Chapter 003 ~ A girlfriend?

3.

NEXT MORNING…

Amber awoke with a smile on her face. This was the first time she actually woke up with a genuine smile since the previous months. She had had trouble having a peaceful sleep after Axel left. She may or may not have fantasized about him doing terrible but pleasurable things to her which always ended up with her touching herself in the process.

She was shameless, she knew it, but she felt she shouldn’t be blamed for lusting after her brother’s best friend. I mean look at him… he was drop dead gorgeous; too hot to even breathe the same air as her.

She could still recall the day he spent the night at their house, and she had to wake up and find him making some pancakes in the kitchen. He was shirtless and his hair was messy, and it only made him hotter than he already was. She had watched how his muscles flexed as he lifted the frying pan and flipped the pancakes.

She blessed her self control because it took all she had not to run into his arms and trail her hand on his flawless skin. That was the day she knew she wanted him and she had never stopped wanting him despite the obstacles between them.

She sat up and stretched out her hands, yawning slightly. Her gaze drifted to the clock on the bed stand and her eyes widened. It was 7am.

“Shit! I’m late!” she exclaimed, jumping down from the bed. She had to see her advisor by 7:30 and also sort out her courses but here she was… already running late on her first day.

She was about to take off her pajamas when her room door swung open. “What the hell, Cole? You’re a dickhead. You can’t even knock!” she snapped, taking the pajama off, leaving her in her lace bra.

She expected him to lash back at her with an insult worse than hers, but he said nothing which got her wondering. Cole was never this quiet.

“Cole—” her voice caught in her throat when she turned to see that it wasn’t Cole but Axel.

Axel stood in the doorway, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, taking in her lacy bra and sleep shorts. Amber's cheeks flushed as she hastily grabbed a nearby shirt to cover herself. She could swear something flashed in his eyes, but what was it?

“I…I thought you were Cole,” she stuttered, trying to compose herself.

Axel's eyes widened, and he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. “Yeah, no. It's me. Cole left early. I, uh, thought you were ready to leave.”

Amber's face grew hotter. “I overslept,” she muttered, trying to tug the shirt down to cover more of her legs.

Axel shifted uncomfortably, still avoiding eye contact. “You're always running late, aren't you?” he asked, his tone laced with amusement.

Amber felt a defensive sting. “Hey, it's not my fault! I just lost track of time.”

Axel raised an eyebrow, finally meeting her gaze. “Lost track of time? You're always like this. Sleeping in late, showing up at the last minute…”

Amber's eyes widened. “That’s not true,” she lowered her head, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Axel took a deep breath and smiled at her. “You've got ten minutes to get ready. Meet me outside, and I'll drive you to school.”

Amber stuttered, still feeling embarrassed. “That’s… that’s barely enough time.” Ten minutes? That wasn’t enough. Not when she wanted to doll herself up and make him notice her.

Axel’s eyes narrowed and he folded his arms. “Then you’d better have a good excuse to give to your advisor, cat eyes.” he reminded her, and she bit her lower lip.

“Fine. I’ll be ready.”

He nodded and left, leaving Amber feeling flustered and frustrated. She quickly finished getting ready, her mind reeling with thoughts of Axel's unexpected visit to her room and the look on his face when he saw her half naked. She knew Axel. He would never flush seeing a lady half naked or even bare before him. That’s just the kind of person he was, but why did he look that way with her?

She wondered if it was because she was Cole’s sister and typically off bounds, or there was something else. She shook her head. “I shouldn’t be thinking about this,” she whispered with a sigh. “I shouldn’t get my hopes up quickly.”

As she rushed outside, Axel was leaning against his car, sipping a coffee. He raised an eyebrow at her hurried appearance.

“Ready now?” he asked, smiling.

Amber nodded, taking the coffee from him and downing it in one go. Axel watched her, amusement lining his features. Amber had always been a brave and interesting kid… he hoped she wouldn’t get into trouble sooner than he had hoped.

She slid into the passenger seat, trying to avoid eye contact.

The drive to campus was quiet, with Axel focused on the road and Amber lost in thought. When they arrived, Axel turned off the engine and turned to her.

“Thanks for the ride,” Amber said, reaching for the door handle.

Axel caught her arm. “Hey, Cat eyes?”

She looked back at him, her gaze questioning and her heart thinking wildly in her chest as the effect of his grip on her hand.

“Be careful today, okay?” he said, his eyes serious. “This isn’t high school. This is College. Life here is a little different from what you had back home. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything, okay?” he said and she nodded slowly. “Oh, you can call me to show you around after your meeting with your advisor. I’m all yours for today.” he winked at her.

Amber's heart skipped a beat. She wondered why he meant by he was all hers? She bit her lip and smiled.

“I will,” she replied softly.

Axel released her arm, and Amber stepped out of the car. As she walked away, she felt Axel's gaze on her, sending shivers down her spine, but she didn’t dare to look back.

She met with her advisor and discussed her course schedule, and academic goals, trying to focus on the conversation. But her mind kept drifting back to Axel's words: “I'm all yours for today.” What did he mean by that? She wondered if he was trying to lead her on somehow.

After the meeting, Amber walked out of the halls with the school’s map in her hand and some links too. Her classes were starting at noon, and she couldn’t help but wonder how it was going to be.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Axel's number. He offered to be her chaperon after all.

“Hey, Cat eyes,” he answered on the first ring.

Amber smiled at the nickname. She always felt a flutter in her chest whenever he called her that name. Growing up, she had hated her cat-like eyes, but that was the first thing Axel noticed the day they met for the first time, and he made her love it. “Hey. I'm done with my meeting.” she beamed.

“I'll be there in five,” Axel said, and hung up.

Amber's heart raced with excitement and anticipation as she waited for Axel. She kept checking her wristwatch, her eyes darting everywhere as she waited impatiently.

When Axel arrived, he was grinning. “Ready for the tour?”

Amber nodded, feeling a flutter in her chest.

As they walked across campus, Axel pointed out various buildings and landmarks. Amber listened intently, laughing at his jokes and anecdotes.

They stopped at the student union, where Axel spotted Trevor, his course mate and friend.

“Hey, Trev!” Axel called out.

Trevor turned, a friendly smile on his face. “Axel! What's up, man?”

Axel introduced Amber, and Trevor's eyes widened. “The famous little sister, huh?”

Amber rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Hey, watch it. I’m not that little.” Then she raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by “famous little sister” anyway?

Trevor chuckled. His eyes darted to the books in her hand. “So, Mass Communication, huh? You're in for a wild ride.”

Axel nodded. “I told her about Professor Jenna’s Broadcasting class.”

Trevor grinned. “That's a great one. You'll love it,”

Amber only smiled.

As they chatted, Trevor leaned in, lowering his voice. “You know, Amber, Axel here has quite a reputation on campus.”

Amber's curiosity piqued. “What kind of reputation?”

Trevor glanced at Axel, who shook his head in warning. “Let's just say he's got a certain… charm.”

Axel cleared his throat. “Trevor, don't scare her off.”

Trevor chuckled. “I'm just keeping it real, Axel. You know I've got your back.”

Amber's eyes met Axel's, wondering what Trevor meant. She knew Axel was quite the charmer, and girls do want to get noticed by him, her included. He was a playboy, but one thing she knew was that he wasn’t one to fuck around like an animal, so what was Trevor talking about?

But it’s been two years since she last saw him. Has he changed? Even if he has, he was all she wanted. He’s all she could see.

“Come on, let’s go eat breakfast before lectures start,” he held her hand, causing the hair on her skin to stand. Why was every touch electrifying? She took in her bottom lip, as she imagined her hands pinned above her head while he whispered dirty words into her ears and fuck her hard.

She shut her eyes tight. She had a wild imagination and it was all because of how close they were. ‘What have you turned me into, Axel?’ she screamed internally.

“I’ll see you guys later then.” Trevor waved at them and walked away.

Amber stared at their entwined hands as Axel led her to the cafeteria. She watched how the students stared, and though she wasn’t one who loved attention, she seemed to be happy with this one. It was fucking Axel, for goodness’ sake. Who wouldn’t be?

As they sat, eating, Amber couldn’t help stealing glances at Axel. She almost got caught on numerous occasions, but she already knew how to maneuver her way out. She hadn’t secretly watched and taken photos of him for years, all for nothing.

She was about to say something when a pretty redhead lady walked up to them and to Amber’s surprise, she leaned in and kissed Axel on his lips. His fucking lips that she had dreamed of tasting for like… forever.

Her mouth hung open, her chest heating up. Her grip tightened around her fork and she fought back the urge to throw the fork into the ladies neck and watch her neck bleed for touching Axel.

The girl pulled away and looked at her with a smile. “You must be Amber,” she began, her smile all too friendly for Amber’s liking. “Axel told me you were coming. It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I am Candice, his girlfriend.” she introduced herself and Amber felt like she had been punched in the gut.

What?

Girlfriend?

Axel had a girlfriend?