Falling For The Playboy

EVA

“Hi, Axel. ”

He exhaled a pent up breath the moment I spoke, his shoulders dropping an inch and I realized, rather surprisingly, that he had been tense. Had he been worried that I would ignore him? Sure, things ended abruptly between us yesterday, but I wasn’t a mean person. And not to mention, I was to blame for the awkwardness that ensued after our okay conversation. So where had he gotten that idea?

He closed the distance between us swiftly, lifting my bag from the seat beside me then dropping down on the now empty chair, placing my bag on his lap. Some shuffling ensued before he settled.

Due to lack of space between the arranged chairs, my right leg and his left leg touched, making me painfully aware of the bunched muscles underneath the fabric of his pants. I glanced at him wondering if he noticed. He had his eyes straight forward, oblivious. In fact he looked rather nervous to notice anything, really.

I figured that was a little tell of his. Whenever he was nervous or telling a lie, he would look in another direction, almost as though he couldn’t look at me. He’d done it several times before, but I hadn’t thought anything of it until now.

“Why aren’t you going home? ” He still wasn’t facing me and I almost wanted to ignore him. Pretend I didn’t know I was the one he was talking to, but that would be really foolish of me because there was no one else in sight -at least within hearing distance.

Disappointed at myself for thinking childishly, I replied, tilting my chin in the general direction of the Arts building. “I’m waiting for Abi. ”

“And Zoe. ” He supplied.

I shook my head, momentarily forgetting that he wasn’t looking at me. He caught the gesture anyway and turned to face me.

“Is she in the car already? ” He asked doubtfully, his eyes scanning the car park, assessing the cars one by one. It dawned on me that he was trying to find our car. As if he would know it.

“She doesn’t go home with us. ” At his raised brows, I clarified, “She does come home. But not with me and Abi. I think she drives. ” Although I’d never seen her car in school. Like now, her car wasn’t in the car pack.

Did she Uber?

I dismissed the thought immediately it entered my mind. Zoe didn’t seem like the Uber sort. Maybe she had her car parked somewhere else or maybe she shared a ride with someone. Both ideas seemed far-fetched but I didn’t know what else to think.

“That’s odd. ” Axel noted. “Why doesn’t she go with you? ” When I just shrugged, he asked. “Does she do extra lessons? ”

“No. ”

“Then why not just go home with you guys? ”

“I don’t know. ” The words came out in a clipped, harsh tone that I instantly regretted. Why was I so edgy?

Yesterday, after I had finally been able to think properly and reflect on the activities of the day, I couldn’t help but feel terrible for making us leave the eatery so abruptly, and in the process, ending our easy flowing conversation -the only time we’d ever truly connected- simply because of a few words he had said, not that he had any idea of the impact they’d had on me. How could he? He didn’t know how tough that topic was.

Grudgingly, I admitted to myself that the reason I was in such an irritable mood was because I had expected him to talk about us. What us entailed, I wasn’t sure. I just knew I wanted him to talk about yesterday. Sure, if he brought it up, I was definitely going to dance around and try to dodge the topic, but if he pressed hard enough, I would definitely crack and tell him the reason for my swift change of mood. I always did with him.

And here he was talking about Zoe.

“Sorry. ” He murmured and his knees started bouncing.

“Don’t be. ” I said just as quietly. Not for the first time, I felt myself wanting to reach out and stop the up and down movement of his right leg.

“Why are you in such a bad mood? ”

I dragged my hands down my face, talking from behind my palms. “I don’t know. ” My frustration rose with each second that passed. He wasn’t going to bring up yesterday-and I was too much of a coward to.

He seemed to hesitate before asking, “Is it me? ”

“No. ”

His fingers toyed with my bag-strap, then he moved to trace the designs absently. “Your mood today is obviously a huge improvement from yesterday’s seeing as you’re talking to me so I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining. ”Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

There! He’d finally brought it up! That was my in. Gathering my confidence, I opened my mouth.

“-You know, I could tell you a very effective means of getting rid of bad moods. ”

And the chance was gone. I wanted to strangle him. Glaring at him dubiously, I asked. “Which is? ”

His eyes gleamed with mischief as he angled his body towards mine in his seat. His leg had stopped bouncing, his anxiety, gone.

He scrunched up his face like he was doing some deep thinking. “I was going to tell you, but now I’m not so sure I should because I think you would slap me if I do. ”

Well, he was right to fear me. I had been considering throttling him just a moment ago. But I would never hit him -or anyone.

“You know I wouldn’t. ” I rolled my eyes.

“A person never knows. ” He shrugged in mock-seriousness. “I do not tolerate bodily harm, Cg. ”

Finally having it with his annoying playfulness when I was trying to be serious, I snapped. “Just shut up and talk. ”

He choked back a laugh, his eyes round and wide. “How can I shut up and talk at the same time? ” He asked slowly in an amused tone. “Maybe you just want me to talk? ”

I tried to keep a straight face, but I ended up cracking a smile. His charisma was so contagious that I couldn’t hold on to my anger even in my frustrated state.

“Yes, Axel. Talk. ” I sighed exasperatedly.

Grinning, he leaned closer to me. “Well, if you insist. Sexual releases are gold. ” My mouth dropped open. “Blowjobs are like drugs to me and I would suggest-”

I clamped a hand over his mouth to stop him from saying anymore and immediately I did, I remembered how he had bitten my hand in the janitor’s closet. Before I could pull away, I felt his tongue dart out and lick my fingers. Letting out a shocked yelp, so very much like that day, I snatched my hand back, cradling it with my free hand as I glared at him.

His eyes twinkled and it was obvious that he wasn’t the least bit sorry.