Chapter 32 – My Dad Was Actually Going To Kill Axel
Sunday
I wasn’t sure what time it was, but light was peeking through my blinds.
Axel’s breath was tickling the back of my neck. And his arm was wrapped tightly around me.
Normally on mornings like this, I’d stay completely still. Trying to let the moment last as long as possible. Terrified that one movement would make the spell disappear.
But even if I did wake him up now, he’d probably just pull me closer. A smile played on the corners of my lips. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening.
It was almost like I needed the proof of what happened last night. To believe it wasn’t just a dream. I stared at Axel’s leather jacket slung on the back of my desk chair.
I ducked my shoulder and kind of slithered beneath the sheets away from Axel’s hands.
He groaned in his sleep, but didn’t open his eyes.
I climbed out of bed and walked over to his jacket, stopping to pull his varsity jacket over my shoulders because it was freezing.
I slid my hand into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out the ring box. I hadn’t even really gotten a chance to look at it yesterday. I flipped open the top.
If any part of me thought I was dreaming, this would have woken me up.
The morning light made the diamond in the center sparkle.
It was simple and classic. Yet the sides were twisted in a way I’d never seen before.
And the band didn’t look quite gold. It kind of matched the color of my hair somehow.
I lifted it out of the cushioned box to get a better look.
“You could try it on,” Axel said.
I spun around and almost dropped the ring.
He chuckled.
“Oh, no, I...”
“Just to see if it fits,” Axel said. “For when I ask you again.”
I felt frozen in place. I didn’t want him to ask again. He’d already asked. And it wasn’t like I didn’t know the answer.
He climbed out of bed and walked over to me.
He’d somehow found his boxers in the mess on our floor last night.
My eyes dropped to the waistband. There was a little splattering of hair that left a trail from below his bellybutton, disappearing beneath his boxers.
I had the oddest sensation that I wanted to trace the path with my tongue.
“Here,” he said. He lifted the ring from my fingers, grabbed my left hand, and slid it onto my ring finger. “A perfect fit.”
I swallowed hard. My eyes darted up to his. The blue hue looked even more vibrant in the morning light.
“You know...you could just wear it,” he said. “As a promise. That you’ll say yes later.”
I shook my head. “No.”
His fingers slowly fell from mine.
“I mean yes.” I pressed my hand against his bare chest. I stared at the ring on my finger. There was no way I was ever taking this off. “No to that proposal. But yes to the other one.”
Axel lowered his eyebrows. “Are you saying...”
“If the offer still stands. I want to be your fiancée.”
I don’t think I’d ever seen him smile so big before.
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “A thousand times yes.”
He laughed and lifted me up into his arms.
I wrapped my thighs around this waist.
He stepped forward, pressing my back against the wall. “What happened to wanting to be my girlfriend for a while?”
“I think I said for like one day.”
“It hasn’t even been 24 hours yet.”
I was smiling so hard it hurt. “Well someone very wise once told me he was done wasting time. Remember at homecoming? Were you talking about counting down the days until we could be together?”
“All I ever did was count down the days.”
“Well, technically today is a new day. And I don’t want to wait 24 hours. I want to be yours forever.”
Axel exhaled slowly like the weight of the world was suddenly gone from his shoulders.
I pulled my left hand back to his chest. “What is the band made of?”
“It’s rose gold. I thought it matched your hair.”
I smiled. That was exactly what I’d thought. “I love it.”
“I love you.”
I was just about to kiss him when there was a knock on my bedroom door.
“Pumpkin,” my dad said. “Are you up?”
“Shit,” I hissed. I hit Axel’s shoulder so he’d set me down. “Hide.”
Axel set me down and started picking up all his clothes. He spun in a circle and almost tripped over one of his shoes.
“Pumpkin?” my dad said. “Is everything alright in there?”
I picked up Axel’s shirt and chucked it at him.
“See you for the game,” Axel whispered. He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me hard.
“Pumpkin?”
I shoved Axel off of me. “You need to hide.”
Axel laughed as he opened up the trapdoor. “See you in a few minutes, baby.” He walked down the steps and closed the trapdoor behind him.
“Pumpkin, I know you were a little mad at me last night, but...”
I threw open the door. “A little?”
My dad frowned as his eyes trailed down my body.
All I was wearing was Axel’s varsity jacket. I pulled it a little tighter around me, glad the sleeves were so long. I needed to talk to my mom. She said it would be better if she could give my dad a bit of a heads up before he found out I was engaged.
“Where are your pants?” my dad asked.
“I was overheated.”
“It’s freezing out. Let’s find you something more appropriate to wear.” He walked into my room. He was about to open the closet. Where my silky sex pajamas were hanging. “I think maybe something fleece would be good today.”
“Dad,” I said. “Give me a minute alone and I’ll change.”
“Okay. But hurry. Everyone is already arriving for the game.” He abandoned his quest to pick out a frumpy outfit for me.
“Wait, what time is it?” I asked.
“Just about one. You really slept in.”
Shit. That’s why Axel said he’d see me in a few minutes. I’d thought he meant he was going to come back up. But he was probably on his way to my front door. I needed to tell him that we had to tell my mom our news first.
“A little privacy please?” I asked my dad.
My dad sighed. “Pumpkin, if I could apologize a million times I would.”
“It’s fine. Really.”
He stared at me. “Really?”
“Yup.” I waved my hand through the air and the jacket slid down my shoulder slightly.
“Are you wearing anything under that?”
“Dad! I was in the middle of changing when you knocked.”
“Oh. Right. Okay. Take that thing off and finish changing. We left some breakfast for you.” He walked out of my room and closed the door behind him.
If he was annoyed that I was wearing Axel’s jacket he wasn’t going to be pleased about the ring.
I threw open the trapdoor. “Axel?” I peered my head down.
But he wasn’t there. Crap. I got ready in record speed.
I ran out of my room and down the hall. The living room was already packed with our family.
Axel walked in. He took one look at me and smiled.
I’d pulled on a pair of leggings and a hoodie. And my hands were hiding in the front pocket of the hoodie.
“Axel,” his mom said. “Where were you this morning?”
“I went for an early walk,” he said.
Was that the best lie he could come up with?
“Isn’t that what you were wearing last night?” my dad asked.
Axel was wearing the same thing. But his hair not being gelled made the whole thing not scream 50s.
Axel laughed. “No. Do I look like I’m from the 50s?” He gestured toward his hair.
“Looks different to me,” Uncle Rob said and winked at me. Since he knew about the trapdoor and the secret lair.
“Super different,” Mr. Tanner agreed. “I would know.”
What?
My dad eyed them suspiciously.
I walked around the back of the couch to get to Axel. But my Uncle Matt stepped in front of me.
“I think I owe you an apology, kiddo.”
“I’m sure you don’t.”
“No, I do.” He gestured toward the dining room.
I really didn’t have time for whatever this was right now. I needed to get to my mom. But Uncle Matt put his hand on my elbow and guided me out of the room.
“I’m really sorry, kiddo,” Uncle Matt said. “Truly.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything.”
“I told you that you needed to be careful around Axel when I saw you in his jacket. I had no right to put my two cents in. I just...” He sighed. “I was concerned for you. You’re like a daughter to me. You know that.”
I did. I nodded.
“But Axel is a good kid. Has he had a lot of girlfriends? Sure.”
Yeah.
“But I had a momentary lapse of good sense. I was putting my son’s feelings first. And I’m sorry. I want you to know that I’ll always have your back. Always. It won’t happen again.”
I pressed my lips together. “You knew Jacob liked me?”
He nodded. “It’s not like me to interfere, I just...”
“I know. You love Jacob.”
“And I love you too, kiddo. I don’t want to be that guy.”
“You mean like my dad?” I laughed.
He smiled. “Exactly. I’m supposed to be the cool uncle.”
“You are the cool uncle.”
He sighed. “I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry. For all of it.”
I glanced back into the living room where Jacob was sitting. He was laughing about something with Liam. “He’s okay, right?”
“He will be. He has a big heart. Like his mother. He’ll learn to love someone else just as much.” It looked like it pained Uncle Matt to say the words out loud.
I swallowed hard. He was definitely referring to Aunt Brooklyn loving another man at one point. Jacob’s father. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I’m so sorry...”
“I know, kiddo. No one is mad at you.”
“You’re not?” I looked up at him.
“Of course not.” He pulled me into a hug.
I smiled and pulled back.
And that’s when Uncle Matt saw my ring.
I quickly tucked my hand back into my pocket. “Uncle Matt, I haven’t told my dad yet, I...”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “Congratulations, kiddo.” The way he said it sounded so sincere. Tears welled in the corners of my eyes.
“Thank you. I said yes this morning.” I just realized what I’d said out loud. Eek. “I mean because I called him on the phone, not because I saw him in person...”
Uncle Matt laughed. “It’s fine. It’s not like any of the adults in that room haven’t snuck out of the house a time or two in their days.”
I wasn’t sure they had trapdoors in their floors though.
“Really, congratulations.”
I smiled. But it faltered. “My dad is going to freak out, isn’t he?”
“Well this time I’ll have your back.”
“Thanks, Uncle Matt. I need to go figure out the game plan with Axel.”