05 | Talk

"So, Miss Social Butterfly, why are you avoiding people?" I ask my best friend.

Olivia slightly frowns before taking a piece of watermelon out of the bowl and placing it in her mouth. As she chews I can tell she's trying to decide how to tell me. "Well, a lot of extended family is here because of James' graduation and my wedding happening in the same week."

I nod my head, realizing how close the wedding is sinks in. Soon enough she'll be Olivia Coleman instead of Olivia Torres.

She plucks a grape out of the fruit bowl before continuing. "It's just they think they know everything about my relationship with Jaden. Half of my extended family thinks we're getting married too young because we're twenty-two and twenty-one, and then the other half doesn't think I should marry him at all because he's African American."

My jaw drops in shock, the hostility she feels for her extended family is plain and clear in her voice. "They said that?" I ask in disbelief.

Her jaw tightens as she picks at some of the wood that belongs to the picnic table we're sitting on. "They asked if I really wanted to have mixed babies."

Anger boils up inside of me for her. Her extended family doesn't even know Jaden. They've never taken the time to find out what kind of person he is. "Does Jaden know?"

She nods her head, still avoiding eye contact with me. "None of them have said anything to him, but he can sense it. He can tell by the way they avoid him and look at him."

"I'm so sorry, Olivia." I don't know what else to say to her.

She shrugs her shoulders. "After the wedding I don't have to see them again until Katherine or James gets married so it works out."

I frown, my heart still aches for her. She's getting married in a couple of days, she should be happy.

"Now, why are you hiding?" she asks me, giving me a playful grin through the hurt that's still showing on her face.

"Axel's here."

Her face pales. "I'm so sorry, V. I totally forgot to tell you."

"It's okay, I promise! You've got other things going on." She has a wedding to worry about while dealing with her extended family. "Plus, maybe we do need to talk. We have some things to sort out. He never gave me a reason for why he broke up with me. He just did with no explanation.

Olivia mashes her lips together, a sort of tension seeping between us.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" I ask her.

Olivia eyes me warily. "V, I want to tell you, but it's not my place. You need to ask him."

Part of me wants to be upset with her, but I know she's doing the right thing. I need to talk with Axel and figure out why he broke up with me. Maybe then I'll be able to move on.

"Please don't be mad at me," she whispers.

The stress she's under from her family, the wedding, and everything else going on in her life is visible in her eyes. For the first time my friend looks older than what she is.

I reach my hand across the table with my palm up. She places her hand in mine and we squeeze our hands together, comforting each other.

"I'm not mad," I say. "Thank you for being honest with me."

She chuckles. "Even if I tried lying, you'd see right through it."

I laugh too, knowing she's right. "Very true. Oh, and by the way-" I pause and she looks at me, waiting for me to continue. "You and Jaden are going to have the cutest mixed babies in the world."

She laughs before pulling me in for a hug across the table. "You're the best."

Together, we stand up from the table and head back to the part of the yard that everyone's gathered at.

Olivia squeezes my arm, grabbing my attention. "I'm going to go see if my mom needs any more help in the kitchen."

I nod my head, watching her walk away. Before I know what's happening, someone's wrapped me in a headlock. I have a pretty good idea who it is.

"Hudson, let go of me!" I push on his arm to try and get him to release me. "You're going to mess up my hair!"

"Well in that case," he says, rubbing his knuckle against the top of my head.

"Hudson!"

Laughing, he releases me. I huff and regain my posture, glaring at him. "You're an idiot."

"You love me though," he says, pulling me in for a hug like he didn't just see me this morning.

"Mhm," I mumble, trying to fix my hair.

My brother grins smugly at me. "Have you seen Jaden?"

I nod my head. "He was with James and Caleb earlier."

"Caleb?" Hudson looks confused.

"He's a guy that works with Jaden."

"Cool."

Before my brother can walk away, I pull on his elbow. "Hey, did you know that Olivia's extended family doesn't want her to marry Jaden?"

Hudson frowns. "Jaden's never mentioned it."

"Oh. Olivia just told me that half of her side of the family thinks they're getting married too young and the other half thinks she shouldn't marry him because he's African American."

Hudson's jaw hangs slightly open and I can tell he's pissed. Jaden's his best friend. "I'll talk with him."

"Thank you."

He nods his head and walks off in search of Jaden.

I decide to head towards the kitchen to see if Olivia and her mom need any help. As I make my way there, Caleb stops me.

"Hi, Vienna," he says, grinning at me.

"Hi." I tense up, remembering the last time I saw him was at the restaurant. With Axel.

He rubs the back of his head while his other hand is in his jean pocket. "I want to say sorry for the other night at dinner. I crossed a line by bringing your relationship with Axel up."

"You definitely did cross a line." I say, narrowing my eyes at him.

Caleb stares back at me awkwardly. "I'm about to cross a line again, but I need to know. Did you break up with Axel?"

Suddenly, it feels like someone's punched me in the stomach. "Did he say that?"

"Well no," Caleb says hesitantly. "But it seems like it."

"Seems like it?" I ask with zero patience in my voice.

"Yeah, Axel sulks every time he hears your name or sees you."

I stare at Caleb like he's grown three heads. "Axel broke up with me so I don't see why he'd have anything to sulk about." I push past Caleb, continuing my walk to the house.

"Vienna, wait!"

"I've heard enough," I say to Caleb without turning around to face him.

I walk straight through the house, avoiding the kitchen to get to the front, needing to be alone. The circular driveway is packed with cars, but nobody is around. Finally, I let out a breath of air that I'd been holding in since my conversation with Caleb.

The only noise I hear is the sounds of birds chirping and the distance sound of people talking in the backyard. The street is empty besides the cars that line the curb.

As I sit down on the steps leading up to Olivia's house, a tiny beat up car pulls up to the curb. In the distance I see a lady with long blonde hair get out of the driver's seat, walking around to the other side of the car. She opens the door and a little boy gets out.

If I'm not mistaken, the little boy is Adam, the one I got down from the tree several days ago.

What surprises me the most is when I see Axel striding towards them. Adam jumps up and down and sprints to Axel with his arms wide open. He picks Adam up and carries him towards the woman, smiling.

She hugs Axel tightly before handing him a Spiderman backpack. The lady kisses Adam on the cheek before hoping in her car and taking off.

I hide behind the wooden post that supports the overhang as Axel and Adam walk towards the backyard.

Then it hits me.

No wonder Adam seemed familiar that day with the bored expression he wore. It was clear now that Axel and Adam were related somehow.

Adam looks older than three, but I could be wrong. If Adam is three, that puts him around the time of him being born when Axel broke up with me.

Is it possible that Axel has a son?

A/N: Lots to unpack after this chapter! If you enjoyed please vote, it really helps out! :)

Btw, this song is by Why Don't We (whom I love) and it's called 'Talk.' Feel like it perfectly describes Axel's and Vienna's communication skills at the moment...