by Lilly Purdon
“You were taking way too long,” I pointed out.
“And you were being impatient.”
I huffed.
He put his arm around my shoulder, “it actually feels great to have someone wait for you.”
What he said made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
“Push me on the swings,” I said, before stomping off to the swing set.
“Your wish is my command, Princess.” He said, bowing down to me. The little gestures truly made me melt.
~*~
Chapter 39 EVERYONE’S INVITED
Turns out, Axel didn't take that long to pee. He was just taking his sweet time texting his mom and dad after doing his business.
Gross right?
A bathroom sink has about 100,000 germs per square inch, where the toilet seat has only about 100 germs per square inch. But, every time you flush the toilet you send an invisible six foot plume of bacteria which lands on exposed surfaces.
Not to mention about 7 million phone are dropped into the toilet each year! So why would anyone want to use their phone in the bathroom? When I told him that, he just patted me on the head and said, “Only you Princess, only you.”
After half an hour of him pushing me on the swings, we both fell asleep on a bench under a naked autumn/winter tree. Luckily no kids were around because they were too busy trick or treating. It was a warm night, especially for the last day of October.
We used his jacket as a pillow. Somehow the bench was wide enough to fit us both. I didn’t feel homeless though, I felt safe. I fell asleep in his arms while staring up at the sky through the naked branches.
I woke up to Axel poking my side trying to get to wake up. “I'm hungry,” he stated.
“Then eat,” I said trying to fall back to sleep, but he wouldn't let me.
“I'm hungry,” he said, poking my side again.
“Leave me alone.” I grumbled with my eyes closed.
“No, we're going to your place to shower then we're going out to breakfast.” He said, poking my side once again. I tried swatting his hand away, but he pulled his hand away in time.
“Give me five more minutes,” I mumbled, turning away from him.
“No can do Princess, you're getting up whether you like it or not. And just so you know, you really need to take a shower,” he chuckled.
I bolted right up to a sitting position. “Are you saying I smell bad?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Maybe,” he smirked at me before pushing himself off the ground. He held out a hand for me to take, and I gladly took it. He hoisted me off the bench and picked up his jacket from the bench. “Still smells like vanilla,” he sniffed his shirt.
He was right, it still smelt amazing. But I pretended I was grossed out, “Do you know how many germs are on that?”
“No, and I don't want know.” He walked us over to his motorbike, “hop on.”
~*~
Luckily, Cleo wasn't home when we arrived. She left a small sticky note on the door that read:
ROSALINE, YOU ARE GROUNDED
When Axel saw it he snorted out loud before crumpling it and throwing it away. We took turns taking showers and decided on eating at my place.
“I need your opinion on something,” Axel suddenly said. I nodded for him to continue because I had a mouthful of cereal in my mouth. “My step dad's hosting this anniversary dinner party next week and he’s inviting pretty much everyone he knows to come.”
I swallowed the cereal in my mouth and nodded for him to keep talking.
“They're going to show pictures from their wedding and photos of them traveling to everyone to brag about how good their life is, and then they’re showing a clip from their shitty overpriced wedding. All for the public’s eye of course, but Cleo will be there and I think your dad's going to be there too since he's one of my step dad's business partners-”
I almost choked on my cereal, “he is?!”
Axel nodded, “step dad trades in many industries.”
He knew more about my father than I did. I nodded for him to continue.
“The question I was going to ask you is: how bad do you want to humiliate our stepparents?”
“How bad can we humiliate them?”
He smirked, “I like that answer. It all depends on what you’d like to do.”
“I want Cleo to get what she deserves. For what she's done to my dad, what she's done to me, and what she's done to Layla.”
“What she's done to Layla? The bitch has hurt you so much-”
I shrugged, “forgive and forget. She was hurt so much emotionally as a kid, and inside she's still a little girl who holds grudges.”
He frowned, “but she hurt you. Least you could do was hurt her back.”
“Axel, not everything in life is about revenge,” I said gently. “I hurt her already just by being who I am, and not to mention I punched her and made her cry.” He still didn’t seem convinced. I sighed, “I just don’t want to deal with her anymore.”
He didn’t look too happy, “it’s up to you.” He got up.
“Cleo on the other hand is going to get what she deserves,” I said confidently while getting up with him.
That made his smirk reappear on his face. “Since when did you become so tough?”
“Since a little rebel walked into my life.”
“I’d like to know who the rebel is,” he tapped his chin, pretending to think.
“I don't know..." I replied, pretending to think just like him.
“Does this rebel have blonde hair?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.
“Yep.”
“Is he… violent?” he asked, taking a step towards me.
“A bit too violent at times,” I took a step back.
“How bad is he?” he took another step towards me.
I took a step back, “he’s so bad… but so good to me.”
“Does he scare you?” With every step he took forward, I took one back.
I looked down at his lips and swallowed down a lump I didn’t know was in my throat, “sometimes, but he’s also made me face my fears.”
“Is he irresistibly attractive?” He took another step towards me.
“Most girls think so,” I hid my smile.
“Do you?”
My red cheeks gave him the answer.
“Is he… soft?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”
“Has he managed to persuade you he’s not as bad as others make him out to be?”
I licked my lips, “he didn’t have to. I realized it on my own.”
“No pun intended with your initials spelling raw...” He was closing the little distance between us. “But does he hold your raw heart in his hand?
“Definitely,” I replied, stepping back. My back hit the wall. I couldn’t escape him, even if I wanted to.
He took a step forward, leaving about an inch of space between our bodies. “Tell me, who this 'rebel' is.”
Our noses were almost touching and my heart was beating so fast I thought I was about to have a heart attack.
“I don't have to.”
“Oh well that's where you're wrong Princess, you have to.”
He leaned in so that our lips were brushing. All I could hear was the sound of my wild heart. If I died of a heart attack right at this very moment, he was going to pay for my funeral.
“You can't make me.”
Instead of replying, he pressed his lips against mine making me freeze. It took a few seconds for me to actually kiss him back. He moved forward so that our bodies were pressed together and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist. He suddenly pulled away, leaving me wanting more.
“So now will you tell me?” he looked down at me hungrily.
“No, you’ll have to keep trying to convince me.”
Something flashed across his eyes before he leaned in and started to place small kisses up and down my neck. With every kiss, I felt myself grow hotter. My breath was caught in my throat when he lingered a little lo
nger at one spot.
“W-what are you doing?” I asked in a shaky voice. It felt so good…
“Leaving a mark,” he replied, tugging on the spot softly with his teeth.
I quickly pushed him off me quickly before trying to run away from him. But of course, me being the slow person I was I didn't even make it past him. He grabbed my waist and lifted me up in the air before placing me on the kitchen counter.
He placed both his hands beside my thighs and stood in between my legs. “Now you have no choice but to tell me who this guy is.”
He was so damn close, I couldn’t concentrate.
“Say his name.” His voice was so silky. Fuck.
I just wanted him to kiss me so badly.
“Tell me his name, or I'm leaving another mark on you,” he threatened.
If he wanted to tease me like this, I was going to get him back. “Dustin.”
He jolted back, “the fuck?!”
Those emerald green eyes darkened, his eyebrows furrowed, and his jaw clenched. Though he probably looked threatening to others, he looked like a frustrated little puppy to me. I felt like giggling at his reaction. I couldn’t hold in the laughter.
The moment I opened my mouth to laugh, he kissed me… hard.
I was about to wrap my arms around his neck, but he grabbed my hands and pinned them next to my thighs. He pulled away and stared at me those hauntingly beautiful eyes.
“Not funny. Take it back.”
“Is someone jealous?” I teased. Instead of replying, he kissed me again, but this time even harder. The kiss was far hungrier than the first one. It was like he was trying to get something out of me. He bit my lip, making me weak. He pulled away from me, looking quite serious.
I frowned at his jealous reaction. “I was just playing around.”
“Don’t play like that if you don’t want the guy killed.”
I gulped at how scary he looked. It was a genuine threat. But somehow, it turned me on. Why was I attracted to such danger? “Sorry…”
“There's nothing to be sorry about,” he chuckled after placing a small kiss on my nose. “Now let’s plan a little anniversary surprise.”
~*~
----Layla's P.O.V----
Even wasn't the word to use.
Rose and I definitely weren't even.
In fact, I owed her big time. But I knew my ego wouldn't allow myself to walk up to her house and apologize to her.
“You look frustrated,” Matt commented taking a swing from the beer can in his hand.
“Maybe I am frustrated for once,” I replied in a huff.
“Anything I can do to help?” he raised his eyebrows at me.
We were chilling at my place because I needed to blow some steam off. After the party I brought him back to my place because he wasn't sober enough to even stand. One thing I loved about Matt was that he was always there to help no matter how dirty the job was.
And no matter what, he was always on my side. He always followed me around like a lost puppy, because the truth was: he wasn't that smart. He was all muscle, no brain. He did whatever I told him to do because he trusted me. He was lucky to have found someone like me.
He wasn't smart enough to make his own decisions in life. Sure, he had his moments where he insulted me when he was drunk, but he had never hurt me. “You better not be thinking about that drama queen,” he said.
“Jaxon’s not a drama queen,” I shot him a look of annoyance. He had never approved of the guy.
“Why are you defending him? He dumped you for the nerd.”
I shot him a glare, making him throw his arms up into the air.
“I meant Rosaline, he dumped you for Rosaline.”
I guess you could say I felt bad for what I put Rose through, so I made Matt call her by her actual name.
I sighed at him while shaking my head. “I don't blame him though.”
“What do you mean you don't blame him? You have everything she doesn't have. You're hot, you're good to look at, you've got loyal friends, you've got the life babe,” he gestured around my bedroom. My walls were covered in photos of friends.
I shook my head at him. “It's an image, Matt. Do you think I could smile and laugh without all this stuff?”
“No…” he furrowed his eyebrows together, not getting the point.
“Exactly. She can smile without the popularity, without the parties, without the countless friends.” I gestured around me. “She’s genuinely happy with someone who likes her for who she is.”
“I don't get it… but she’s still not popular…” he trailed off.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Of course you wouldn't.” He didn't get most things. “Anyways, my dad was invited to Axel's mom and step dad's anniversary dinner.”
“And?” he cocked an eyebrow at me.
“My mommy dearest is going to be there,” I grinned evilly at him.
An evil grin appeared on his face too. “Let's pay them a little visit.”
~*~
Saturday, November 10th 2 P.M.
----Jaxon's P.O.V----
I sat on the edge of my bed with my head buried in my hands.
Why did I have to screw everything up? I had feelings for two girls, but I couldn't make up my mind which one I really wanted. And now, I lost them both. I should've just stuck with Rose from the start.
Maybe she wouldn't have gotten so close to Axel if I didn't get involved with Layla. The more I thought about it, the more I liked Rosie. But whenever I thought of Layla, I felt myself die a little inside. They were both incredibly beautiful in their own ways.
But now, I had no chance either of them.
“Honey! We need to talk to you!” my mom yelled from downstairs.
I sighed before getting up from my bed. My life was so fucked. Judging from the situation I was in, I assumed I’d probably grow old and die alone while watching Cinderella on replay. I made my way downstairs to find both my parents sitting on the loveseat waiting patiently for me.
I sat alone opposite from them on the couch.
“You've been down lately,” my mother started after clearing her throat. “I haven't seen Rose in a while, so I'm guessing it's about her?”
It sucked having really observant parents sometimes. I nodded gloomily in reply to her question. They stared at me expecting me to expand on the topic, “Uh yeah, we kind of got in an argument.” I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.
“Well, don't you want to fix things between the two of you?” my mother asked.
“Of course, I'd do anything to fix things between us!” I replied quickly. She must've had something good in mind; my mom always had good ideas about things.