Chapter 33 – Prince Charming
Monday
I didn’t think the school week would feel that different. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Because when I stepped into the parking garage Monday morning, Axel’s BMW was parked next to my dad’s car. He was leaning against it with a smile on his face.
He’d only just left my room like ten minutes ago. How was he here so fast? I looked up at my dad. “Is it okay if I...”
“Go,” my dad said with a smile.
I hurried over to Axel.
He leaned down to kiss me, but stopped when my dad cleared his throat.
“Not in front of me,” my dad said.
Axel nodded and opened the car door for me instead. I climbed in. When he sat down and his door was closed I laughed and turned toward him.
“Were you parked here all night?” I asked. “My dad will definitely find out about that. I’m pretty sure he has cameras down here too.”
“I parked around the block.”
I laughed. “You should probably start leaving some clothes at my place, you’re practically living with me.” He’d brought a change of clothes in his backpack this morning. But I could definitely clear out a drawer.
Axel smiled. “I’d like that.” He looked out his back window as my dad’s car pulled away. And then he leaned over the center console to kiss me.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to these moments. I still felt like someone was going to pinch me and I was going to wake up from the perfect dream. How was this my life? How was I suddenly this lucky?
“I better get you to school,” Axel whispered against my lips. “The last thing I want is to be late the first day I take you.”
“Stealing another first, Axel Stevens?”
He laughed and pulled the car out of the spot. “And I’m hoping not to be the first guy your dad tries to beat up that’s not his own age. Maybe we can try to skip that first.”
“Probably a good idea.”
Axel put his hand on the center console, palm up. Like he couldn’t bear a second of not touching me.
I slid my hand into his and stared down at my ring. “I can’t believe this is really happening. Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of walking through the doors of Empire High as your girlfriend?”
“I’m sorry that it won’t ever happen,” Axel said.
“What?”
“Because you’re not my girlfriend, Scarlett. You’re my fiancée.”
I laughed. “You scared me for a second there. But this is even better.” I squeezed his hand.
He pulled my hand up to his mouth and kissed each of my knuckles.
A contented sigh fell from my lips. “Operation Too Hot to Handle actually worked. You’re finally mine.”
“I was always yours.”
I smiled the whole way to school.
Axel opened up my door for me, grabbed my hand, and didn’t let go. Yeah, today definitely felt different. Walking into school hand in hand with him like this? It felt like a fairytale.
A few heads turned our way. I’d worn Axel’s varsity jacket to school before. But that was when we were still just friends. Yeah, this felt totally different.
“Hey, love birds,” Sophie said when we reached my locker. “Glad to see you’re still alive, Axel. RJ and I had a bet over whether or not Uncle James would kill you in your sleep.”
“Which way did you bet?” Axel asked.
“Do you really want to know?”
Axel laughed. “You seriously thought he’d kill me?”
“Didn’t you?”
He shrugged. “He would have been very confused when he reached my room and I was missing. Since I was with his daughter all night.”
“Ow ow!” Sophie said. Her smile grew even brighter as she stared at something over my shoulder.
I turned to see. No, not something. Someone. Mr. Halifax was walking by.
“Looking good in those khakis, Mr. Halifax!” Sophie yelled.
Oh my God!
He turned to look at us. And his eyes narrowed at Sophie in a way that I’d never seen before. Not in a good way. He looked like he was still super pissed about the drugs. Or lack thereof. “Miss Hunter and Miss Hunter,” he said. His eyes fell to my left hand.
Axel put his arm around my shoulders. And I was wondering if he was thinking about the fact that I’d thought Mr. Halifax was my kiss thief for a bit there.
“Aren’t you going to congratulate the happy couple?” Sophie asked.
Mr. Halifax’s eyes darted back and forth between me and Axel. “You’re both so young.”
“That’s how we do it in our family,” Sophie said. “My uncle and aunt were engaged at 16. We all fall in love fast and hard.”
I was pretty sure I saw her glance down at the front of Mr. Halifax’s khakis.
“Oh,” he said. “Well...right.” He looked at Sophie again and he didn’t seem as angry. He cleared his throat. “Congratulations, Mr. Stevens,” he said. “And Miss Hunter.”
“Thanks, Mr. Halifax,” Axel said.
“And your dad knows about this, right?” Mr. Halifax asked me.
I nodded. “Of course.”
“Well, that’s great news.” Mr. Halifax looked very happy now. “You better study for the next test.”
Sophie elbowed me in the ribs.
I knew what she was thinking. Mr. Halifax had been giving me good grades because he was worried my dad would beat him up again. But now Mr. Halifax had no reason to be scared of my dad. And he wasn’t going to go easy on me in class anymore. Which was honestly a relief.
“I will,” I said. “I’m super focused now.
” And I was. There was no more kiss thief mystery that needed to be solved.
Now I could be totally focused on making sure I didn’t do anything that would prevent the University of New Castle from not accepting me.
Because the four of us all needed to go to college together. We had to.
“You too, Miss Hunter,” Mr. Halifax said to Sophie.
“Don’t even, Mr. Halifax. You know I’m your best student. And your favorite.” She smiled sweetly at him.
He cleared his throat and looked away. “I have a lot of wonderful students. See you both in class.” And with that he walked away.
Sophie sighed and hugged her books into her chest. “How did you guys wait 17 years? It feels like I’m slowly dying.”
“That actually describes the feeling perfectly,” Axel said.
I nodded. Yeah, we all knew the feeling of thinking the person you loved didn’t love you back. But I felt like Mr. Halifax did love Sophie. He’d covered for her during the drug bust. And he stared at her in a way that did not seem very teacherly.
“It feels like my heart is slowly breaking in half,” she said.
I hated seeing her upset. I’d gotten my happily ever after. And I was determined for her to get hers too. “I know what will make you feel better,” I said.
“Well I hate to break it to you, but my cocaine was baby powder.”
I laughed. “I was thinking of that party that you wanted to throw. In Natalivanka’s mom’s place.” I really still thought it was a bad idea. But seeing Sophie so sad was much worse than the possibility of getting caught. Mr. Halifax was breaking her. And I wasn’t going to let that happen.
Sophie raised her eyebrows at me.
“I think we should do it.”
She smiled. “You do realize I was already planning the party.”
I laughed. “But you knew I said we couldn’t.”
“I know.” She reached out and squeezed my arm. “Thank you.”
“You could even invite Mr. Halifax.” I tried my best to waggle my eyebrows at her.
She smiled. “Yeah, maybe.” Her answer usually would have been a resounding yes.
“He might even come if you tell him to wear the mascot costume,” Axel said. “If it’s an after party for one of our victories no one will even think anything of it.”
“That’s actually kind of brilliant,” Sophie said. “And I do really want to hook up with him in that costume. My dreams have been filled with feathers.”
I laughed.
“I don’t know how many more times I can be rejected though,” Sophie said. “It’s messing with my head.”
God it hurt to see her hurting. So I brought up her favorite subject again. “But just think about all the things you could do to him in that Empire High eagles costume.”
She smiled. “I know, right? Not seeing his face will make the whole thing even hotter. And feeling his feathered wings sliding up my thighs? He’ll probably slam my back against the wall.
Not wanting to wait a second longer because we’ve been waiting so long.
Sweat will probably be dripping down the muscles of his back as he slams into me hard.
His groans muffled behind his beak.” Sophie fanned her face.
I pressed my thighs together. That was a very detailed description.
“That was really graphic,” RJ said.
I hadn’t seen him come up. I was so distracted by Sophie’s vivid description of fucking the mascot.
Jacob laughed and leaned against the lockers.
I guess he’d been listening to that description as well.
Liam walked over to us too. “So what’s it like being engaged in high school?” he asked us.
Axel looked down at me. “It feels like it was meant to be.”
I nodded. “Definitely meant to be.”
“So we’re throwing a party?” RJ asked.
How long had he been standing there? I thought he’d only walked up for the end of that graphic description. But he must have been there for a while.
“Absolutely,” Sophie said. “In Natalivanka’s mom’s place.”
I was a little freaked out about RJ being part of the planning. “Later in the season though, right?” I asked. “Like...playoffs?”
“Don’t jinx us,” Jacob said.
Liam stared at me. “Aren’t you worried that Dad will find the entrance to your secret lair when he busts up the party?”
“Our secret lair. Why does everyone always say it’s mine?”
“We are kind of the main ones using it,” Axel said.
Well...I couldn’t argue there. “We just have to make sure we don’t get caught. We’ll keep the volume of the music at a reasonable level. And water down the beer or something so the team doesn’t get too rowdy.”
“Good idea,” Axel said.
I smiled up at him.
“Um...no,” Sophie said. “Absolutely not. What we need to do is make sure Uncle James and Aunt Penny have plans that night.”
“Good thinking,” Liam said. “This is going to be fun. I’ll make sure Natalivanka’s in town. She won’t want to miss it.”
I stared at my brother. I’d totally forgotten to see who was busy staring at him during the football game yesterday. But he definitely liked older women. Whoever liked him...it was going to end badly. But who was it?