Sweet Revenge

XLI

"Kyla"
My head snapped only to find myself face to face with Nicolai, who was looking at me with a curious expression.
"You okay?"
I nodded clearing my throat then shifted my attention again towards my hands that were on my lap and with which I started to play lost in my thoughts.

When I felt another warm hand grab mine I raised my head again and saw Nicolai with a soft smile that emphasized one of his dimples.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes"
I said slipping my hand off his and opening the door getting out.

From the outside Damiano's house was really beautiful, not as beautiful as Nicolai's but beautiful anyway; it had a huge garden with an underground pool to my left lit by purple lights.

I didn't realize I started shaking until I wrapped my arms around my body, then felt something resting on my shoulders and realized it was a jacket.
I looked up at Nicolai who was looking straight ahead him, with his arm still around
my shoulders; then he started walking towards the front door and I followed after him.

He was wearing black pants with a black turtleneck, his usual watch on his wrist and his rings on his fingers.

His hair had gel that gave it that wet effect with a strand that fell on his forehead.

Once in front of the door Nicolai rang the intercom and soon after we heard a dog barking.
I didn't know Damiano had dogs.
Shortly after the door was opened by a maid that led us to what I guess was the living room where we found Damiano and Axel waiting for us.

"Hey you"
Damiano said as soon as he saw us and both him and Axel got up from the couch coming towards us; the two brothers greeted each other with a hug before Damiano turned to me and smiled.
There was a lot of tension in the air, a tension that would not dissolve unless we talked and resolved the issue.

"Hi"
I gave him a tight lipped smile and returned the greeting because I'm pissed off but not rude.
When it was time to greet Axel it was embarrassing which saddened me a lot because between us there has never been so much tension and embarrassment as now.

"Dinner should be ready in half an hour, let's go sit down in the meantime"

Damiano announced before sitting with his brother while Axel and I were still standing, but when I started to head towards the other two Axel gently grabbed my wrist.
"Kyla wait please."
"What?"

I said with my back still facing him.
"Can we talk in private?"
Sighing I turned around and nodded, then we started to walk around the house until we ended up in a dark room.
As I was looking around I heard Axel close the door and then take a seat on the bed next to me.

"How long have you known?"
I said after a few minutes of silence, going straight to the point.
"Damiano told me a week after we started working for them."

My eyes widened at his words and a laughter without any trace of fun left my mouth.
"For Christ's sake"
I whispered closing my eyes; I was angry at him but mostly disappointed and sad.
"Why did you decide hide it from me? Especially you knowing how much I hate being kept from things."

I said looking into his eyes, anger evident in my voice.
"We just wanted to protect you peach and I realize that maybe it would have been better to tell you way before but our intentions weren't bad"

I scoffed at that, I would have accepted any reason but not that they wanted to protect me.
"After all the shit I've been through, do you really think it would help to try and protect me? There is nothing to protect anymore Ax. I just want all of you to recognize that I'm not a weak creature that needs your protection."

At my words his eyes began to fill with tears, which caught me off guard because Axel wasn't the type to cry; I had rarely seen my best friend cry.
"I just wish you'd been honest with me from the start and avoid finding out that way."
I said placing my hand on his.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I'm such a bad friend"

Sighing I closed my eyes before bringing a hand to his face and raising it so that he was looking at me, then with my thumb I wiped away the tears that were falling and I smiled softly at him.

"You're not a bad friend, don't ever say that."
I said then hugged him stroking his back in a soothing way hearing him sob.
After a few minutes I broke away from the embrace and waited in silence for him to recover from the little crying session.

"You okay now?"
I asked with a genuine smile tilting my head to the side.
"Yes I'm fine peach"
"You need a tissue cause I can see your nose running"
At that sentence Ax threw me a pillow and we started laughing.

"Thank you"
Axel whispered after we stopped, I nodded and was about to get up when he grabbed my wrist and stopped me.
"Actually, I have something else to tell you... it's more of a confession."

Sitting back again I waited in silence for him to start talking, which he didn't do immediately but instead started to pass his hands over and over on his pants which made me realize he was nervous.

"What is i-"
"I'm gay"
My eyebrows rose faster than I could realize and my mouth opened slightly, I kind of knew it already but I just didn't expect him to tell me so randomly.
When I realized that I had that look for a bit too much I recomposed and cleared my throat.
"Axel-"

I started to say, but he interrupted me standing and starting to pace all over the room talking really fast.
"I wanted to tell you before but couldn't find the courage and every time I found it I stepped back because I thought you wouldn't talk to me and I could not afford to lose you nor our friendship but I really wante-"

I got up too and threw myself into his arms.
"I love you, Ax, you're like a brother to me. I could never be mad at you for being in love with a guy, never think I would judge you for that."
I said with my face on his chest, feeling his heart beating at an insane rate.
When I heard him sob softly I stepped back to look at his face and saw that he was crying.

"I was afraid you'd turn your back on me like my family did."
He said and at those words my face softened; I took his face in my hands and, rising on the tips, I pressed my forehead against his.

"No matter what happens, I will never leave you.
You won't get rid of me that easily"
I whispered, we both smiled, and once we got recomposed from that moment we decided to go back with the other two but before Axel could open the door I stopped him grabbing his shirt gently.

"I'm proud of you, Ax, for opening up to me and tell me something so important."
He turned around entirely giving me a kiss on the forehead before opening the door for the both of us to leave.

"What happened?"
Diamiano said with concern when he saw Axel approach with his eyes red and swollen from crying.
The two of us looked at each other and smiled, Axel then wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we all sat together on the sofa.

"Well ... who's hungry?"
Damiano said after a few minutes clapping his hands and we all got up to go and take place at the table.