16. Axel
CHAPTER 16
AXEL
I wake up ready for the day, a jolt of nerves coursing through my body as I glance at the clock. Nine-thirty AM. I must have lost track of time after two in the morning when I finally brought Flynn and Ant up to speed on the plan. Flynn had plenty to say, his enthusiasm spilling over with every detail mentioned, while Ant simply nodded, his eyes glazed as if he were a million miles away.
I stretch across the bed, causing my legs to tremble beneath me, each movement a reminder of the adrenaline that still lingers from last night’s discussions.
Tonight’s the night I reveal myself to Eva, and fuck, if I said I wasn’t terrified of her rejecting me, I would be lying to myself.
Just as my heart races at the thought, I hear footsteps creeping closer outside my door. “I can hear you, arsehole!” I shout, my voice cutting through the silence like a knife. Seconds later, the door flies open, slamming against the wall with a thunderous crash that sends a shiver through the room. Flynn comes storming into the room holding two bags. “I need your help” He says, throwing both bags in my direction.
One of them lands directly on my balls, resulting in me kneeling over in bed sideways, gasping for air. Flynn stands there, hands on his knees, laughing at me as I struggle to breath through the pain shooting up my body. I make a mental note to get my own payback on him when he least expects it. “You’re… dead,” I force out through gritted teeth, my anger barely contained.
He finally pulls himself together and strolls over to pick up the bags that have tumbled to the floor. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, big brother,” he replies, patting me on the head like I’m some goddamn dog. I swat his hand away, but he just laughs, tipping the contents of the bags out.
Clothes litter my floor, and a smile tugs at my lips as it brings reminders of Eva’s bedroom and the red nightdress that currently sits in my bedside table.
“Remind me to never aim for your dick again if it’s going to get you smiling like a creep.”
My head shoots to the right, landing on Flynn, who stares back at me with a disgusted look, eyebrows raised in mock horror. He holds his hands up in surrender as I narrow my eyes at him.
“Don’t hurt me,” He blurts out in a rush.
I lean on my right arm, propping myself up to look over the side of the bed at the clothes now scattered everywhere. “What’s all this for?” I ask him as I pick a top up examining it.
“Well… you said I need to get that girl to go on a date with me so, new clothes.” He replies picking a pair of jeans up off the floor.
I stare at him as he flips the jeans upside down, checking the stitching. Flynn will never fail to baffle me, he will go from hardcore criminal to a person rescuing animals and donating millions to charity within a split second. Pushing myself out of bed, I grab a shirt from the floor and throw it at him. “Let’s see if you can get her to accept the date first.”
He scoffs, brushing the shirt off his shoulder like it’s nothing. “Of course she’ll say yes. Have you seen me?”
“Seen you? I see your ugly mutt nearly every day. Wait until she sees what you look like in the morning.” I wave my hands in front of my face, ready to deliver the final blow as he stares. “Traumatised.”
We stand facing each other until Flynn breaks into a sprint right for me. “Oh, fuck!” I shout, turning on my heel and run towards the living room. I leap over the sofa, landing behind it and using it as a makeshift barrier, while Flynn stands on the other side, eyes narrowed, a smirk playing at his lips as he closes in.
He moves left, so I shift right, mirroring his steps. Just as Flynn lunges forward, the front door crashes open.
Ant pauses in the doorway, taking in the stand-off before holding up a bag of food. I glance at Flynn and raise an eyebrow, signalling a truce. He nods, striding over to Ant and grabbing the bag.
Ant walks toward me, holding out his phone. “Coming in with gifts, I see,” I tease, taking the phone from him. It’s the tracking software for Eva, showing her on the move. I zoom in on the map, trying to pinpoint her location.
“Do we know where Rach?—”
Before I can finish, Ant shoves a crumpled piece of paper into my hand. Rachel’s itinerary. I glance at the address, seeing it match Eva’s current location. Grinning, I clap Ant on the shoulder as I guide him to the sofa. “I’ll say it again, you know you’re my favourite brother, right?”
He winks just as Flynn lobs a piece of bread at my head. “Standing right here, you know!” he shouts, mouth half-full of food. I drop onto the sofa beside Ant, throwing my head back against the pillows. “You were meant to hear that,” I tell Flynn, grinning as he mutters something about favouritism.
While Ant and Flynn dig into their food, I head back to my room to get ready. We don’t have long before Rachel’s Pilates class ends, which gives us the perfect chance to get Flynn close to Mandy. Nudging Flynn’s scattered clothes to the side with my foot, I pull open a drawer, grabbing a clean pair of black joggers and a white top to change into before we leave.
As I turn to leave, my gaze falls on my mask by the door. I pause, picking it up slowly, a new plan forming in my mind. “Flynn, grab your mask and meet me by the bike. I’ve got a new idea,” I call out, making sure my voice carries into the living room.
Stepping back out, I catch sight of Flynn heading into his room, likely to do as requested. Ant waves a casual goodbye from the couch before he pulls on his headphones and immerses himself in his gaming console.
I toss the mask into the air, catching it with a grin as I step out of the apartment and head toward the bike.
We sit further down the road, Eva’s car in sight as we wait for the right moment to approach. “You really brought the masks?” Flynn asks, his voice crackling through the comms in our helmets. “Ant brought them, and honestly, I’m glad he did,” I reply, keeping my eyes fixed on Eva’s car, watching for any hint of movement.
Flynn chuckles, glancing down at his blue mask. “Haven’t worn this in years. Man, the fun we had with these bad boys.”
Before I can respond, the passenger door of Eva’s car swings open, and Mandy steps out. I slap Flynn’s leg, nodding in her direction.
“Where’s she going? This wasn’t part of the plan,” he whispers, his tone laced with panic.
“Well, it is now, and we’re about to find out,” I say, twisting the key to bring the bike roaring to life. I pull my helmet off and replace it with the mask, waiting for Flynn to do the same before we pull off. Within seconds, we’re speeding down the road toward her car, catching glances from people who stare and point as we pass. I try to look through Eva’s window as we near, but the tint hides any reaction. I’ll have to try a different way.
Ignoring the disappointment, we turn the corner, scanning for Mandy. I point towards a coffee shop, showing Flynn as Mandy stands in a line to enter. I brake hard just past the shop, causing Flynn to bump into the back of me.
“Fucking hell, careful, man,” he says, hopping off the bike and pulling his mask off. He runs his fingers through his hair, glancing back at me. “How do I look?”
I give him a once-over, catching the nerves in his expression. Normally, I’d give him hell for it, but right now, I need this to work.
“Like a million bucks. Now, go get that date,” I say, giving him a push towards the shop that Mandy is in.
Once Flynn disappears, I kick my bike into gear and roll slowly to the end of the road. As I near the corner, Eva’s car comes back into view, but still I can’t see any movement inside.
Stupid tints.
I rev the throttle, the engine red-lining as the exhaust screams. People turn their heads, some even yelling for me to cut it out, but I tune them out, focusing solely on Eva’s car. I may not see her, but she’ll definitely see me, I’ll make sure of it.
A movement in my mirror catches my attention, and I glance back to see Flynn sprinting toward me, his grin wide enough to split his face. With one last look at Eva’s car, I turn the bike to meet him.
“I did it!” he yells, leaping onto the back of the bike. “I fucking did it, Ax—I got the date!”
I hand him his helmet, giving him an approving nod. “I knew you could do it, no doubt in my mind. Proud of you, brother.” He claps a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Thanks, man. Dance party to celebrate?”
Nodding, I hit ‘play’ on my phone. Music blasts through our helmets, and Flynn immediately starts singing along to “Sexy Can I” by Ray J.
His voice is loud and off-key, but infectious enough that soon I’m laughing and joining in.
After a few songs, I feel high on life, the nerves from earlier melting away as I lose myself in the moment with my brother. We approach a red light and roll to a stop just as a car pulls up beside us. In the back seat, a little boy stares, wide-eyed, pointing at us while we dance. I catch Flynn in my mirror, both hands in the air, completely unbothered.
“ Shawty had them apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur! ” he belts out, his voice echoing down the street.
Another car pulls up on the other side, and a group of girls in the front seat wind down their windows, phones already out, recording us. Flynn doesn’t miss a beat. He flips his visor up and points right at them, his expression exaggerated like he’s on stage. “ The whole club was looking at her! ” he sings, giving the girls a dramatic wink.
Laughter bubbles up in my chest as I watch them laugh and cheer him on, their phones trained on us, making us the stars of their own show. I glance up to make sure the light is still red before jumping in, singing, “ Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low! ” I roll my shoulders and lower myself in sync with the beat, leaning into the moment.
Just as the song ends the lights turn green and we’re greeted with the sounds of horns and cheers as we speed off towards the apartment.
It’s time for us to get ready for our dates.
Eight outfit changes later and Flynn is finally ready, suited and booted to impress Mandy. “Are you sure it’s not too much?” He asks as he examines himself in the mirror. Sighing. I put my phone down on the bed next to me and sit up to face him. “You’re not going to a wedding, you’re going on a date. You look fine, stop stressing.”
He nods his head at my words as he runs his hands down the suit one last time. As I watch him turn to walk out my door, he stops and faces me one more time. “What about my hair, is my hair okay?”
A wave of deja vu hits me as I push off the bed. Walking over to Flynn, I grip his shoulders to steady him. “Flynn, you look great. Relax.”
He takes a deep breath, clearing his throat before heading toward the living room. I follow him and spot Ant on the sofa, laptop open. The moment he sees me, he snaps it shut, like he doesn’t want me to see what he’s up to. I sit beside him and give his shoulder a nudge. “Watching porn again?” I tease.
He grunts and stands, leaving me to sit alone.
Ant always hated that word; even back when we were kids, he was the one brother who refused to watch that stuff. When he used to talk, he’d go on about how it degraded women and painted a fake reality. Feeling a pang of guilt, I follow him to his room. “Hey, Ant, sorry—” I start, but he just turns his computer screen toward me.
In bold letters, the words Make sure Flynn doesn’t do anything stupid stares back at me. My confusion must show, because he sighs and types again.
Make sure Flynn gets Mandy home safe .
A look of understanding crosses my face, and I nod. “You got it, brother. She’ll get home safe.” I watch as he slumps back in his chair, relief in his eyes.
Just as I’m about to ask more, Flynn pops his head around the door frame. “Axel, we gotta go, I’ll meet you at the car,” he calls before disappearing down the hall.
“She’ll be okay” I tell Ant before heading down to meet Flynn.
The entire car ride is just Flynn rambling non stop about the menu at the restaurant he’s taking Mandy to. I can’t tell if he’s more excited about the date or the damn chocolate cake for dessert.
Relief floods through me as Eva’s street finally comes into view. If I have to hear one more word about crème br?lée or triple-layered ganache, I might throw myself out of the car and leave Flynn to fend for himself.
I pull up outside her driveway and kill the engine. Turning to him, I keep my tone serious. “Remember, no messing around. This isn’t just a date—you need to take this seriously. Restaurant, then straight home. Got it?” Flynn nods slowly, his usual grin dimming as the weight of my words settles in.
I continue, jabbing a finger in his direction. “You pull up, go to the door, knock like a gentleman. Compliment her, treat her like a damn princess, and drive her like she’s cargo made of glass. Clear?”
He nods again, but the glint of nerves in his eyes doesn’t escape me. Undoing my seat belt, I grab my bag from under the seat and open the door. “You’ve got this,” I say, a little softer this time. Flynn exhales sharply, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. “I’ll text you when we’re done,” he mutters, forcing a small smile.
Satisfied, I step out and close the door, watching him climb over the console into the driver’s seat. The engine purrs back to life as he pulls into the driveway. I jog past the entrance and slip into the tree line along the house, my heart already thundering in my chest. Adrenaline courses through me as I take up position, crouching behind the same spot I used just days ago. Flynn knocks on the door—at least, I think he does. It could just as easily be the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Distant voices drift through the wind, muffled but distinct, and goosebumps rise on my arms as the cool breeze bites. My body shudders, but the cold is quickly replaced by nerves as Mandy steps out. Flynn holds the car door open for her, his movements careful and deliberate. Before closing it, he looks toward my hiding spot and gives a subtle nod. I nod back, though he can’t see me, then glance up at Eva’s balcony.
“You can do this. You’re Axel fucking Ashford,” I mutter under my breath, hyping myself up.
Once Flynn’s car disappears down the driveway, I head to the tree that leads to the balcony. My hands find the grooves in the bark like second nature, and I climb quickly, silently, placing each step with precision. This is only my second time doing this, but it feels like I’ve been practising my whole life.
At the top, I take a deep breath, steadying myself for the leap across the gap. My feet hit the railing, and I grip it tightly, flinging myself over with practised ease.
The balcony door is locked.
Good girl. You’re learning.
I pull the small tool from my pocket and have it unlocked in seconds. Sliding it open, I step inside, immediately greeted by the warm, familiar scent of vanilla. I close my eyes, inhaling deeply, letting the fragrance ground me. If this goes south, this could be the last time I enjoy this scent.
Faint footsteps pull me from my thoughts. Shit. I don’t have much time.
Where the hell do I stand?
I glance at the table on the balcony and sit on it, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. No, that feels off. I move behind it instead, leaning against the cold glass. Better view of the door. But no, still wrong. Panic sets in as footsteps grow louder. I dash to the balcony door, catching my knee on the table.
“Fuck,” I hiss, biting back the pain as it shoots up my leg. Shaking it off, I grab the mask from my bag and pull it over my face.
Rustling outside the room signals my last chance. I lean against the door frame, crossing my arms, just as Eva steps into the room. Her bag hits the floor with a dull thud, and she freezes, her wide eyes locking on me.
Air rushes from my lungs at the sight of her while time slows as I take her in—the black leggings hugging her thighs, the oversized sweater hanging effortlessly off her frame. Blonde hair is piled into a messy bun, loose strands framing her face, glowing with natural radiance.
The world falls away. It’s just her.
She stares at me, surprise etched into her features, but something else lingers—recognition. “It’s you,” she whispers, her voice soft, almost disbelieving. A smile tugs at my lips, my voice low and steady. “It’s me, Buttercup. I told you I’d find you.”