IGNITE

Five

"What are you doing?" I stammer. "You left your cellphone," he says, his voice clipped. I could tell by the vein popping in his temple that he was trying to curtail his anger. "Whats going on here?" he asks. "None of your business how did you know where I lived?" I question. He told me the night before he didnt know where I lived. "I followed you." he snipped. Oh.

"Now Im only going to ask one more time, whats going on here?' he says. Rhett looked at him anger in his own blue eyes. "I wanted to make sure she was okay, I waited for her last night and she didnt come home," he replies. "Who are you again?' Axel asks, his voice venomous. Rhett looked like he was just smacked in the face. "Im her best friend you asshole," he snarled. "Oh what a good best friend, you know she passed out in her car last night? She barely was concious enough to call me to come and get her. She could have been raped, or worse!' Axel retaliated. 

"You called him!" Rhett sputtered. "Why didnt you call me when you were ready to come home, I could have called you a cab!" I couldnt even think about an answer. "Shes was so drunk she couldnt even remember where she lived. She probably didnt even remember you either," Axel said offhandly. "You need to go," Rhett said calmly. I could tell he was trying not to beat the ever loving shit out of Axel. 

Axel chuckled and shook his head. "If anyone is going to leave its going to be you. You have no right to even be here," he told Rhett, his voice threatening to break. I looked between the both of them. What the fuck was going on? "Right?" Rhett yells. "Shes my fucking best friend!" "And Im her fiancee so back the FUCK OFF!" Axel commands as he roughly pushes Rhett in his chest. "I know you didnt just fucking push me!" Rhett says angrily as he catches his footing. I step between the two of them before punches started to fly. "Move," Axel demands "No this is stupid!" I scream at him. "he shouldnt touch or even think about what is mine!" Axel yells back. 

"Im not yours damnit now leave!" I answered him. He stopped and looked at me. Like really looked at me like he was trying to figure out who the hell I was. "You want me to leave you alone?" he asks, his voice was almost as icy as his eyes. I wasnt liking his tone. "Yes?" i say but it came out more of a question. "Youre nothing without me," he states as he looks at Rhett. "He cant give you what I can," he promises. "And what can you give her?" Rhett questions. He's still behind me. "Trust me its a helluva lot more than you can. What are you the paper boy at Filmore? You think that you can provide for her the way that I can? Do you think that you could please her the way that I can?" Axel brags. 

"Ive pleased her more times than you can even imagine" Rhett retorted. Axel laughed. "You know its okay, because I dont need to fuck her to make her want me," he says. "But if you want her you can have her, but i guarantee that once Filmore goes under, you wont want her anymore," he tells him and then he walks out the door. 

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After my lame excuse of an explanation to Rhett about what was going on I told him to go home, and I dressed in my pajamas, grabbed a tub of Ben and Jerry's from the fridge and plopped down in my bed and cried. My life was so fucked up. And now, I wasnt even sure if Axel was serious about telling Rhett he could have me. Axel was my families only hope. I knew that I had to marry him. I wanted to the flowers, and the dating and the love but I knew that wasnt going to happen. 

Rhett was too understanding. He always had been. He left earlier with me just saying "Ill tell you later," and he took it. Just like that. My phone vibrated and I looked at the screen. Axel. I had saved his number in my phone earlier. I answered but said nothing. "You dont have to say anything," he said on the other end. "Im sorry, i overreacted. But...I really want this to work okay. And I'll do it right if I have to." he paused and took a breath. "Ill leave you alone for a bit. You have my number if you want to you know talk," he told me and then he hung up.