How to Date an Asshole

Chapter 39

I nodded, "Definitely."

She exhaled loudly, "Ten years."

"Yup."

"Grant!"

I winced.

"Who's that?"

Axel jogged towards us. "I told you to wait."

"Oh my God," Charlie's eyes widened infinitesimally.

Axel's gaze went to my cousin.

"You're... you're..."

He smiled, satisfied, "Axel James," he shook her vegetable hand.

She just stared at him with her mouth ajar, not letting go of Axel's hand.

"Charlie!" I whisper-shouted.

"Oh, so you're Charlie." He commented.

"Oh," she came back to her senses. "Right, right. Um... Very nice to meet you, Mr. James."

"Please, call me Axel." giving her the world's most charming smile, you'd melt if you don't know who he really is.

"Axel..." she fell into a daze again.

"Charlie," I called her again.

She shook her head, "Oh, um, I'm sorry, I just..." her expression turned serious, "Hold on, what is happening?"

"What do you mean?" Axel wondered.

Charlie turned to me, "How did you know him? How did...?" She pointed her finger from Axel to me back and forth.

"How did what?" Axel asked dubiously.

"How did you two cross paths?" Charlie ticked. "I mean – no offense to you, Laure – my cousin is a normal person."

"Gee, thanks, Charlie."

"So, you haven't seen the news," Axel said.

"What news?" She shook her head, "You know what, never mind. Let's talk about this later, but right now, Mom is waiting for us."

I nodded, "Okay."

We walked down the empty hallway.

Thank God, this airport isn't open for commercial planes. Could you imagine the crowd and paparazzi if they had a whiff that Axel is here?

Oh, wait, I forgot he controlled the paparazzi.

As we reached the parking lot, I noticed Axel was still following us.

I stopped on my tracks then turned a 180 to face him, "Wait, are you following us?"

"Of course, who would I follow?"

"I meant, why are you coming with us?" I let out a humorless chuckle, "I'm going to meet my family?"

"Yes, and?"

"They're not gonna like you, James." I held my head high.

His eyes gave me a once-over. "We'll see about that, Grant," He walked ahead of me dismissively and followed Charlie.

A scoff escaped me and I stood there baffled in the middle of the parking lot.

"Lauren! Are you coming or what?" Charlie called out.

I turned and they're already next to her car.

"Right..." I said to myself and tightened my grip on the luggage handle and walked to where they were.

Charlie opened the back of her minivan.

I carried my luggage to place inside.

"Let me," Axel grabbed it from me and put my bag next to his.