“I don’t want you to get confused between caring for me and feeling for me. Maybe you’ve got caught up in being with me too much, but when we return to Waversea, think of how you’ll feel with all the ladies fighting for your attention again. If you continue down this path, I fear its only me who is going to get hurt.” I grind my jaw, focusing on a bright star directly above. He was all for us before but it’s like he’s trying to push me away. I must make him see how badly I want this.
“You know you’re the only one I’ve ever had meaningful sex with and the connection is real. But I want to be more than physical with you.” A glaze covers his amber eyes, so much hope held within their depths that I long to fulfil.
“People don’t change overnight Garrett. I can tell you want to, but I don’t think it’ll be enough. Why can’t we keep things the way they were?” The strangest notion to cry pricks the back of my eyes, something I haven’t done in so long I thought my tear ducts had seized up. I can sense I’m losing this battle, but I can’t give up.
“I’m not the same person I was, even just last week. I nearly lost you and, in that moment, everything I wished I’d said to you nearly consumed me. I want more, I want you. And I need your help to get there.” My free hand winds around his neck, my thumb stroking his strong jawline as I tilt his face up towards me further.
“Gare, I can’t- “
“Please Axel. We can do this, be a proper couple.”
“I don’t believe you.” He breathes, my heart hitching on half a beat. I can tell I’m hurting him, but I can’t stop. If I close myself off now, I’m certain I’ll never be able to open up to another again. I’m ripping out my bloody, charred heart and offering it to him on a platter.
“Then believe this.” I close the small distance between us to press my lips against his. Kissing him tenderly, drawing him into my body to tell him I’m all his. His lips are achingly soft, my raw heart beating in time to his as we lose ourselves in the moment. Breaths mingling, stubble grazing. A salty wetness seeps into my mouth, Axel’s tears glistening in the candlelight. I kiss a trail up each of his cheeks, banishing his doubt and saying a silent vow to never make him cry ever again.
“I promise to never hurt or let you down. Be my boyfriend Axel, just mine and I’ll be all yours. Only yours.” I turn into his body, our chests pressing against each other and I place a hand over his heart. I draw a line across his jaw with my nose, nuzzling into his neck the way he likes. I won’t stop until he understands how much I need him. Kissing back up to his ear, I rest my forehead against his to stare straight into his incredible eyes.
“Say yes,” I whisper against his lips. It feels unnatural to let so much vulnerability show in my features, the only person I’ve ever deemed worthy of fighting for holding my future in his hands.
“Yes.”
Avery
Usually I hate the rain, but as I lie in bed pretending to be asleep, I’m thankful for the cover its going to provide me for what I’m about to do. With everything that’s been going on, I’d almost forgotten what today was, but luckily a whisper came to me in a dream and jolted me awake. The day has just broken although no one would think so with the looming, grey clouds filling the sky though our net curtain. Sliding silently out of the bed, Huxley’s light snores still sounding from the opposite side, I crawl to the chest of drawers I’ve claimed and pull out some black jeans and a long-sleeved top. Piling my underwear and biker boots into my arms, I creep around the edge of the room, unhooking Huxley’s jacket from the back of the door before slipping out.
Only the constant ticking of a grandfather clock below the bannister sounds as I rush into the bathroom to wash and change. Dragging my fingers through my hair, I quickly braid it down the length of my spine and I pull the large hood low over my eyes to conceal most of my features. Feeling the heavy weight of the jacket’s pocket in my hand, my head starts to spin with anticipation. Taking a steading breath, goose bumps line my arms between the cotton, I tiptoe back into the hallway and down the darkened staircase.
Butler Bill rounds the corner by the kitchen, my heart lurching as I dive behind an unnecessarily tall vase. He passes in his full butler attire, coattails, and all, too focused on the shaky tray in his hands to notice me. The scent of buttery toast and sweet tea coil around me, my stomach grumbling in protest, but I don’t have time for breakfast. If any of the guys discover what I’m doing, they’ll tie me to the bed and won’t let me out of their sight for a long time.
Carefully checking each corner before continuing, I move through the mansion as quickly as I dare and come to a halt at the front door. Glancing back at the stillness behind me, I leave the safety within and escape into the pouring rain. Fat droplets pelt onto the jacket instantly as I fumble in the pocket to remove the Nissan’s keys, briefly wondering if I should have left an apology note. I sprint over to the flash of headlights as I unlock the doors, diving inside as a flash of lightening bursts overhead.
A tiny part of me is screaming it’s not too late, run back
