by Trinity Lemm
I had only talked to Nick a few times before, and I had never heard him be anything other than sweet. But right now, the blue in his eyes looked like there was a storm brewing among the seas.
Axel disregarded both of Nick’s questions. “Give her to me.”
“Hell no. I’m trying to get laid tonight.”
Axel got closer and leaned in, his rage stirring. “Over my dead body.”
Nick clearly did not know who Axel was, because he wasn’t backing down. “Why don’t you just mind your own damn business?”
“She is my business!” Axel yelled.
Nick’s eyes narrowed at Axe, whose patience was running out.
“Both of you, stop,” I slurred.
Axe reached for me, about to pry me out of Nick’s fingers, but Nick moved me out of the way, refusing to give me up.
Axel’s jaw twitched under his skin, fists shaking at his sides. “Give her to me,” Axel repeated.
“No!”
“You have. Three seconds. To give her to me. Before I rearrange your fucking face.” The look on his face was vicious, fury radiating off of his body.
Nick glanced at both Axel and I. “You know what? Fuck this!” He released his grip on me, causing me to lose my only source of balance. I stumbled, almost falling, but Axe placed one hand on my arm, the other on my waist, catching me.
“You okay?” he asked. The rage that was building in his eyes just moments before had diminished.
“What the hell, Axel! I wanted to sleep with him!” I screamed into the night, releasing myself from his grip. I turned on my heels, trying to walk straight as I followed the direction that Nick went in.
“Oh, hell no.”
“What!” I yelled loudly, not turning around, my feet still trying to move.
“I’m not letting you lose your self-respect because of me,” he said, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.
“Put me down!”
“Absolutely not.”
“Axel Edward Burne! Put me down!”
He sighed, ignoring my small fists hitting his muscular back. After a couple minutes, I grumbled as I gave up. He was too strong. There was no way I was going to win.
He continued to walk with both of us in silence. I tried to look around to see where we were, but I was upside down and drunk, so I couldn’t quite tell.
“Can you please put me down?” I slurred.
“It’s not like you can walk on your own anyways.”
I made an angry pouty face, even though he couldn’t see it. I hated that he was right. If I had tried walking entirely on my own, then I would’ve woken up tomorrow morning on the side of the road.
The next thing I knew, we were in the apartment. Axel gently dropped me onto his bed, then left the room. He returned with a bottle of water. I groaned as I laid there, watching Axe set the bottle on the nightstand.
“Is this my vodka?” I asked.
“Is that why you’re so drunk?”
“Maybe.”
“Tate, you shouldn’t be drinking that much.”
“Whatever.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Like you care about me anyways,” I muttered, looking away.
“You know I care about you.”
I laid there pouting in silence as Axe stood next to the bed, his hands on his hips. He studied me, thinking. I furrowed my brows at him, wondering what his next move was going to be. He eyed my jeans for a quick second before walking over to his closet and grabbing a long t-shirt.
I sat up in the bed, feeling a little dizzy. I made a pouty face as I crossed my arms, still angry that he hadn’t allowed me to get my way. My eyes skimmed the bedsheets, noticing that they weren’t the same ones that he used to have. He must’ve gotten new ones after he destroyed the apartment.
I started to giggle as Axel unbuttoned my jeans and wiggled them off of my small legs. The feeling made me want to pull him on top of me.
“Put your arms up,” he softly insisted. I did as he asked, allowing him to slip off my red, velvet crop top. He was so close to me as he prepared to put the t-shirt over my head. I wanted him closer. I wrapped an arm around the back of his neck and pulled him into me, still topless and pantsless.
My drunk lips smashed onto his, my breath probably smelling like straight alcohol. He stiffened for a second, but then relaxed against my touch, kissing me back. We opened and closed our mouths rhythmically.
At that very moment, I wanted him. So bad. I still had the urge to feel someone’s skin on mine, and the urge was even stronger now that it was Axe.
I brought my free hand down to his black belt to undo it as my other arm was still draped around his neck. I began tugging at the belt, trying to get it off with one hand, but it didn’t seem to be working. His lips left mine, pulling away. He was breathing heavily.
“Tate, no.”
I was baffled at his rejection, disappointed. “Why?”
“You’re too drunk.”
“But I want you.”
His green irises glittered, longing for me. But he still shook his head. “You’re too drunk,” he repeated. He quickly put the t-shirt on me, his shoulders rising and falling as he took a deep breath.
“Axe?” I said as he tucked me in.
“Mhmm?”
“I still love you.”
His body froze, taken off guard at my confession. He peeked over at me, locking eyes with mine. He clearly hadn’t expected me to still love him after what he had done, let alone to admit it right now.
“I love you too.” His chin dipped down as his beautiful emeralds eyed my lips. He slowly bent down and placed a tender kiss on my mouth, but backed away instantly after, not allowing me to continue it. “I’m gonna sleep in the living room, so just come out there if you need anything, okay?”
My head hit the pillow, still frustrated that he refused to give me what I wanted. But even so, I still craved his presence. Having my lips on his was the most myself I’ve felt in weeks, the most relaxed and normal I’ve felt. My heart started to ache as he walked towards the door. I didn’t want him to leave.
“Axe?”
“Yeah?” he turned.
“Will you lay with me?”
One side of his mouth slightly pulled up into a half-smile. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed. The second he was next to me, I cuddled up into him, draping one arm around his stomach and placing my head on his chest. He held me tight, maybe the tightest he’s ever held me. I smelled his cologne radiating off of him. My favorite smell.
I didn’t want to go to bed. I wanted to savor every moment of this.
I hadn’t been to Wilmot in six months. Hadn’t been home in six months. But I didn’t need to be. Because Axe was my home away from home. Laying in his arms felt right.
He rubbed my back gently. I thought about what it felt like when Lucas had touched my back. Not only did it make me uncomfortable because it was Lucas, but it just felt wrong in general. It’s as if my body knew the difference between the two simply by the touch.
I knew I had missed Axel more than anything, more than I had ever missed anyone before, including Connor. Laying with Axe felt so right, which was why it was making me so sad. Once morning would come, this moment would be over, and Axe and I would return to being strangers. My eyes swelled up with tears as my head still rested on his chest and as if on cue, the waterworks all rushed out at once, soaking Axe’s shirt.
I may have been drunk, but even if I were sober, I knew I would’ve had the same reaction. I shook as I cried, then cried even harder when Axe spoke.
“Tate,” he whispered as he sat up, pulling me up with him so that he could look into my eyes. “Baby, why are you crying?”
He attempted to wipe my tears away, but they were coming out so quickly that he couldn’t keep up. God, I probably looked so ugly right now, mascara most likely covering my entire face. But I didn’t care. My appearance was the last thing I cared about at the moment.
“
I miss you so much,” I said in between sobs.
He wrapped his arms around me, putting my head against his chest. I could hear the vibrations coming from his chest as he spoke. “I can’t even put into words how much I’ve missed you. When I’m not with you, I can’t even think straight. I can’t think of anything other than how much I fucking miss you.” I cried into his arms for another minute before he spoke again. “Take me back,” he pleaded. I slowly disconnected my cheek from his chest, my eyes traveling up to meet his. I’d been crying so hard that I hadn’t even noticed that he was crying too. “Please take me back.” My thumb rubbed over his bottom lip, my heart yearning for his.
“Axe…”
“I promise you that I’ll work hard every single day to be the man you need, the man you deserve. I don’t ever want to touch a woman again unless it’s you. I won’t even breathe in another woman’s direction, ever. I will love you and protect you at all costs until the day I die. Just, please Tate,” he begged, clenching his eyes shut as another tear fell down. His eyes fluttered back open. “I’m so fucking miserable without you.”
My drunken mind couldn’t sort through my thoughts. If I were sober right now, I would be able to decide what to do or say. But as I sat there in Axe’s arms, under the influence, I didn’t have enough control over myself to stop and think. But you know what they say. Drunk words are sober thoughts.
I opened my mouth to speak, to give in, but then there was a buzzing sound coming from the nightstand. Axe reached over and picked up his phone, still holding me with one arm. Gianna’s name lit up the screen.
“Yeah?” Axe said, annoyed by the interruption. He listened carefully. “She’s with me. She’s fine.” His eyes rolled at whatever her response was. “If you think I would let anything happen to her, then you’re crazy.” He hung up the phone, tossing it to the end of the bed.
I yawned, my tired, drunken, swollen eyes slowly closing. Axe laid me back down, covering me with the comforter.
“Go to bed, baby,” he whispered, sniffling. I wanted to stay awake. To talk to him, snuggle up next to him, feel his lips on mine, but my dizzies had returned, and before I knew it, I was already sound asleep without having told Axel that I would take him back.
But would I feel the same way in the morning?
Chapter Twenty-Two
The True Definition
I awoke to yelling coming from the living room. I quickly sat up to go see what the commotion was about, but my eyes widened when I felt my head throbbing. I winced, rubbing my forehead. I reached over for the water bottle that Axe had left on the nightstand last night, taking numerous gulps.
When I finally managed to get up, I slowly made my way out of the bedroom. Axe, Ash, and Gianna were all in the living room, voices raising.
“Why the hell would I ever do that to her? I love her!” Axe exclaimed.
“Because it sounds like something you would do!” Gianna retaliated.
“I didn’t do anything to her, Gianna! You’re being a bitch for no reason!” Axe yelled. I wasn’t sure what the argument was about. All I knew was that I had never heard them yell at each other this fiercely. And their yelling wasn’t helping my headache.
“Axel!” Ash shouted back in reaction, warning Axel to tone it down.
Axe’s mouth pressed into a straight line as he shook his head. “Whatever,” he said, pushing past Ash.
Ash placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. “Calm down. You’re acting like Paul right now,” Ash said through gritted teeth.
Axe whipped himself around to face his brother. “I’m nothing like that scumbag,” he seethed.
It seemed as if he didn’t even notice I was standing there, blinded by his anger as he strolled past me and slammed his bedroom door shut.
Ash and Gianna both watched me for a second, before Gianna started another argument, this time, with Ash. Usually she was so mellow, so I was confused as to why she was currently so heated. I didn’t want to be caught in their wildfire, and more importantly, I wanted to make sure Axe was okay. I slowly backed out of the living room, retreating back to the bedroom, but the door wouldn’t budge as I went to open it. It was locked.
I lightly knocked on the door. “Axe? It’s me. Open up.”
Within seconds, it was opened. Axe moved out of the way to let me in, closing and relocking the door after I entered. I touched my forehead again, overtaken by my current nausea.
“How are you feeling?” Axe asked, pretending as if the altercation in the living room didn’t happen.
I disregarded the question, more concerned with getting answers to mine first. “What was all that about?”
Axe sighed. “Gianna thinks I snatched you from ATA solely because I wanted to, not because you were about to get basically raped by that dumb fuck. You were so drunk that it definitely would’ve been considered rape. And then she thinks I took you back here and had sex with you myself.”
I didn’t remember too many details from the night before, but I did remember enough to know what happened and what didn’t happen. I brought my eyebrows together. “But neither of those things are true.”
“I know, but she doesn’t believe me.”
“I’ll talk to her later and set things straight,” I said, holding my unsettled stomach.
Axe took notice. “Damnit and I was in the middle of making your pancakes too.”
“Chocolate chip?”
The sides of his mouth slowly turned up in response to my question. “Of course.”
Both of our smiles fell as the yelling from the living room got louder, and even though we couldn’t hear word for word what they were saying, it didn’t sound good. Axe and I quietly looked at each other as the apartment door slammed shut, followed by stomps down the hall. I jumped when there was a fist banging on the door.
“Axel! Get your ass out here now!” Ash demanded. Axe didn’t flinch from his brother’s aggressive tone. He placed an arm in front of me and pushed me behind him, his protective instincts kicking in, even if it was just his brother.
The door swung open and Ash stood, huffing and puffing in anger.
“What do you want, dick?” Axe calmly asked.
Ash’s eyebrows flew up. “Your dumbass just got me broken up with!”
“For what! I didn’t do shit!”
“Honestly, I don’t even know!” Ash yelled, bringing his arms up and then smacking them down by his sides. “But now I’m fuckin’ pissed!”
Axel’s tone stayed calm. “Well, you’re one of the reasons why Tate and I broke up. So, I guess karma’s a bitch.”
Ash clearly did not like his answer, his heavy breathing becoming heavier as his jaw trembled beneath his skin. “You’re a dick.”
“I didn’t even do anything.”
“You called my girlfriend a bitch!”
“Ex-girlfriend,” Axe corrected him.
Ash exploded, throwing a punch at Axe, but he quickly ducked. In the blink of an eye, Axe grabbed both of Ash’s arms and twisted them behind his back, ramming him up against the wall.
Ash’s cheek kissed the cold wall, his facial expression still pissed as he tried to break out of Axe’s hold, but his grip was too strong.
“STOP!” Axe screamed at his brother. Ash still struggled under his grasp, trying his hardest to wiggle free. I had seen Axe absolutely outraged, but I had never seen him lay a hand on Ash before now. I had no idea that Axe was strong enough to take on his own brother, his older brother. Axel’s breaths were deep, his words dull. “Don’t make me beat your ass right now. I don’t want to, especially while Tate’s in the room.”
Ash’s eyes drifted over to me, barely reaching sight of me under his restrictions. “Okay, okay! Just let me go!”
Axe did what was requested, backing up and away from Ash as he did so. I didn’t know if now was a good time to be getting involved, but I did anyway.
“Ash, I’ll talk to Gianna later for you.”
He nodded once at
me, smoothing out his shirt. “Thanks, Tate.” His breathing was still in the process of going back to normal, a clear sign that he was still distraught, but it seemed like he was trying not to take it out on me. Ash took one last look at both Axe and I and then walked out of the room, trampling down the hall.
Axe made his way over to me, gently pushing my hair back. The apartment door slammed shut again, causing Axe to roll his eyes.
“Did he just leave?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“I feel bad.”
“Don’t.” His fingers traced down my arm, stopping when he reached my hand. He lightly squeezed, not taking his eyes off of mine. By the small bags that had made homes under his eyes, it didn’t seem like he gotten much sleep last night either. I wondered if he had stayed up thinking, the same thing I would’ve done if I hadn’t been so goddamn drunk.
“Now let’s go make you those pancakes,” he smirked on one side, a single dimple popping up. I couldn’t help but grin too as my favorite sight stood before me.
I sat down with my plate after the pancakes were done. I hadn’t been much help in the process, my hangover growing as time passed. But hopefully, eating would help.
It was odd how even after everything, being around Axe felt right. Being at the apartment felt normal. It didn’t feel like anything was being forced or that there was any awkwardness in the room. Obviously, there was a peculiar tension in the air, but it was only due to the underlying circumstances.
I could feel Axe’s eyes peer up at me every so often as we ate across from each other. He definitely had something on his mind, maybe even about last night, but he hadn’t said anything about it. I tried to think about the previous night as I ate, small parts coming back to me as I concentrated. I knew that Axe had asked me to take him back, but I didn’t remember my response to him.
Finally, he broke the silence. “Do you remember anything from last night?”
I did a one-shoulder shrug. “Bits and pieces, yeah.”
He shifted around in his seat. “Do you… remember anything specifically?”
Oh, no. Had I told him I would get back together with him? Even if I did, he should’ve known not to get his hopes up or take my word for it considering how drunk I was.