LIX
I sit on the couch, biting my lip, waiting anxiously for Amber to pick up. Axel's pacing in front of me. His expression is angry as hell as he waits, tightly clutching his phone in his hand and I'm slightly afraid that he'll crush it.
A faint voice can be heard from the phone, and I try to hear what it said, but it's too quiet. I mouth "put it on speaker" to Axel, but he ignores me.
"Why the fuck did you leave Sophie yesterday with that fucker? And you better have a good reason." he sneers into the phone and listens to the reply.
"Yes, I'm her goddamned lawyer now speak." he hisses and is quiet for a few moments before rolling his eyes.
"That's the reason? Are you fucking with me? You were fucking hungry so you left her there? Yes, I know she was with Theo, that's the exact reason why I'm pissed the fuck off. No, I'm not fucking jealous I just know him and I don't want her to be around him!" He's shouting at the end, when the person says something that calms him down again, and he gets that deadly look in his eyes again.
"You know what, Amber? Fuck you and fuck your opinion. I'm done with you, stay the fuck away from me and Sophie." he says with a low voice before throwing the phone across the room.
I watch it shatter with mouth wide open. "What did she say?" I demand immediately and he exhales.
"She was fucking hungry, that's why they left you there. Apparently you had Theo with you and that was enough for them to think you were safe. She told me she'd rather see you with him than with me anyway and that's also the reason why they basically forced you to stay at his fucking house." he breathes out and sits down next to me, his head in his hands. "My own fucking sister would rather see the person that I love with someone else that with me, how fucked up is that?" he says and chuckles, no humour in his voice.
"I need to tell you something." I say softly but then the door bell goes off and Axel stands up, taking my hand in his. »Come, you'll want to hear this.« he says, leading me to the door. When he opens them I'm shocked to see Gina in a short skirt in front of it.
»What the hell is she doing here?« I ask at the same time she says. »What the hell was so urgent, Axel?« she tries to enter the house, but he blocks her path.
I give her the hardest look I can as Axel speaks. »I want you to tell Sophia why we met yesterday.« he says and she rolls her eyes.
»Are you kidding me? That's why I had to come here for? I don't have time for this, Axel.«
»Yes, you fucking do! Now, tell her, why did we meet, Gina?« he shouts, pressing her. She huffs and crosses her arms on her chest. »Cuz' I told you to come.«
»Why did you tell me to come?« he inquires further and refuses to let go of my hand.
»Cuz' I said I have some photos.« she says, shruging. I frown. »What kind of photos?«
She just looks at me, not saying anything, until Axel yells at her. »Answer her!«
She actually jumps at his loud voice and begins to talk. »I don't know, nude ones of you two. I didn't actually have them, fine? Can I fucking go now? Yeez.«
My blood boils at this new information. How can someone be so mean to try and manipulate people this way? How low can her self-esteem possibly be? And most importantly, how stupid is she to try and steal my boyfriend?
Axel turns my head to look at him and as I take a look at him I smile, beyond relieved that he had actual reason to meet with her yesterday. »See? I was doing all this shit for you and there you were, slapping me and stuff.«
I look back at Gina and pull on Axel's grip on my hand once again. »Let me go, I'm not going away from you, I just wanna talk to her.« I tell him calmly and he reluctantly lets go but stays close as I approach Gina.
I stop inches from her face and give her a fake smile, taking a good long look at her cheap, smudged make up and bleached blonde hair. »Listen, Gina. I've been nice and all but if you ever try to manipulate your way into my relationship with Axel ever again in any way, there will be literal hell to pay, and I'm even kidding. I'll destroy your reputation, I'll slash the tires on your car, I'll make life hard as long as you try to do the same to me. Get over yourself and find some self-respect, and leave Axel alone. Get it?« I speak to her in a calm voice, smiling. She looks like she wants to say something mean back but when she glances behind me at Axel she shrugs. »Fine, whatever. You two are perfect for each other, you know? Both out of your fucking minds.« she turns on her heels and walks away from me.
I turn around to find Axel smirking. »That was pretty bad-ass.«
I shrug. »I'm bad-ass. You should know that by now, Axel.«
The rest of the day we spend cuddling on the couch, watching movies and ordering food because we're too lazy to cook anything. After the second movie we get our food, two pizzas, and we literally spend three hours eating it while talking.
It seems as if there are so many topics we have to discuss that we could never stop talking to each other. Even when the third movie starts, we're more involved with our conversation and comments than with the movie.
It's amazing and I love it very much. It was always a trouble for me to find topics to talk to people, it felt like a burden, but with Axel, it comes naturally. It's not long until he has had enough of the movies and he's carrying me upstairs into his bedroom, his plans obvious.
We fall asleep a tangled mess of two bodies and two minds.
"Soph." a soft voice says in the morning, making me groan and put a pillow over my face.
"Go away." I say, preparing myself to go back to sleep.
"Oh, come on. Wake up." he says again and snatches the pillow away from me.
"No, leave me alone." I say, turning on my stomach and shielding my face with my hands.
"Sophie, wake up. I've waited too long for your reaction." he tries again but I simply shake my head.
"No." I say and he sighs.
"Fine, you asked for it." he says and goes away.
I smile in content, thinking I can sleep a bit longer, when quick steps coming to me are heard, but they're not the steps I'm used to.
These sound lighter, clumsier and with something hard hitting the ground... Nails?
Before I can even open my eyes, it's on me, attacking me with something warm and wet.
A tongue.
"Go get her buddy!" Axel cheers and I open my eyes and sit up.
Jumping on top of me is a small ball of soft grey fur, about the size of small pillow, with two small eyes and a pink tongue out of its mouth.
"Happy birthday, baby." Axel says, but I can't look away from the creature.
He got me a puppy!