Axel was at the door, a plastic bag on his hand. "I bought you food." He said plainly, referring to me.
"Hey." I said, immediately getting out of the bed and went straight to him.
Tyler got up and moved out of the way.
I reached for the plastic bag that contained some packed food and held it on my hand. I looked at Axel whose eyes were staring straight forward. He had little bruises on his face which made my heart sink. "Your face." I said, gently touching them with my other hand.
Axel looked down at me and grabbed my hand. "I'm okay." He said.
"You should've seen what he did to the other guys." Tyler spoke.
I looked at Tyler then to Axel. "Axel?" I asked, worryingly.
He shrugged. "I just gave them their medicine after what that dumbass did to my girl." He said as he shifted his eyes to Tyler who was now trying to move towards the door.
My heart fluttered at the way he said my girl.
"I'll leave you two alone." Tyler said before going out of the room.
I smiled at Tyler and after he got out, I looked back at Axel who walked towards the bed. He sat down on it and looked at me.
I placed the food on the little table that was adjacent to the bed. "Thank you for bringing me this." I said, turning to him.
He smiled. "No problem." He said.
I sat down beside him stared at his bruises. "This is the second time you got hurt because of me." I said.
First, he tried to kill himself. Now, he got into a fight. I'm starting to think that I never really bring him any luck.
Axel turned his head to me and smiled. "Because you always get in trouble or get me in trouble." He said.
I looked down. "I'm sorry."
"What for?" He asked, confused.
I sighed. "Because I always hurt you." I said.
"It was not your fault. I just couldn't let that guy hurt you without fighting back." He explained, his hand sliding to my cheek.
"But you got hurt because I tried to save somebody else." I replied.
He shook his head. "No, you tried to help. There's nothing wrong with helping." He said.
I smiled, staring at his eyes.
I held on to his wrist and felt his wounds touch my fingers. I removed his hand off my cheek and looked at the wounds. The wounds that I caused him. The wounds that showed how much he cared for me. The wounds that I don't want to see again because it reminds me that I'm the one who hurts him, I'm the one that brings him pain. I don't want that. I want to be the only one to bring him happiness. I want to be the one that loves him and shows him that he's more than just a speck in the universe.
"What are you thinking?" He asked.
I shooo my head. "Nothing. I just remembered that I haven't called aunt Mary yet." I said.
"I called her last night. And I told her what happened." My eyes widened in shock.
"You what?" I asked, trying to comprehend what he had just done.
"I told her everything. I told her that it was not your fault and that you got dragged into the fight for no reason." He explained.
"And what did she say? Did she get mad?" I asked.
He shooked hus head, scrunching his face. "Nope. Of course she was skeptical at first but I told her that your friends made sure you were okay." He said, playing with my fingers.
My eyebrows crossed. "My friends? How about you?"
Axel shrugged. "I was busy making sure that the person who hurt you couldn't walk for a whole month." He said.
My eyes opened at the revelation. "What the hell, Axel! How could you do that?!" I exclaimed.
Yes, Carlos might've punched me in the face but it was not his fault. I was the one who threw myself into the scene, I deserved it. Carlos didn't know that I was going to interfere, he had no clue that I was going to jump in and push Tyler. I'm sure, despite his attitude, he wouldn't hurt just anybody. But even when I'm wrong, the decision was still mine, not his.
He shifted his body. "What did you expect me to do, Violet? He punched you on the face! I couldn't just let that pass." He said.
"But he didn't know! I was the one who got myself in trouble! He wouldn't have hurt me if he knew he was going to hit a girl." I rebutted, standing up and looking down at him.
He shook his head side to side and rolled his eyes. "You don't know that. You don't even know him." He said.
"And you do?" I exclaimed. "The point is, I don't want you hurting anybody because of me or anyone else. That won't change anything. It will, however, show them that you're bad. And I don't want them to have that mind set! I don't want you to get in trouble because of me, Axel." I said, positioning my arms into a cross while he looks at me quietly.
He clenched his jaw as if he was about to say something but he stopped. Instead, he pulled me close to him and hugged me. "Whatever you say, I'll do it." He said.
"Promise me, Axel. Please." I said, sincerely.
He nodded. "I promise."
We stayed there for a minute, just in each other's comfort.
After a while, we decided to get out of the room and head out. I thanked Kristina for taking care of me for the night and gave her the food that Axel supposedly bought for me.
Now we're on his motorcycle, heading towards an unknown part of town--- not too far but almost. We stopped in front of a small cabin-like house that seemed like it came out of a horror film. The door looked squeaky and weak, the windows were dirty, and the floors looked worn. Around the house were little wild flowers of different shapes and colors and they all looked beautiful. Better than roses and tulips. "Are you going to kill me here?" I joked.
He chuckled. "No. I have another place for that."
I turned to him and eyed him for what he said to which he laughed.
"Come." He said, sliding his hand to mine and pulling me towards the house.
I looked at the porch in wonder. It was still beautiful despite the look of the house. There was a little rocking chair that stood right beside the door and a wilted flower that was placed on top of it. "Who lives here?" I asked.
Axel opened the door with the key that he got from out of nowhere. "It was my mother's." He said. He pushed the door and revealed the well decorated interior. This probably is the epitome of the quote, "Don't judge a book by its cover"because it was very different from what it looked like inside.
The walls were painted white and was decorated by little black birds that seemed to fly around the house. There was not much of furnitures around but there was a couch that looked out to the windows and the windows showcased the beautiful scenery that was the woods. It was almost winter and the leaves have turned orange and red and yellow which was quite a sight. To my left was the spiral staircase that went up and beside that was a table that had two picture frames.
I went to the table and held one frame on my hands. It was little Axel, holding an icecream on one hand while using his other hand to lean on the tree. "You look so cute!" I exclaimed.
"How about now?" He asked as he went to what seemed to be the kitchen.
I rolled my eyes at his question. He knows he's cute. I'm afraid if I tell him that he does look cute, his head going to blow up. I placed the frame back and saw the second one.
This time, I was speechless. It was his mother.
Axel's mom is so beautiful in the picture. She had the same eye color as Axel's which is icy blue but hers had a hint of green. They have the same smile that lightens up the room. "You look like your mom." I said.
But as I was admiring the picture, I remembered that this was the same mother that hurt her child, that hurt Axel. She looked so beautiful that I forgot that the same person have the same situation with Axel. Her peaceful aura had hidden the secret of Schizophrenia for so many years. And without anyone knowing, she wasn't treated and her Schizophrenia worsened to the point where she harmed her son. It's so sad to think that because of what she had, she harmed someone who she bore for nine months and spent most of her life on. She would've just been living peacefully and harmoniously when her monsters gained power of her mind. The same thing could happen to Axel, the same monsters could gain control of Axel's mind. I don't want that to happen.
But sometimes I forget that it could possibly happen to him. Anytime, anywhere.
"Do you want anything to drink?" I heard Axel ask behind me.
I turned my head around to him. "You look like your mom."
He scoffed. "Apparently, I'm a monster like her too." He said, ever so slightly but I caught it.
"You're not a monster, Axel, and I know she's not too." I said, pissed.
"If only you saw what she did to me back then, then you'll understand why I don't want to be like her." He said with every bit of remorse present in his voice.
I looked away feeling his anger in his voice. "Okay." I said, sitting down on the couch.
Axel went back to the kitchen which gave me time to admire the trees that were outside. This house would be the best house for a family. Imagine little children running around while their parents watches over them. They'd play catch just outside and just have fun. On christmas night, the whole family sits on the couch as they tell made up stories while they drink their hot chocolate. Then, the children will fall to sleep and their parents would bring them to their rooms, wherever the rooms may be which will give the parents' their alone time. And they'd snuggle on the same couch 'til who knows what happens and then they'd lay on each other's arms as they fall to sleep theirselves. That would be nice.
I heard Axel walk towards me. He brought with him a bowl of water and a cloth. "Here, let me." He said, sitting beside me, making sure that he was positioned right in a way that he was facing me.
I shifted my position to face him as I smiled. "You're a nurse now?" I joked.
Axel smiled back, wringing the towel. "Do you like it here?" He asked, out of the blue.
I nodded. "Yeah. It's very cozy and warm and it's really beautiful." I said, looking out into the trees.
He took a deep breath. "Then you could live here. With me. You and I." He said, placing the towel to my face.
I moved as it touched my skin but Axel pulled me back softlt and proceeded on treating my face.
"Don't you want to be with me?" He said in a serious tone.
I stared at his icy blue eyes--- the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen--- and smiled, cupping his face. "I do." I said with pure honesty. I smiled. But my smile turned upside down. "But I can't"
I saw his jaw clench softly and he bit his lip as he heard me. "Oh." He said as he continued wiping the towel on my face.
I stared at him for awhile. He looked cute as he was looking at the bruise on my face, making sure that he had pressed the towel on my face properly. But he was not smiling, his stoic face peircing through. He was hurting deep inside, as if he was hiding something so great and so massive that he can't even tell me. But little does he know, I feel it. I feel how his heart pinches and it's hurting me. It hurts because he can't even tell me himself. It hurts because I want him to open up to me more about his life but even he can't do that. And the sad thing is, I want to be there for him, I want to comfort him but I can't. That's what hurts most, when you love somebody but you can't make them truly happy.
"I want to paint again." I said.
Axel's eyes went straight to mine. "That's great." He said.
I nodded as I smiled at the thought pf finally holding on to a paint brush, painting strokes of colors to prodice something greater. "Yeah. It is."
"I'm happy for you. Now you can finally start a new chapter after..." He said, stopping before he could mention what happened to my parents.
"They died." I finished for him. I took a deep breath. "It does not hurt anymore. I mean, it still hurts but it does not hurt as much as it did... before." I said.
When they passed, I thought that life ended there. That my life and my brother's, as well, stops at that moment. But then, I realized just now that maybe it's not supposed to be that way. Maybe I'm meant to do something bigger and much greater than myself. I'm finally turning 18 in a month and I know I should start thinking about, not just my future but also my brother's. I'm all he have right now, aside from aunt Mary and I promised my mom that I would take care of him. Jack-jack needs all the love that he can get. It's just hard to think that a child could lose the two most important beings in his life at such a young age. I'm just so lucky that I had the time to be with our parents.
"That's why I admire you." Axel spoke. "I was actually there when you were rushed to the hospital. I was behind your car and saw the whole thing. I saw your mom die infront of you before I got you our of the car." He said.
My eye widen in shock, pulling away. "What? You were there but you never told me?" My eyes furrowed.
He took a deep sigh. "Because I heard what the doctor said. I came back for a doctor's appointment a week after the accident and you were still there in a coma. And I heard the doctor say that it was better to not say anything that would remind you of what happened because it might trigger your trauma. And that night at the beach, I just thought that I was lucky enough to have found you, no matter what I did that night." He said.
I scoffed. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me that you fucked a girl infront of my house. That's really the cherry on top." I joked.
He pinched my nose which made me squint my eyes. "Ow!" I said. "It's true!" I said, holding on to his hand but he reached to my waist to tickle me which made me dance like a worm. Ever tried putting salt on a worm and it wiggled like crazy? That's what I look like now. "Stop! Axel! Stop it!" I said, laughing my ass off.
But he did not stop. "No, I won't!" He exclaimed, tickling me more.
I tried to push him but he was stronger. He continied until I was sitting on his lap, with my back to his chest when I felt a sudden jolt on my head and my eyes blurred. "Axel. Stop." I plead, not kidding.
Axel stopped, which gave me time to move away from him. His face turned serious and worried as he tried checking if I was okay. "Are you alright? Can I get you something? Water?" He said, worryingly.
I shook my head. "No, you don't have to... Because I was just joking!" I exclaimed. I tackled Axel down to the couch and pinned both his hands with my, intertwining both of our hands.
He shook his head, feeling defeat. He pulled me beside him, placing my arm on his chest.
I felt my heart flutter at his touch.
This is what I wanted, to be with him, touching him without actually touching him. To have genuine fun with him and just laugh and play. It was surprising to know this side of him.
Before it was like, all we did together was have sex, but now that's startibg to change. I hope he continues to open up to me, to show me who he really is because I love him and I care so much for him.
I can't imagine a life where he leaves me. I would be broken.