073.Amber’s eyes widened in shock, her eyes darting around the place as she took in the shocked gazes the students were giving her.“Why would you say such a thing?” Amber asked, returning her focus to Candice. “How is it my fault that you couldn’t keep your boyfriend?”Candice scoffed, her expression turning cold. “He is being distracted by you. You’ve been jealous of our relationship for God knows how long,” she snapped. “I bet you're happy now that we’ve broken up, bitch!”“Candice!” Axel snapped, standing before Amber and shielding her. “I won’t have you stand here to insult Amber. She has no fault in anything. You are the one who forced yourself on me. You should be ashamed instead of gaslighting others.”The scene was rapidly escalating, the students’ murmurs growing louder as Axel’s words echoed through the parking lot. Candice’s expression shifted from shock to rage in a heartbeat.“How dare you?!” she seethed, glaring daggers at Axel. “How dare you humiliate me like this! Yo
074.Amber led Axel into an empty classroom, her heart pounding as she guided him to a chair and sat him down. Her eyes were full of concern as she knelt down before him, searching his face.“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out to touch his arm. “Candice can be a real nightmare.”Axel shook his head, his gaze locked on hers. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice low and raspy.There was a tension in the air that Amber couldn’t quite put her finger on. She felt like she should stand up, take a step back, and check if he was really okay. But she couldn’t. She was caught in the pull of his gaze, mesmerized by the raw emotion that seemed to be burning in his eyes.Axel reached up and cupped her face with his hand. “Amber,” he whispered, and there was something so vulnerable in his voice that it made Amber’s heart skip a beat.She didn’t have a chance to respond before he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a desperate, hungry kiss. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, like
075.“What is wrong with you?” Melissa asked Jack after they were out of the classroom and outside.Jack looked at her, his brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” he asked, the annoyance from what earlier happened still evident in his tone.Melissa placed her palm on her forehead and sighed. “Why did you say that to Amber? Have you no idea how much it could hurt her?” Jack rolled his eyes. “I simply told her the truth, Mel,” he answered, not feeling an ounce of regret for what he said. “She and Axel are best friends and what’s more, Axel is her brother’s best friend. Two of them cannot work out, and it’s time they got to know about it.”Melissa shook her head. “Both of them are adults, Jack. And if they love each other, they should be allowed to be together whether they are best friends or not. Besides, what is wrong with dating my brother’s best friend? If he is the best for me, why not? If Axel is the best for Amber, nothing stops them from being together.” Melissa said, her tone defi
076. “Do you think Jack would find the courage to express his feelings to the girl he likes?” Amber asked Melissa as they walked into the gymnasium to watch the cheerleaders practice their routines.Melissa made them sit down in the first row and turned to look at Amber, trying not to give anything away. “Um… I don’t think he would,” she answered, but even she doubted her answer. Jack might be calm and reserved, but she knew him too well. He was a daredevil who had the habit of going for what he wants, when he wants it, and however he wants it. His father wasn’t a ruthless mafia kingpin for nothing.Though Jack hadn’t emulated his father’s mafia ways and preferred to be an average guy, she knew he had those traits in him. She only hoped he would be sensible enough to jeopardize their friendship with Amber. Amber sighed. “Do you think we should help him?” she asked, chasing Melissa’s eyes to widen. “We could set up a date with him and the girl and get them to talk. Maybe he will fina
077.“Wait a minute, are you being serious right now? You’re kidding?” Melissa asked, staring at Hazel who only had a deadpan expression on her face.Hazel maintained her stance. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” she replied flatly.Melissa was about to yell, but Amber held her hand to stop her. Melissa huffed and looked away while Amber returned her focus to Hazel. “You’re saying you don’t remember I and Melissa?” she asked, knowing fully well the lady was just getting under their skin for nothing. “Me, you and Melissa tried out for cheerleading and after Candice was suspended, and I was made the Captain, I handed over the position to you. Do you recall that now?” Amber asked.Hazel scrunched up her face in fake confusion which only made Melissa boil with rage more. “Oh,” she snapped her fingers, giving them a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I remember you two now. You know, being a captain of the cheerleading squad is great work. I’ve been so occupied that I could
078.Amber let out a soft gasp, her breath catching in her throat as Axel’s lips captured hers. The car was filled with a sudden heat, and Amber could feel her heart pounding in her chest.His hands moved to cup her face, holding her still as he deepened the kiss. Amber melted into the embrace, letting out a soft moan as Axel’s tongue danced with hers.For a moment, everything else disappeared. The car, the road, the world outside—it all faded away.Axel pulled away slowly, his eyes locked on Amber’s as he fought to catch his breath. He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment you walked into the parking lot,” he confessed, his voice low and husky. “I guess I just couldn’t wait any longer.”Amber smiled, reaching up to touch her lips, still tingling from the kiss. “I don’t mind at all, King,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been wanting to do that too. Kiss me again,”Ax
079.A week later,“What the hell is this?” Amber asked between chuckles as Axel led her into the private restaurant he had booked just for the two of them. She had been busy with tests all through this week, and he had been tutoring her on Math as well, coupled with the school dance coming up that they couldn’t spend quality and personal time together. On top of that, Axel had asked her to be his girlfriend countless times, but she had been giving him a negative answer and using her busy schedule as an excuse. He wondered why she didn’t want to date him. Tyler had been suspended, and they wouldn’t be seeing him for the rest of the semester. Candice had transferred out of the school, and they wouldn’t be seeing her as well. They had their freedom.Axel had to prepare this restaurant so he would try again. He really wanted her to be his girlfriend now that she was done with everything that was taking most of her time.“Well,” Axel began, his face filled with smiles. “I thought you co
080.“I don’t want to lose my brother.”Axel reached across the table and took Amber's hand in his. “Amber, we can't control how Cole reacts. But I think if we're honest and open with him, he'll understand. We can't let the fear of what might happen keep us from being happy,” he paused, his gaze intense. “And Amber, I want to be happy with you.”Amber's heart fluttered at Axel's words. She knew he was right. Cole would eventually accept their relationship, but they couldn't let his reaction dictate their lives. “Okay,” she whispered, a smile spreading across her face.Axel leaned forward and gazed into Amber's eyes. “Amber, I'm serious about this. I really want to make you happy. I want to be there for you, to support you, and to love you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, setting it on the table.Amber's eyes widened as she saw the box. “What's that?” she asked, her voice suddenly shaky.“Open it and find out,” Axel replied, a playful grin on his face.With trem
093.“Girl, calm the hell down, okay?” Melissa held Amber’s hand and gave it a pat. “You and I know Axel didn’t mean for all these to happen. He loves you and I know that. The person we should focus on is that fucking girl called Hazel.” Melissa balled her fists, her face twisting in disgust. After what Hazel did the other day, Melissa developed a certain hatred for her. She wished she could pull the girl’s hair and give her a brain resetting beating.Amber sighed and sat down, taking in what Melissa had said. She ruffled her hair, realizing the girl was right. She was blinded with the rage of seeing Hazel with Axel that she didn’t even notice the disgust on Axel’s face while Hazel was being all over him.“Do you think I overreacted?” she asked, her voice taking on a calmer tone.Melissa took a seat beside her. “I don’t think you overreacted, you actually overreacted,” she said and Amber threw her a glare. “I’m being serious. Who knows what Axel would be feeling right now? He loves yo
092.Axel tried to talk to Amber, Amber’s gaze didn’t leave Hazel. “What are you doing with Axel?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.Hazel took a step forward, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “Amber,” she began, her voice laced with softness that only irritated Amber more. “It’s not what you think. I was just trying to—”“Trying to seduce him? Trying to get him to notice you?” Amber asked, her frown deepening. “Don’t you have boundaries? Aren’t you contented being the untouchable captain of the cheerleading squad?” Axel held Amber. “Let’s just go.”“No, allow me to talk,” Amber moved away, stopping in front of Hazel. “Listen, I will overlook many things as long as you stay away and do not cross me. Nothing you say today will dispute the fact that you’re trying to get Axel’s attention, and it beats me that you have no ounce of shame at all.”Hazel shook her head. “I’m sorry if that offends you, but you and Axel aren’t officially dating. Like other ladies, I have
091.A week later…“Girl, it’s only a week until first semester exams starts, and I’m freaking out like crazy!!!” Melissa paced back and forth, literally panicking. Amber chuckled. “Girl, relax. It’s just exams.” Amber rolled her eyes, pulling out a book from inside her backpack.Melissa stopped pacing, her gaze settling on Amber, who didn’t seem the least bothered about the exams. She was literally freaking out here and Amber? Amber was seated there, calm and composed like she had this in the bag.Well… of course Amber had this in the bag. She was one of the smartest persons Melissa know. “Amy, this is my first exam in college. I feel so pressured, and I’m panicking right here.” “Melissa, breathe,” Amber said, patting her on the shoulder. “It’s not as hard as you think.”Melissa huffed and plopped down on the seat next to Amber, her face a mask of frustration. “Breathe, huh?” She let out a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes. “Easy for you to say. You've probably already read all the
090.“You two haven’t answered me.” Cole folded his arms while Amber and Axel stared at each other. It wouldn’t be good to tell him about their relationship over the phone anyway.Amber took a deep breath. “Calm down, Cole. There’s nothing wrong with Axel being my date to the school dance. You know how I am with crowds. He was basically helping me. I put him up to it.” she replied, throwing a glare Cole’s way.Cole wanted to believe them, he really wanted to but whenever the dance between them popped up on his feed, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something wasn’t right. Call it insecurity, but he’d prefer to call it “brother instinct”.His gaze flickered between the two of them before he let out a sigh. “We will talk about this when I return, okay? And don’t you dare try anything funny until I’m back.”Amber nodded with a smile. “You can count on that.” Cole scoffed before fixing his gaze on Axel. “I asked you to take care of Amber, Axel. I trust you, so just do what you are
089.Amber quickly pulled away from the hug and stared at Jack, her eyes widening in shock. “W-what?” Amber took a step back.Jack lowered his head, sighing heavily. “I know it’s shocking given that I am your best friend and all, but I really like you,”Amber didn’t know what to say as she just stared at him, she couldn’t believe that Jack liked her. Could it be…“The crush you said you had—”“Was you,” Jack replied and that was when it all began to make sense to her. All those times he key mentioning Axel as her brother’s best friend and how she shouldn’t be together with him and things like that. “I couldn’t tell you to your face that I liked you, so I just decided to use something else. I know you don’t love me back and I’m not expecting you to. The person you love is Axel, and I understand that,” he forced a smile. “I just wanted you to know how I feel.”Amber was quiet for a moment, trying to process everything that Jack had just said. He was right, her heart belonged to Axel, an
088.The school halls buzzed with students dressed elegantly with music blasting from the halls. The school dance was already in full swing by the time Amber and Axel arrived.Axel held her hand as they walked in, stealing the spotlight immediately as all eyes were.“Wow, you guys really know how to make an entrance,” a voice exclaimed, and Amber turned to find Ricky and Melissa walking up to them, a smile stretching wide across Melissa's face. “Everyone is staring at you two like you're the prom king and queen already.”“Well, I can't blame them,” Axel said, his tone playfully cocky. “After all, I am the best-looking guy in the room, and I'm with the most beautiful girl.” He paused and added in a softer voice, “And I think everyone can see that.”“You're such a dork, Axel,” Amber giggled, punching him playfully on the arm. “But I guess you're right. It's just everyone else recognizing what we already know.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.“I'm just glad we made it here togeth
087.“And… for the final touch,” Melissa took the silver necklace Axel has gifted Amber and helped her fix it around her neck. Amber stared at herself in the mirror, but believing what she was seeing.“You look stunning,” Melissa exclaimed. “I'm sure you're going to steal the show at prom today. Axel won't be able to take his eyes off you.”“He shouldn't,” Amber smiled as she stood to her feet, admiring the elegant blue prom dress Axel had personally handpicked for her. The dress was a vision. It shimmered like the gentle waves of a midnight sea, clinging to Amber’s curves in all the right places. The deep blue color brought out the golden flecks in her cat eyes, accentuating her natural beauty. The expert beading and delicate embroidery around the bodice, glittering like stars in the night sky, made it clear this was no ordinary dress.“Wow,” Amber breathed out. “He’s really outdone himself. I look amazing and I know it.” Amber touched her hair that Melissa has style and curled into
086.“Rejecting every girl who comes to you and sitting like you’re gonna die the next minute isn’t gonna make Amber like you back, you know?” Gideon, one of Jack’s teammate and friend, said as he watched Jack sit on the bench in the gymnasium like someone who got beaten to a pulp.Jack sighed, frustration lining his features. “I don’t want those girls, Gideon.,” he answered, running his tongue over his chapped lips. “Amber is the one I like, dude. I don’t see myself being happy dancing with a random girl.”“But you said she likes someone else. Isn’t it better you stop this now before you fall deeper for her?” Gideon cautioned him, but Jack didn’t look like he was ready to listen.He had loved Amber from the very first day he set his eyes on her at the library. The first thing that attracted him to her was her cat eyes — he found it rare, amazing and unique. After they became friends, he would always stare at this mesmerizing set of her eyes whenever she was talking. And whenever she
085.Bryan walked up to Amber with a smile on his face, his face showing his charming dimples. “Hi, Amber.”Amber forced a smile as she looked at him. “Oh, hi,” she said, trying to stop herself from feeling awkward around him. He was Tyler’s friend after all, and he wondered if Bryan acted the same way as well.Bryan noticed that Amber wasn’t comfortable with him like she used to. “Amber, you don’t have to be awkward around me,” he said, giving her a warm smile. “I’m not like Tyler.”Amber’s eyes widened. How did he know that was the reason? She cleared her throat and looked into his eyes. “You are his friend. It’s only normal that you two are involved in things like that.”Bryan shook his head. “Can we sit somewhere and talk?” he asked.Amber wanted to decline, but when she saw that the students had their gazes on them, she nodded slowly and Bryan led her to the cafeteria. They took a seat, and he placed his plans on the table.“What would you like to drink?” Amber shook her head, n