Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
I ’m pretty sure I’ve been staring at my phone for hours.
It’s only been a day, which is probably why it feels like the black screen is judging me, reflecting every anxious thought ricocheting through my head.
I haven’t touched it, haven’t checked for messages, haven’t even unlocked it.
Because if I do and there’s nothing from him, I’ll spiral harder than I already am.
When Lexie finally appears from her room, hair thrown into a messy bun and a tub of ice cream in one hand, the smirk on her face is locked and loaded. She takes one look at me—a blanket burrito with wild eyes and phone clenched in a death grip—and doesn’t even try to hide her amusement.
I beat her to the punch. “Lexie, I’m not going to call him.
” I sigh, groaning dramatically into the couch cushions like they might swallow me whole and spare me from this torment.
I grab the nearest pillow and smash it over my face, hoping to suffocate both her inevitable lecture and the buzzing chaos in my head.
But nothing drowns out the truth I’m trying to ignore: I had the best date of my life last night.
Not because of the food or the sleek elegance of Eleven Madison Park or the bottle of wine I still can’t pronounce. It was Axel. Just Axel.
He was different— normal , in a way I didn’t expect.
He didn’t bark commands or throw his power around.
He asked questions. He listened . He touched me like I was breakable, like he wanted to know everything I’d never said out loud.
There was a softness in him I didn’t know existed.
A kind of vulnerability that made me ache.
And now I’m stuck in this horrible limbo—unsure of what to do next, terrified to ruin something that already feels like too much, too fast.
Lexie plops down beside me, cool as ever, like she’s watching the season finale of my emotional breakdown. “So… does he know about you and Cooper?” she asks, casually spooning ice cream into her mouth.
Shit .
The question punches the air right out of my lungs.
I sit up halfway, pillow still half-smashed over my head.
That hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’d just assumed Axel knew things with Cooper were over.
I mean, I turned up at his place like a woman possessed and practically crawled into his lap.
That should’ve been enough of a message… right?
“I’m not sure,” I mutter, shrugging like the weight of that confession isn’t suddenly pressing down on my chest like a goddamn freight train.
Lexie raises one perfectly sculpted brow. “You mean you didn’t tell him?”
“Not in so many words,” I groan, voice muffled as I collapse back into the couch. “I didn’t think ‘Hey, my situationship with my cheating ex is technically over’ was appropriate first-date dinner talk.”
She snorts, unbothered. “Cass, you’ve already fucked him. We’re way past polite conversation territory.”
I grab the pillow and throw it at her face. “Jesus. Give it a rest, will you?”
She catches it effortlessly and grins, way too smug for someone not in the middle of a romantic identity crisis. “What? I’m just saying. You caught feelings. Don’t act like I’m the enemy.”
I groan again, dragging a hand down my face.
The worst part is, she’s not wrong. I have caught feelings. Somewhere between the way he looked at me across the table in the precinct and the way looked at me over candlelight, I lost the ability to pretend this is just sex or strategy.
And this isn’t just any man.
It’s Axel. The man who doesn’t share. The man who doesn’t bend . The man who claimed me from day one like I already belonged to him.
Lexie opens her mouth, probably to say something snarky, but my phone suddenly lights up in my hand, buzzing against my palm like it’s on fire.
My heart lurches. I blink at the screen, my stomach doing an Olympic-level somersault. Lexie leans over to peek, eyes widening.
“Well, well,” she smirks, dragging out the words with a grin. “Speak of the devil—and he shall appear.”
I glare at her, pulse hammering in my throat as I swipe to answer. “Hello?”
His voice is low, steady, and way too calm for what it does to me. “Come outside.”
I sit up straighter, blanket forgotten. “What?”
“I’m outside.”
There’s a pause, barely a beat, but it carries weight. The kind of weight that says he’s not sure where he stands with me, and that realization hits harder than I expect.
Lexie’s eyes are huge now, mouthing GO at me like a stage mom.
I ignore her and swallow hard, forcing my voice to steady. “Okay. I’ll be right there.”
I hang up and launch off the couch like it burned me, scrambling for my shoes .
Lexie follows me to the door, arms crossed, a knowing smile on her face. “You going to tell him this time? About Cooper?”
I shoot her a look. “I don’t know.”
“Then at least don’t lie to him. Axel’s not the kind of man you can fool for long.”
I grab my jacket, pausing with my hand on the doorknob to glance at Lexie. “Do I look okay?”
She tilts her head, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. I’m still in the same gray sweatpants and tank top I threw on hours ago, hair half-tied, makeup smudged from whatever I rubbed off mid-panic.
Lexie’s mouth pulls into a lopsided smirk. “You look like you’ve been angsting for five hours straight, possibly cried once, and debated texting him no fewer than forty-seven times.”
I groan, but before I can say anything, she softens.
“But your eyes?” she says, stepping closer. “They’re hopeful. That’s what he’ll notice. He won’t care about the clothes, Cass. Not when you’re looking at him like that.”
Shit .
I run a hand through my hair, nerves buzzing under my skin. “I can’t go out there like this.”
Before she can argue, I spin on my heel and bolt down the hall to my bedroom, leaving her laughing behind me.
I fling open my closet, yanking out hangers like I’m searching for salvation.
Something that says I didn’t expect you, but I’m still glad you’re here .
Something effortless but intentional. Not lingerie, not loungewear. Something in-between.
Eventually, I settle on a soft black knit dress with long sleeves. It hugs the body just right. It’s comfortable, but it doesn’t scream ‘I’ve been spiraling into emotional chaos all day’. I swap my slippers for ankle boots, run a brush through my hair, and slick on a touch of lip balm.
It’s not much.
But it’s me.
I take one last look in the mirror and exhale. My heart is racing. My hands tremble a little. But somewhere underneath all of that is this quiet, stubborn hope.
He came here for me.
And I’m going to open the door.
I nod, heart thudding like a drumline as I open the door and step into the cool street. The air outside is sharp with the scent of winter. I glance toward the curb, and there he is.
Axel, leaning against the sleek black car I’ve seen him in a dozen times. Dark jeans, black jacket, hands tucked into his pockets. Casual. Effortless. Dangerous in a way that has nothing to do with the gun probably strapped beneath his coat.
And when his eyes find mine, the breath leaves my lungs.
He doesn’t smile, not quite, but his expression softens. Like seeing me calms something inside him. And he’s holding
“Hey,” he says softly, pushing off the car.
“Hey,” I echo, suddenly unsure what to do with my hands. Or my heart.
We stand there for a moment, a little too far apart, the air between us heavy with all the things we left unsaid the night before.
Then, finally, he steps forward. “Miss me?” he questions with a cocky smile.
I let out a shaky breath, every nerve in my body waking up when he reaches out to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.
His fingers linger. That’s when I notice him holding a small takeout bag and two cups of cocoa balanced in a cardboard tray. The gesture alone is enough to send warmth blooming through my chest, despite the winter chill.
“What do you have there?” I ask, trying to sound casual, even though my curiosity is laced with something else—something that feels dangerously close to affection.
He smirks, all casual confidence, and replies, “I thought we could take a walk through the park.”
His smile is devastating. It draws my eyes to his mouth before I can stop myself, and I swear the space between us hums with quiet electricity. My pulse flutters. His eyes catch the movement.
“Okay,” I manage to say, reaching for the cocoa. “I could do with a walk.”
As I take the tray from him, his gaze lingers on me a moment too long.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” he says, voice lower now, the edges rougher.
Before I can even thank him, he leans in and kisses me.
Just a gentle press of lips, but it robs me of my breath.
A quiet, involuntary sound escapes from the back of my throat, betraying how much I feel it.
He pulls away, and for a moment, all I want is for him to kiss me again.
But Axel doesn’t push. He gives me space even when I can tell he’s holding himself back. There’s something reverent in the way he touches me, like he’s learned restraint the hard way and doesn’t want to ruin this—us.
We start walking through the slush-lined sidewalk, his hand warm and firm in mine.
I stay close to his side, the cocoa tray tucked against my chest. The crisp air nips at my cheeks and nose, but I hardly notice.
I’m too aware of the man beside me and the way his presence seems to wrap around me like a shield.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks gently, his voice low and cautious, as if he doesn’t want to startle whatever thoughts I’m trying to organize.
I glance up at him, forcing a weak smile. “So many things.”
“Care to share?”
He’s been patient with me. More than anyone else ever has. And somehow, that makes it harder—not easier—to open up. But I want to. I really do. He deserves that from me.
Letting out a slow breath, I slide my arm free from his. The sudden lack of warmth makes me shiver. “Coop and I, we broke up.”