Frozen where I stand, I will my body to start moving to get anywhere but here. Axel jumps out of bed, his naked body on full display.
“No.” I say in a firm voice, with my arm outstretched in front of me. I hold my palm up to signal him to stop.
“No, Jenna, this isn’t—” Axel tries to speak.
“Stop. I don’t want to hear it.” Grabbing my purse, I sling it over my shoulder and turn to walk out the door. I make it a few steps before I feel him behind me. Every fiber in my body calls to him. He grabs my arm, gently holding me in place. Without a second thought, I wrench my arm out of his grasp and turn to him with a glare that is meant to keep him away. He’s put a pair of briefs on in the time it took him to make it out the door.
“Leave me alone, Axel.”
“No, I dont even know what the fuck is happening!”he says in his gravely morning voice.
“No, you don’t get to do that.” I point at him. “Fine, you told me everything I wanted to hear. Conned me into bed, into thinking you felt the same way. But now it ends.” My voice is raising, and I can feel tears burning in the back of my eyes. I blink them back. He doesn’t get to see me cry. I take a step back, pulling my shoulders back and my chin up. Doors start opening around us, and I choose not to be everyone’s entertainment.
Lowering my voice, “Just don’t lie to me. You owe me that.”
“You think I’m lying to you? After everything I said to you last night?” he looks hurt, and I want to scoff. How dare he think that I’m that dumb? “Jenna—” he moves closer, but I take another step back. He drops his hand and lets out a frustrated sigh. “You have to believe me. I dont even know how she got in.”
“I don’t care.”Lie, of course I do. “We were only hooking up and let ourselves get too wrapped up in whatever this is…was.” I say the words with conviction, trying to also get myself to believe them. “So just let me go. This was only supposed to be a one-night thing, anyway. We don’t even know each other.”
“No,” he practically growls at me. “This isn’t over. I’m not letting you go.” His soft brown eyes are now pools of black. The muscles in his neck are tense, and it’s clearly taking all of his self-control not to pick me up and hoist me off like the caveman he is.
“You have no choice, because I’ve already made it.” The words leave my lips as a whisper. I look behind me, seeing multiple pairs of eyes on us—one of them being Marley. “Goodbye, Axel.”
“Fuck your goodbye, Jenna. This isn’t over.” He moves closer, but once again, I move back. “Fuck, babe.” He says in a defeated voice. “Take some time if you need it. But this shit isn’t what it looks like. And you know it.”
“Axel, just go back to whoever it is you have in your bed. Stop acting like this means anything to you. We barely even know each other!” God, I’m starting to lose it. This time he moves so fast I don’t have time to move back. He is standing so close I have to crane my neck to see him. His eyes swim with want… need and something else, but I can’t give in.
“Just let me go.” I say again, my voice betraying me by shaking. A lump is forming in my throat, and I’m having a hard time keeping my tears at bay.Keep it together, Jenna!
“Never.” Axel says down at me. “Don’t let this be your excuse for walking away.” He kisses my forehead before I turn out of his grasp and walk away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
axel
My heart feelslike it’s been ripped out of my chest. Standing in the middle of the hallway in nothing but my fucking boxers, I watch as Jenna practically runs in the other direction. Running my hand through my hair, I take a deep breath.What just happened?
One moment everything is perfect—weare fucking perfect—and now everything is crumbling around me. I’m not lying to her. I woke up to someone sliding down my body under the covers. I thought it was Jenna waking me up. She was the only one in my room, the only woman I’ve been with since I laid eyes on her. The moment I made eye contact with Jenna in my room, I knew something was wrong. Her beautiful face was full of disgust and hurt. I would do anything to take the pain from her.
I look up and see a few of my brothers and their old ladies standing outside their doors, either glaring at me or looking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind acting like this over some chick. Well, fuck them all. Before I turn around, I see Marley standing with Blaze, her hands crossed over her chest, looking confused and pissed. Well, me fucking too.
Just then Sapphire waltzes out of my room as if she didn’t just sneak in to ruin what Jenna and I have. I see Marley’s eyesflash from me to her and then back. The look of utter betrayal and disgust rivals Jenna’s. Turning to Sapphire, I barely register the blur that passes by me. Marley has Sapphire by her hair faster than anyone can see coming. Marley slams her face into the wall. We all hear the undeniable crunch of a broken nose. Sapphire screams and starts to yell about, “getting this crazy bitch off of her.” Blaze grabs Marley and pulls her off, but she whips out of his arms to face me.
“You!” she jabs her finger into my chest. “Are an asshole. How can you do that to her?” she pants, still red from her attack. Sapphire is now sitting on the floor with blood gushing from her nose. Another club girl rushes over to help her.
“I didn’t do shit. She must have snuck into my room. I thought it was Jenna,” I say, keeping eye contact with her the whole time.
“So help me, Axel, if you are lying.” Her chest heaves as she catches her breath, and Blaze comes up behind her. He gently sets his hands on each shoulder and kisses the top of her head.
“Easy, Tiger. How about you let me handle it from here?” Blaze says as she rolls her shoulders to get his hands off her body. She turns to Sapphire and kneels down in front of her.
“Is he telling the truth?” she questions. Sapphire stays quiet and just looks around at each of us for help. When she doesn’t find it, she looks back at Marley with wide eyes.
“Answer me,” Marley’s tone is so quiet and calculated it sends a shiver down my spine. She may be small and looks like she wouldn’t hurt a fly, but for her friends, I bet Marley would burn the world down.
“His door was unlocked, okay?! He’s only been hanging out with that bitch since Knife’s party. I thought he needed real company,” she answers in a shrill voice.What the fuck?
Marley stands from her squatted position and turns back around. With a sigh, she pinches the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. “You need to deal with this, Axel.” Marley goes to stand next to Blaze, who wraps an arm around her waist. “Jenna doesn’t understand this shit. I don’t even understand this shit. In the real world, random women don’t just sneak into your room to wake you up with a happy surprise.” She scoffs and they start to walk away. “Give her time.”
