Playing Heart Games

Level 21: Go To A Party

VIOLET

"Hey curls."

I nearly jumped, my gaze flashing up and locking with a pair of pale blue eyes.

Axel leaned across the table, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he caught one of my curls. "Studying again?" he teased.

Sunlight spilled through the window, glimmering against his tanned skin, his long lashes, his bright grin.

He looked beautiful.

I tried to remember how to speak. "What—what are you doing here?"

He released my hair, flumping onto the chair opposite me. "Got bored. Decided to end the school day early."

Alarm ran through me. "You're skipping again?"

If he got in trouble he could be sent away. If he got sent away—

"Did something happen?" I asked.

Axel faltered for a moment, then his grin was back. He leaned his chin onto his palm. "The teacher was speaking gibberish."

My brows furrowed. "You didn't understand the topic?"

His expression became serious. "I don't speak gibberish, curls."

"Which subject was it?" I asked. I reached for my textbooks. "I could help—"

Axel caught my hand.

I stilled.

"Curls."

My eyes shifted back to his. "Yes?" I breathed.

He smiled. "No studying."

I blinked. "Oh—Ok."

He released my fingers. They tingled.

Axel tilted his head, a mischievous smirk I recognised returning to his features. "We need to discuss the game plan."

"The game plan?" I echoed.

The reason for us hanging out came flooding back. Mark. Alissa. Revenge.

Somehow, I'd forgotten.

Axel's fingers spun one of my books against the table. "There's a party this Friday." His eyes lifted to mine. "And we're going."

*

The week flew past, until it was Friday evening and I was in Axel's car. Sitting in the passenger seat, riddled with nerves.

I glanced at Axel. He was humming along to a song spilling out from the speakers. He caught my gaze, flashing me a grin, before his gaze returned to the road.

Everything about him seemed normal—relaxed—but I still felt like something was different. Off. The last week he'd seemed...I didn't know, further away.

Like he was distancing himself from me.

I didn't understand why.

I just knew I didn't like how it felt.

Axel pulled the car to a stop. I looked up, and froze.

Down the road was a mansion, towering in the darkness. But what made me freeze was the street—full of cars, streetlights gleaming against the vehicles that flooded the curb.

Which meant that the amount of people here—

"I-I've never been to a party like this," I breathed.

"Curls."

My eyes slid to Axel's.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.