Chapter 16: Chapter 16

XVI

They look at eachother.

"The guy with black hair? The one who smokes?" Liam asks and Amber sighs.

"Well I guess he's better than Axel." she says and then shakes her head. "Damn girl I didn't know you had such a thing for bad boys."

I chuckle. "Yeah, neither did I."

We all laugh at that. "Well, have fun." Liam says.

"Yeah, and tell us how it goes." Amber adds and I nod.

"Sure." I smile and we continue watching the movie.

After Harry Potter almost dies and he's safely on the train back home, me and Liam go home as well.

He drives me home first and hugs me, and then I go inside my house.

"Where have you been, young girl?" a voice startles me and I jump.

I have been sure no one would be home because my parents have told me they are going out for dinner tonight.

I turn around and see my dad standing by the table, his arms crossed over his chest.

I put my hand on my chest. "Dad, you scared me."

He doesn't say or do anything.

I sigh. "I was with my friends. Didn't you and mum go for a dinner?" I ask him, hoping to change the topic but when he tightens his yaw I know my attempt has failed.

"Was the tattooed boy there?" he asks and I frown.

"No. How do you know about Axel?" I question and he motions with his hand to me to come closer, and then pats the chair.

"Your mother told me." he says with fierce voice as he sits down and I sit next to him. "He doesn't sound like a good guy." he continues and I look down at my lap, playing with my fingers. I sigh."I know. I'm not hanging out with him anymore, anyway." I try to explain and he just shakes his head.

"No, let me finish. I know guys like him, sweetie. They never have good intentions. And I also know that for some reason you women like them. You have this image in your head that you will change them and live happily ever after, but that never happens." he says and I nod.

He sighs. "I don't want you to get even more involved with him, okay? I don't want to see him in this house and I especially don't want to see him with you."

I take a deep breath and look up at the ceiling. "Dad, stop. You won't see him in this house again nor will you see me with him. I'm not even talking to him anymore for christ's sake!" I explain and throw my arms in the air.

He nods. "Okay. That's good." he tells me with content and catches my hands in his, placing a tender fatherly kiss on them.

"I love you, sweetie. I just want to protect you." he explains and I smile.

"I know, dad. I love you too." I reply and then get up from the chair.

"I'm going to go to bed, okay?" I say and he nods. It was 10 pm already, anyway.

"Good night, sweetie." he says.

"Good night, dad." I reply and walk up the stairs towards my room.

I sigh as I close the door behind me, resting my head on the wooden door. There's officially no person in this world to support Axel and I now. Not even me. I don't know if that makes me happy or sad so I just let the thought go away.

I turn around from the door and almost have a heart attack.

"Where were you?"Axel asks with angry voice, his brows furrowed.

He's wearing his usual black tight pants and black leather jacket, except today he has a white V-neck shirt on. He is sitting on my bed, looking angry as ever, his pierced brow furrowed.

"You always go to bed at half past nine. So I'm going to ask you again. Where were you?" he says and stands from the bed, putting his hands on his hips.

I squint my eyes, furrow my brows and put my hands on my hips as well. "What the hell are you doing here!?" I whisper-yell at him. "How did you get here?!"

He comes closer to me, hovering over me.

"I asked you a question first."

"Well you are in my house, in my bedroom so I am going to be asking questions." I spit back at him.

His eyes soften and he sighs. "I-I'm afraid for you." he says with a soft voice.

I raise my brows.

"You what?" I ask again.

Is he joking?

He comes closer to me and caresses my cheek. "I'm afraid something might happen to you. Ever since those fuckers beat me up and that fucking dick threatened you and said "soon", I've been going out of my mind. They are dicks, but they are serious and not to be fucked with. So, I come here at night to check if everything's okay with you and then stay a while to make sure that he doesn't come." he explains and I start shaking my head.

"You're mental." I say and remove his hand from my cheek.

"You are completely fucking insane." I continue. "We-" I motion with my hand between us "-or whatever we were, it's over. It's done and it was done before we ever began and I kissed you. You can't come into my house at night and protect me or whatever, because you-" I put my index finger on his chest "- are not my boyfriend, brother, nor my father. You are nothing to me." I whisper loudly at him and he frowns.

"Don't say that." he says, his eyes soft.

I raise my brows. "It's the truth!"

"But I don't want it to be." he says and catches my hands and pulls me closer to him.

I shake my head and look away from his beautiful eyes. "You have a girlfriend, remember? And- and I-" I pause, not knowing how to continue as his grip on my hands tightens.

"You what?" he asks, his voice low, sending chills down my spine.

I gulp. "I'm going out tomorrow."

His eyes darken and he shakes his head. "No. No you're definetly not." he says.

I rip my hands out his grip. "Yes, I am, Axel, and you're not going to stop me." I say, my brows furrowed.

He makes a grimace like he'a disgusted. "Who's the fucker?" he asks and I shake my head.

There's no way I'm telling him. I will not be the one to ruin their relationship.

Suddenly, he completely stops moving as he realizes himself who it is.

"It's Theo, isn't it?" he asks, his voice cold.

I don't say anything and he backs away from me, turning around and putting his hands on his head.

"Fuck!" he exclaims and I freeze.

My dad definetly heard that.

"Quick, Axel, get under the bed!" I say and he turns around, his brows furrowing. He opens his mouth, but in that moment the sound of a light turning on comes from downstairs.

He freezes as well, but then slowly starts to shake his head.

"I'm not hiding. I'm not afraid of your parents." he says and I can hear my dad walking upstairs.

I start panicking. "I'll have detention! You won't be able to see me!" I say, trying desperately to get him to hide.

"Promise you won't go out with Theo tomorrow." he blurts and I glare at him. "Don't do-"

"Promise me." he cuts me off and I can hear my dad at the top of his stairs.

"Okay! I promise!" I blurt out and a grin spreads on his face as he gets on the floor and climbs under my bed.

He grunts a couple times, the space being too small for him.

"What was that?" my dad barges into my room.

I whip around towards him and hold up my phone.

"Amber sent me a funny video. A guy falls and breaks his nose and curses. I didn't know I had my volume up so loud." I explain, but my dad still looks a bit suspicious.

"Amber?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah, my best friend." I explain and he nods.

"Well, go to bed, okay. It's late." he says and I nod. "Will do, dad." I smile and he closes my door and turns off my light.

I sigh and put my head in my hands.

I hear shuffling and Axel gets up on his feet.

"Amber?" he asks and I nod.

"Yeah, your sister. I was with her tonight." I say and turn on the light. "Now, you have to go, Axel."

He shakes his head. "No, we still have a lot to talk about."

"We have nothing to talk about, Axel." I say and he suddenly comes to me and puts his arms around me.

"Yes, we do.« He takes a deep breath and looks around the room, obviously wondering how to say what he wants to say. »Sophia, I-I'm sorry. I really am. Guess you were right, I am a fucking pussy. This week, it just- it killed me to be on such bad terms with you. I can't forget you. I tried, hard, but it just- it doesn't work." he says, his eyes pleading and I narrow mine.

»It killed you? You exchanged bodily fluids with a bimbo every time I saw you. It didn't look like it killed you, no offense.« I spit at him and he huffs.

»It's my defence system.«

»Your defence system? Well, then mine is to tell you to get the hell out of my room, Axel.« I point my finger towards the window, making him frown.

»No.« he says and shakes his head. I lift my brows.

»No? What do you mean, no?«

»No, I'm not leaving.« he explains and I huff in anger.

»Fine, then I'll make you go.« I declare and shove him in the direction of the window, not moving him for even a milimeter. He chuckles and angers me even more, csuding me to give him a harder push, again achieving nothing. »You're cute.«

I groan. »I'm not cute.« I decide to try and start pulling him instead of pushing. »You think this is gonna work?« he decides to push me further. »Cuz' I think it's not.« he says with a smirk and I groan, throwing my arms in the air. »Why the hell are you like this?«

He shrugs. »How am I supposed to know that. I know I'm not leaving, though.«

I stare at him for a few moments, huffing angrily while he grins his annoying face at me.

»Exactly what do you think you're going to achieve here, Axel?« I finally ask and he shrugs. »What do you want me to achieve?«

»You're doing the thing again. Answering questions with questions.« I call him out and he takes my hands in his, pulling me close to him.

»Well, I don't know the answer, but I'm not giving up on this, Sophia.« he says and I roll my eyes. "We're not good for each other, Axel." I remind him and he nods. "I know."

"You're a complete asshole to me ninety-nine percent of the time." I continue and he nods again. "I know."

"How can you expect us to be together then?" I ask.

He frowns. »Together?«

I sigh. »Yes, Axel, together. I'm assuming that's what you're trying to achieve here.«

He stays quiet for a few moments. »I'm not a relationship type of guy.« he says and I want to laugh in his face.

»Then what's the point of all of this?«

He gulps, the tattoo moving on his throat. »Can't we just, I don't know. Hang out?«

I tilt my head. »You want to be my friend?«

»No, fuck no.« he immediately says. »Don't you dare fucking friend-zone me, Sophie.«

I shrug. »You literally just said that you're not a relationship type of guy. Two people can either be friends, family or partners. We're not family and you don't want to be in a relationship. That only leaves friends. Oh, and strangers.«

He rolls his eyes. »I'm gonna have to teach you to tame that attitude of yours, Sophie.«

I give him a fake smile. »How about you first decide what you want us to be, hm, Axel, and then we'll move to advanced stuff. Now I'm really tired and want to go to bed and since at the moment you're neither my friend, family or boyfriend I don't think there's any reason for you to be here-»

He cuts me off by grabbing me by the back of my head and putting his lips on mine. »You're gonna drive me out of my fucking mind, Sophia. Can we make a deal?« he asks me and I lift my brow, humming.

»Can we pretend, just for tonight, that we're a couple? See how it would work?« he proposes and I roll my eyes.

»Yeah right, because that would give us a realistic picture.«

»Stop rolling your eyes at me and yes, I think it would, actually. Look, if by the end of the night you decide that you in no way want anything to do with me that's fine, but let's just give it a shot, okay? For tonight.« he presses.

I tilt my head. »How will I know for real that you'll leave me alone if I say no at the end of the night?«

He shrugs. »You're gonna have to trust me.«

»That's not good enough.« I argue and he rolls his eyes.

»Well, it's the best I can fucking do.« he sighs. »Now, what do you say, hm? You gonna turn down all of this?« he motions with his hands down his body and I half-smile, appreciating the hottness of the man in front of me.

I can't believe I'm seriously considering this proposal. Pointing my finger in his face I say:«You will not tell anyone that we did this, okay? Or I'll make up some story of how you have some weird disease down there.« I say with narrowed eyes, making him smirk.

»You know, I actually have a lot of witnesses-»

I groan, cutting him off. »Just promise you won't tell anyone.« He crosses his heart. »Scout's honour, Sophia.«

I take a moment, observing his face. »Oh to hell, I gotta live a little.« I finally say with a smirk.

»That you do, dear girlfriend.« he says, holding my hand to his heart.