“What things?” Austin snapped, his body stiffening in apprehension.

“Beatings, being ostracized by his former crew members. The Heighters inside branded him a turncoat. They pinned him down and blotted out his Stidda with a needle and ink.” Austin paled and he squeezed Lexi tighter.

“A guy called Alessio was sent down to the same prison as him,” I explained. Levi gasped, his eyes shooting to Austin.

“Did you know that, Aust? Did you know Alessio was inside too?”

Austin shook his head. “Ally, when—”

“Two years into his sentence. It was the reason he started refusing your visits. He was worried Alessio would get to you when you came back to Bama, so he cut off all ties.”

Austin looked like he was going to be sick, so I decided to tell him everything at once. “Long story short, Alessio attacked him over Gio’s death and Axel got hurt… bad. They stabbed him in his neck, held him down and shanked him.”

Lexi turned her head and nuzzled into Austin’s chest. She cried.

“It’s the reason he has long hair,” I informed. “It hid the scar so you wouldn’t ask questions.”

“Christ…” Austin rasped.

“He nearly died,” I said sadly. “He was in the infirmary for a real long time. He was so angry, so bitter at the world… so angry at himself for everything he’d done… especially for missing your mamma’s death. To try and help him cope with his anger, they sent him to an art class. He was a natural, and quickly gained the favor of the teacher, who sent pictures of his first piece to Vin Galanti, a marble sculptor. He took Axel under his wing and the rest is history.” I looked into the eyes of every single one of my friends and said, “He came to Seattle for this show. He just never felt he deserved it enough to tell y’all. He’s crippled by guilt and shame.”

“Austin,” Levi croaked, unable to hold back his cries, “We were wrong. We made him leave and he hadn’t done anything wrong!”

Austin was lock still, until his eyes snapped to mine. “But the coke I found?”

Dipping my head, I worked on not letting my anger show, but I snapped, “He bought it after the Seahawks game… when everyone ignored him… including me. I hadn’t known he was Axel Carillo until that day. I’d met and fallen for Elpidio, then when he was introduced to me as Axel, I freaked out. I hurt him so badly.”

“I knew I saw something between you that day,” Molly suddenly said. I offered her a weak smile. “They way you both couldn’t keep your eyes off each other… I should have put two and two together, but I never ever dreamed Axel could do this.” She gestured in awe to the gallery of his works. “The talent he possesses is astounding.”

I nodded and my tears came thick and fast. “I hurt him, Levi hurt him… all of us did, and he stupidly bought the drugs from some street gang. He just wanted to escape the pain for a while… he was so lost and reverted to what he knew best.”

“But he didn’t take the coke, did he?” Austin asked, knowingly.

“No… he didn’t.”

“Shit!” Levi said, “How do we tell him we’re sorry? How do we get him back?”

Everyone looked as helpless as I felt, when Austin suddenly asked, “Which piece was his first? The one that got him recognized? Which one is it?”

Taking calm breath, I led them toward the angel, which was the study of many admirers. But I heard the moment the Carillo’s had seen it. Sobs and anguished cries ripped from their throats.

“It’s Mamma…” Levi said, his voice breaking.

“It’s called Ave Maria,” I explained. “It’s how he saw your mamma in this life…” I pointed to the other side of the sculpture, “and how he dreamed she would look meeting the next.”

Reaching out, Austin crushed Levi to his chest as they both broke down at the feet of the marble depiction of their mother.

It was heartbreaking, gut wrenching and I couldn’t take looking at it. Turning away, I tried to breathe despite my tightly coiled chest, when I noticed many of the guests looking my way and smiling as they exited a darkened, cornered-off display. A door separated it from the rest of the gallery. I suddenly remembered Vin putting something together here. Hell. I’d been so preoccupied with Axel’s disappearance that I had forgotten all about it.

Walking toward the door, I heard Molly and Rome following behind me, but I didn’t turn around, couldn’t turn. Suddenly, I heard the melodic sound of my favorite piece of music drifting to me from behind the wall.

My heart hammered in my chest as I slowly opened the door, the sound of Yiruma’s “Kiss the Rain” seeping into my every cell.

Flashbacks of me playing this, my favorite piece of music, for Axel in his studio raced through my mind. With every memory, I felt my heart break just that little bit more. A sizeable crowd had gathered around the sculpture, lavender lights creating a soft glow from above and the scent of Jasmine permeating the air.

As I moved closer through the crowd, many smiled at me as “Kiss the Rain” played on repeat. As if the visitors sensed I needed to be alone, they quietly dispersed. My feet abruptly ground to a halt…

Staring back at me was… me…

“Oh, Ally,” I heard Molly sigh from behind me, but I couldn’t look away. I was transfixed by the sculpture in front of my eyes.