Chapter 22: Chapter 22

XXII

Axel groans and I throw my hands in the air.

"Great!" I say and hear her footsteps stop for a moment.

"Gina, go home." Axel says with low voice, loud enough for her to hear, staring deep into my eyes.

"Gina. A slutty name for a slutty girl." I whisper to myself and Axel frowns at me.

Of course she doesn't listen and begins to walk upstairs quickly.

"Why? What's wrong?" she asks and Axel closes his eyes and lets out a breath angrily. His fists are clenched at his sides and his entire posture is tense.

I want to calm him down, but honestly he brought this upon himself.

Gina shows up under the doorway, wearing so much make-up that she doesn't even look like a human and dressed in...

Only in a trenchcoat? What the hell? Not even prostitutes dress like this anymore.

"Axel, love, what the fuck is she doing here?" she asks, a disgusted look on her face.

Axel doesn't even look at her, keeping his eyes closed.

The awkward silence spreads around the three of us, so intense you could cut it with a knife.

Gina's eyes follow down and up my body,  her expression turning even more disgusted. "Love-"

"I told you to get the fuck home!" Axel suddenly shouts.

I jump away in surprise and slight fear at his voice. I don't think I ever heard him be so angry and judging by the whore's expression, neither has she.

"But, baby-" she begins again and this time, Axel finally looks up at her.

He frowns. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

She gives him a wicked smile. "Do you like the coat?«she purrs and Axel purses his lips.

"Just get the fuck out, okay?" he says, once again and she huffs.

"You're being an idiot, Jarvis. Don't fucking call me when you're feeling lonely again, okay?"

She looks at me. "And I really thought you had higher standards."

Axel scoffs at that, but doesn't say anything.

She looks around the room and her eyes stop at the thongs. Quickly, her feet carry her to them and she picks them up.

"Mine." she says, looking straight into my eyes.

I feel an urge to vomit at her words.

"Get the fuck out!" Axel shouts again, pointing with his finger towards the door.

"I fucking heard you the first time, okay?! Yeez!" she shouts back and finally starts walking out.

Quickly, she descents down the stairs.

"You'll regret this, Jarvis!" she screams one last time before slamming his front door closed.

Axel slowly closes his eyes again for a moment and lets out a breath, trying to calm himself.

"I'm sor-"

"Save it. I'm out." I cut him off and raise my hands up in front of my chest.

I begin to leave the house as well, but Axel takes off after me.

"Soph." he says, trying to stop me but I don't listen.

"Sophia." he repeats, only a few steps behind me.

I start walking even quicker, already seeing the door in front of me.

"Sophia!"

I grab the door handle and close my eyes, tears threatening to spill.

"Don't fucking leave me, goddamnit." he says, his voice breaking at the end.

"What the fuck else do you want me to do to show you that I fucking care? I'm not the person to say shit like that, and I'm not the person for commitment but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't care for you like you're my everything. I-Fuck, I don't even know what the fuck you did to make me like this. It's fucking crazy. I'm a heartless person but you make me feel like maybe there is something beating in my chest and I've not felt like that for years! I don't even know what the fuck it is about you, except that well, you're gorgeous and hot and I fucking love your ass-"

I roll my eyes so that I don't chuckle at his ridiculous attempt of complimenting me.

"And you're the first woman I don't just want to fuck but like, I want to talk to and read books to and dance with and sing to and I haven't sung in forever. This shit is so fucking confusing to me and I want it to stop! It terrifies the shit out of me! I don't want to be vulnerable! I am reserved and I hide behind the mask for a fucking reason but you- you're just making me take the mask off and goddamn I don't even know what the fuck I'm saying but please, don't leave." he finishes and I turn around to look at him.

There are tears streaming down his face, like they are on mine.

There are tears on Axel Jarvis's face.

He agressively wipes them off. "You made me cry." he says, half in awe, half in confusion.

"You made me cry too." I say and he looks at my face.

He frowns slightly when he sees that he indeed has made me cry. "I'm sorry." he apologizes and I shake my head and walk up to him and hug him.

"You don't have to apologize." I say in his chest. "You're so big." I say and squeeze him and he chuckles.

"You're so small." he says. "You're not leaving?" he asks and I shake my head.

"No. Your grand speech has changed my mind." I say. "That was the most beautiful thing I ever heard."

He chuckles. "I know right? I don't even know when I became so fucking poetic. It's your fault."

"I'm sorry." I say and this time he shakes his head.

"No need to apologize, love. Do you think we can make it through an entire day without one of us running off?" he asks and I shrug.

"I don't know. It kind of seems impossible."

"It does, doesn't it?" he says. "But I'm ready to try."

I smile. "Me too."