(2 Book Box Set) Loving The White Billionaire: 2 & 3 by Monica Brooks Page B

better,” my arms crossed under my chest.
    “You could’ve at least told us that he was white.”
    “Mom!” I said incredulously.
    “Your friend is part white so I understand the curiosity…”
    “Mom, stop! That’s really offensive.”
    “Don’t you mom stop me, he knows he’s white,” Mom said as
Axel nodded his head in agreement.
    “Axel!”
    “I am honey. I’ve come to terms with it,” Axel said causing
my mom to giggle.
    “Geez Axel,” I said through one of my own.
    “Thought I’d lighten the mood a bit,” Axel said genuinely.
    “I understand more why she likes you. You are funny,” My mom
commented.
    “Thank you.”
    “When is he going to wake up? Is sleeping this long normal?”
I asked chaining the subject.
    “The doctors just told me to let him rest,” she said
standing up to touch his face.
    “How long has he been out?” Axel asked.
    “Oh, about three hours now; not too long before you two
showed up.”
    “And you said he passed out? Was it from exhaustion?” I
asked her.
    “Partially, it wasn’t like he just went to sleep, he had a
few words before he went out,” Mom said with a chuckle.
    “I bet he was blaming Sam and Luke huh?”
    “You know it; they are always on his bad side.”
    “Just like I’m always on yours.”
    My mom gave me a look that told me she almost had no idea
what I was talking about. But then the look faded, and was replaced with guilt.
She didn’t say anything, only smiled and shook her head to keep the mood light.
    Though that was short lived when my brothers came back. They
slid in the room without a glance or a look in Axel’s direction. Rolling my
eyes as I came to stand by my mom and dad, I watched my mother’s fingers as
they wrapped around my father’s. It was such a sweet embrace, yet so simple. I
smiled slightly when I thought about what that meant to them.
    It was like every time their banded hands met, it was like re-sealing
their vows every time. I looked away from them before my eyes met with Axel’s.
He didn’t smile, but I could see the happiness in his eyes when he looked at
me.

Chapter Five
    A xel and I were on our way to my apartment in the
city. The doctor had reported that my dad needed his rest and that they only
allowed one overnight guest at a time. My brothers went back to Mom’s house to
get her some clothes, and also to stay there so that it wouldn’t be empty. On
the way home, we stopped at a fast food joint and were now eating in the living
room.
    Compared to every hotel and even Axel’s home in Tuscany, my
home was by far the least impressive. I noticed immediately when I turned the
lights on. Though I was proud of my little apartment, still, I felt a little
self-conscious. Though in Axel fashion, he put my mind at ease by how
comfortably he’d slumped down on my couch, and kicked his feet up on the coffee
table.
    “This is the most comfortable place away from home by far!”
he’d said before diving into his burger.
    “I’m really glad you think so, I was a little worried.”
    “Don’t be, you’ve done a great job with this place,” he said
approvingly.
    After we finished eating, we decided to stay up and watch a scary
movie. I’d never been able to watch anything like this with Ethan, and it was a
very nice change. There were several points of the movie that Axel had to calm
me down, and pull my hands away from my eyes. There was one point where I even
jumped and screamed, to Axel’s amusement, of course.
    When the movie finally came to an end, I felt the need to
watch something less scary, and more childlike. It was always something I did
to help me sleep at night. Axel thought it was cute how I watched the cartoons
like I was genuinely interested in them, but I was.
    “You’re adorable, you know that?” he asked.
    “Oh come on, like you don’t watch cartoons?”
    “Not like that. I used to be hooked on watching Popeye. But
I stopped after my dad died; he reminded me too much of him.”
    “That