Chapter 36
R en
Lunch in hand, I stepped outside and weaved through the students rushing to head into the main building.
I wasn’t sure how to describe the last seven days.
Staying with Myles was just what I needed, and thanks to Blake, we were back on track.
Other than the fact that he was still healing, he was back to his old self, and I cherished every goofy comment and Snowflake that he said.
The rest of the week was interesting. Nash, Liam, and Theo had watched me, Myles, and Blake like we were a science experiment gone wrong.
Vicky was back to being strangely quiet, which I really didn’t like.
I’d served my last two community services alone due to family commitments.
Thanks, Nash. Jerk got me into the mess, and now I was the one cleaning up after him.
Today, Myles had his evaluation with the doctor, and Blake had a make-up test. Their absence gave me the perfect excuse not to eat lunch in the cafeteria and instead get some extra work done.
I shivered and pulled my jacket tighter around me.
Mum always said that when winter came in like a lamb, it would go out like a lion, and it certainly was.
Overnight, the temperature had dropped, and the wind was howling and swirling between the buildings.
The snow that had almost completely melted away was back with a solid two inches on the ground, which added to the whiteout effect as I walked to the shop.
My foot slipped on a patch of thin ice, and my bag and lunch almost went flying, but I caught myself before I ended up on my back.
I didn’t mind the snow, but the rest of this shit could go away any time.
Pushing open the shop door, I shook like a dog as the warm air hit me.
Why did this class have to be so far away from the main building?
I was not looking forward to that walk back.
I’d asked Mrs. Carr if I could work over lunch before class started to try and get caught up.
She’d looked at me like I was crazy, but when I explained that I was trying to beat Theo, she laughed—letting me know she was always happy to help out with a little healthy competition.
He'd managed to beat me, putting the small engine back together. So I was even more determined to get further than him in the car restoration before the end of the year. Walking over to the stereo, I turned it on, and the local rock station began to blare. Mrs. Carr didn’t let anyone touch her station, and even though I was the only one in here, I didn’t dare switch it now.
Shrugging out of my jacket, I set it down and placed my lunch on the workbench.
I’d chosen easy-to-travel foods today and took a bite out of my apple as I assessed where I was again.
My eyes searched through all the parts I’d already removed, cleaned or fixed, but some were missing.
I’d given each of my items a little murder chalk outline, and four things were gone.
“What the hell?”
As much as Theo wanted to beat me, I couldn’t picture him sabotaging my work.
I checked all my drawers and then walked around to see if I could find where they’d been stashed inside the car.
I hoped that they hadn’t been tossed out to spite me.
I had no idea if Mrs. Carr could get me another tie rod end or alternator, and the only jerk in this class who would do that to me was Axel.
I turned and stared at his workspace and then marched over.
Nothing was noticeably out of place, so I opened the top drawer of his toolbox.
Not finding anything, I kept going. There was a box under his work bench with rags stuffed in the top and I yanked it out.
Pulling all the rags out, I peered in and there was my alternator.
Asshole. I continued my search. Squatting down I pulled open the bottom drawer of the large tool chest and right at the very back was my tie rod end.
“Son of a bitch,” I grumbled as I fished out my missing part. I slammed the drawer shut and glanced up at the clock. Great, I’d wasted twenty-five minutes looking for this stuff. I set the parts down and began to organize what I wanted to get accomplished, wholly focused on the task.
“Holy shit!” I jumped as loud screeching had my heart leaping out of my chest. I looked up at the fire alarm and then around the shop.
Nothing was on fire. Other than me fuming over Axel and his sabotage.
Shit, if this was a drill, the protocol was for us all to meet in the front foyer for a head count.
Grabbing my jacket, I ran for the door but skidded to a stop as it opened, and Axel stepped into the doorway.
He smirked as he looked at me and then around the empty room, the door clicking closed behind him.
“We have to go,” I said, yelling over the alarm and pointing up at the red flashing light.
I went to step around him, but he moved to block me.
The same dread that I felt the night of my mum’s attack came racing back.
I’d known we were in trouble, and when the door had closed on the panic room, I knew something terrible was going to happen.
I also knew I wouldn’t be able to stop it.
The look in Axel’s eyes wasn’t joking or even his usual asshole stare.
It was dark and mean, and the weight of how alone we were pressed in on me.
So did the realization of how much smaller I was than him.
For all my bravado, I had no fighting skills, and the alarm would drown out my voice this far away from the main building.
“What are you doing? We need to go. Everyone will be looking for us,” I said, but instead of moving out of the way, he reached behind him and locked the door. The click of the bolt sliding into place had sweat beading on the back of my neck, and a trembling started in my hands.
“You think I didn’t know you were in here alone? You think I didn’t overhear you ask Mrs. Carr if you could come in early and get extra work done?”
Swallowing hard, I took a step back, and Axel followed. This was premeditated. Did he plan the alarm?
“What do you care if I want to get a top grade? If you want one, you can do extra work,” I said, hoping to stall him long enough to think or have someone else show up.
I had no idea if Myles would be done with the doctor, but with the alarm, he would look for me, and so would Blake. At least I was praying that they would.
“I don’t care about my grade. I care about the fact that your fuckboy made me look like an asswipe,” Axel growled, and I bit my tongue from saying that it didn’t take much. “And he did it in front of my boys.”
“Who, Nash?”
“Who else?”
“Nash isn’t my fuckboy. He’s an annoying jerk, and most of the time, I can’t stand being around him,” I said, hoping to align us together rather than whatever this was, but Axel sneered.
“Besides, you must have known that sitting in Nash’s spot would piss him off.
If you’d just listened to me in the first place and left me alone, then he wouldn’t have hit you.
Not only that, but technically he made you all look bad, so you shouldn’t be embarrassed.
” As soon as I said the words I wanted to put tape over my mouth. What the hell was I thinking?
Axel glared, his lip pulling up into a snarl that sent my heart pounding out of control. I subtly looked around the room for a way out of this or a weapon, but I hadn’t set out any of my tools. By the time I opened a drawer, he would have me.
“Maybe that’s true, but we both know you’re a little cock tease who needs to be taught a lesson.”
“Are you really still pissed off about the kiss? Come on, the way I heard it, you invited a girl as your date and then kissed me. What does that make you?” I really needed to learn to shut up. The scowl on Axel’s face darkened.
“What I do and with who is not your concern,” he said, and I rolled my eyes, trying to seem annoyed and unaffected even though I was running out of ideas to argue my way out of this situation.
“Of course, you’d say that. It was one kiss, Axel, one stupid kiss at a party that you were hammered at. Let it go, already.”
His hands balled into fists. “It’s not just the kiss!
I’m the captain of the football team, and all my teammates have been riding my ass about the fight with Nash.
The swim team captain shouldn’t be king, I should.
” He poked himself in the chest, his delusions of grandeur glowing in his eyes.
Whatever I do to you is a better punishment than anything I could ever physically do to Nash, Myles, or the rest of those fuckers.
” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, and I wanted to throw up.
He reached out to touch me, and I smacked his arm away and took a large step back.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I growled. “Look, I don’t know what beef you and Nash have going on, but trust me, he hates me.
Yes, I’m dating Myles, but we all know that I’ll be old news in a month,” I said, hoping he believed me as my heart beat faster.
I kept walking backward as he moved and turned down the long aisle that ran through the center of the building.
Axel never stopped coming for me, his strides slow and methodical, but with each footfall, the dread in my stomach churned and burned like acid.
One of his strides was two of my own, and we ended up in a deadly dance of trying to keep distance between us.
“I’m not that stupid. Myles looks at you like you’re his entire world, and Nash…well, no one who fights the way he did hates you.” Axel shrugged. “But even if what you say is true, it’ll still piss them off, and I’m going to fucking enjoy this. No matter what, you’re the perfect pawn.”
He reached for me again, and I jumped back. “I said, don’t fucking touch me.”
“Why not? You’ve already spread your legs for three guys. I just want in on some of the action.”