Alright, Axel. I'll try to help you figure this mess out." He gave Axel a sharp look. "Dude, at this point though I don't know if fixing the situation is even an option."
Reese called her stepmother, Sydnee in tears. Sydnee listened in concern as Reese divulged all to her. Axel had an affair with Andrea. Andrea was pregnant. Reese was leaving Axel. "I am so sorry, dear, do you want me to come over and help pack?" Reese sighed. "No, I just need some time alone. "I'm leaving in the morning. I found a small house already." Sydnee hung up the phone deflated. She and Jack had such high hopes for Reese and now it seemed that Reese was being dealt an unfair hand. Reese had been nothing but faithful to Axel from the start. Sydnee felt terrible. She decided to go talk to her brother, Zane.
Sydnee was shocked to learn that Zane knew about it for weeks! She was furious, she wanted to know why he didn't bother to tell her. Zane defended that Andrea and Axel were adults and that they would have found a way to cheat one way or another. Zane criticized Sydnee's parenting, saying she should have never let Reese date Axel after she got pregnant in high school. Sydnee countered with the fact that Andrea had been sneaking out since she was ten and drinking Juice at the age of twelve! This went back and forth for a long time. Alissa sat at the computer feeling trapped in the room. In this moment she really disliked Andrea. Even though Alissa was her twin, she felt they were anything but close. The family would never forgive Andrea for this blatant affair. Alissa wondered if she should, or if she even could.
Meanwhile Jack talked with Axel's dad Jeff. Jeff and Jack had become friends back when the kids first announced their shocking pregnancy. Jeff was laid back. Jack explained the situation to him. Jeff shook his head sadly. "I thought having Cassidy would help him straighten up and become more responsible." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know how much you love Reese and Cassidy. I don't know where I went wrong with parenting." Jack didn't lose his temper, he felt sorry for Jeff. Jeff's wife had died in childbirth and Axel was all he had. Jack conceded. "Let's just try to stay united for Cassidy. I don't want to get in the middle of their family problems." Jeff nodded his agreement.
Cannon knocked on the bedroom door and entered. Axel had asked him to help Reese move out. Axel was staying at Andrea's for the weekend since Reese didn't want to be anywhere near him. She had decided to move out almost the moment the truth came out of Axel's mouth. Axel was torn up about it, Cannon knew this to be true. Axel had sounded like he had been crying when Cannon had talked to him earlier.
"Hey, Reese, can I come in." She nodded without looking up, emptying another drawer in the dresser. "Wow, your a fast packer." Cannon said, then felt bad. "You really don't have to hurry, Axel won't be here at all today." Reese shot him a sad look. "I really don't want to stay here a minute longer than I have to." Cannon nodded without saying anything. He noted the nectar bottle was half empty. "I brought my car, so I guess I'll just start loading it." Reese waved him off. "Start with Cassidy's room."
As Cannon loaded the last suitcase into the car, he went back inside to check on Reese. She was looking around the bedroom, with an almost wistful look. "You know, maybe you should give it a week or two before moving.." Reese shook her head and Cannon stopped talking. He really didn't know what else to say. "I'll miss him." Reese admitted, clenching her fists. "He cheated on me with my cousin, and I still have feelings for him. And I know he still has feelings for me." She shook her head. "If feelings and dreams could make a life, ours would have been beautiful." And with that, she made herself take the first step out of the bedroom.
Axel showed up anyway, much to Cannon's dismay. Cannon knew Reese would never take him back and sat in the car with Cassidy. He felt sorry for his friend, but hoped maybe this time he would learn his lesson. Reese put her hands up. "Just, don't, Axel. Please don't make this harder for me." Axel held out his hands in grief. "I love you, Reese." Reese shook her head, and barely managed to say. "If you loved me, you would have never loved her."
She had tried her best. Axel was never going to be the man that she needed in her life, or the father that Cassidy needed. Reese walked away from her first home, her first marriage, and her first husband with dignity.
Sydnee met Reese at her new house and hugged her. Reese let out a sigh. "How are you holding up, sweetie?" Reese looked around the small house, and realized why the price on rent had been so reasonable. "I'll make it." Reese stated. And she knew she would.
After helping Reese unpack, Sydnee returned home. Jack scooped her up in his arms and kissed her. Sydnee let herself get caught up in the kiss. Much to the embarrassment and disgust of their teenagers.
The teens had just gotten home from a movie and weren't used to such displays of affection. Especially in front of a guest. Han and Li Li were glad none of their friends had come over.
Selah: *embarrassed* MOM! DAD! We have company!!!!!!
Elsewhere in the city, a man stood outside a door, preparing to scare someone beyond reason. It wasn't hard for him to do. Sinbad Rotter had been the bane of the city since his teen years. He had been a horrible father to his kids, Xander and Sydnee. He wasn't much of a grandfather either. But one thing he did understand was revenge. Revenge was something he had learned at a young age, it was why he was the Kingpin of this city.
The young man stared at Sinbad. Sinbad hadn't knocked and was just standing on his porch. "Who are you?" He asked. Sinbad felt a fiendish smile play across his lips. "I'm Sinbad Rotter." Even this little punk knew who he was.
The young man began to cry. Crying? Really? Sinbad thought this kid was tougher than that. He would have to be to complete the task ahead of him. "P-P-Please don't kill me! I am sorry, I've told Reese sorry, I-"
"You don't ever get to use her name in front of me again, do you understand? Nod your head." Axel nodded.
"Axel Drake, you have dishonored my family's name. You've disrespected me and I take it as a personal insult. " Axel spoke. "Oh no! No I wouldn't...I mean I didn't mean to..." Sinbad gave him a look that rendered him speechless.
"Normally, I would kill you. But, you also are the father of my only great-grandchild so for that I will let you live." Axel couldn't help saying. "I thought Reese wasn't blood related to Sydnee." Sinbad glared at him. "She isn't. But that's not your business." Sinbad smiled wickedly. "Now that I have so graciously decided not to kill you, you have to do something for me." Axel nodded. "Anything! You name it." Sinbad fixed his gaze on Axel for a minute. "You'll find out tomorrow. Be ready."
Sinbad could feel Axel's eyes boring through his head. Let him stare. Let him get mad. Sinbad had dealt with brutal gangsters and real thugs. No snot nosed kid could scare Sinbad. He wondered if Axel would survive the job. He really didn't care either way.
End of Part 16
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