Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Axel's grip on my hand tightened as we moved closer to my parents.

He has already met my Lola and some of my family when we were in the Philippines, but he doesn't seem to be this tense back then. I tipped on my toes and whispered in his ear, "Nervous?", my tone teasing.

"Pfft, me? Never!" He could lie through his teeth, but his eyes gave him away as they were wandering about, observing the house, unable to focus.

"Then why can't you look at me?"

His eyes flitted down to meet mine.

Big mistake.

I mentally reprimanded myself for making fun of him because now he was looking at me with our faces mere inches away. His eyes traveled from my eyes to my lips then back to my eyes again, just as he always does when we're this close. His lips parted and his breathing turned heavy.

"Ahem," someone behind us cleared their throat, catching our attention and slicing the tension. I turned and saw my dad.

"Dad!" I threw my arms around him. "I've missed you so much."

"Oh, I've missed you too, pumpkin," He squeezed then let me go.

I turned and saw Axel white as a sheet.

"Dad, this is Axel."

"Hello, Sir," he offered his hand for a shake, but my dad only raised his brows looking at Axel's hand. The panic in Axel's eyes was undeniable then my dad howled in laughter.

"You should've seen your face! C'mere," my dad hugged Axel briefly, patting his back. "We're huggers in this family." Axel chuckled nervously then looked at me for consolation.

Dad put his arm around my shoulders, "Come, your mom is in the kitchen. I told her we should just order food but she insisted on cooking. You know how she is."

"Yeah, that's so her." We walked to the kitchen and I motioned behind my back for Axel to follow us.

When we got to the kitchen, mom was stirring something on the stove. "Hey, mom!"

She turned and her mouth went ajar in delight dropping the ladle in the pot mindlessly, "My baby!" We met each other halfway and bear-hugged. "You should visit more often, honey. I miss you terribly." Before I could reply, she let go of the hug and eyes wide in intrigue. She moved towards Axel, hand on her waist, hips jutting to the side, "And who do we have here?"

"Hi, Ma'am, I'm Axel." Axel was going in for a hug but my mom shook his hand. He froze for a millisecond, bewildered and confused, and if I didn't know any better, I wouldn't even notice it. He kept his composure fairly well. I stifled in a laugh. We aren't "huggers" in the family. Only dad is. The women in this family usually reserve hugs for special occasions, like not seeing each other for a year type of thing.

Mom gave him the warmest smile then punched his shoulders with the lightest force you could imagine, "We've been waiting for you! It's such a bummer that your manager thought it best for you to stay at a hotel. I told Laurie that you are more than welcome to stay here."

"Yes, well my manager was really insistent. And I'm deeply sorry to keep Lauren away from you. I told her I was fine being alone," he pulled me close to him, "but I guess she doesn't want to be away from me."

I kicked his ankle. He groaned but quickly masked it with a laugh. Mom laughed with him then turned to me, "Where's your sister anyway? I thought you're all going together?"

Oof. "Well, she picked us up and we stopped by her house but Hailey and I have appointments at the Salon." Nice save, Lauren.

"Oh," Mom nodded.

"I think she'll be here any minute."

"Alright then, why don't you kids make yourselves comfortable? Show Axel around the house while your dad and I finish cooking."

"I guess I'll cook now," Dad jibed but grabbed an apron and put it on himself.

They got busy with the food in an instant so, I motioned for Axel to follow me so I can tour him around.

He stuck to me like glue, like he was afraid someone will abduct him at any given moment. I laughed and shoved him by the shoulder playfully, "Relax, no one's out to get you. My family already likes you, from the looks of it."

He forced a smile trying to play it cool, but he can't lie to me. I've grown to know how his lip quivers a little when he's uncomfortable or how his tongue runs over his bottom lip when he seems to be debating something internally. I've also learned some of his quirks – the way he taps the spoon twice on the mug after stirring in the creamer to his coffee or the way he always removes the right shoe first before the left.

I felt the corners of my lips move upwards, unable to control myself, "So for downstairs, you've seen the living room, the kitchen, and the garage from the outside. There's not much more left, really, aside from the pantry, bathroom, and laundry room. I don't know if you'd be interested in those."

"Why wouldn't I be? This is where you grew up, right?"

"Yup, born and raised. Well, technically I was born at the hospital, but you know what I mean," I mocked myself, "This is the house I lived in from zero to eighteen."

"Must be nice not to skip from house to house," he thumbs the frame of a picture on top of the mantle. "Was this you?"

I moved closer to him to see the photo. It was of me sitting on a park bench – wearing my favorite dress, clutching a teddy bear. "Yeah, I think I was about three in that picture."

His gaze cast down on me, looking at my face then a slight smile formed on his lips, "You were cute."

I was about to say that I am cute, but he was close. Too close and getting closer. I chuckled, moving out of his way, creating a big distance, "Why don't I show you the bathroom? That way you wouldn't ask me where it is if you want to go later on."

An exasperated sigh came out of his lips, "I'm not a child."

I scoffed, "I didn't say you were. Well, technically, you definitely were at some point. But not now."

He moved closer, eliminating the space I just created. I was about to take a step back but he turned me by the shoulders so that we were facing the same direction. I squealed in surprise, "What are you doing?". His hands snaked to my middle then he nuzzled his chin on my neck, his front still to my back. He was so close that if I move my head, our lips would be a breath away from touching. "Can you imagine what our kids would look like?" He spoke rather loudly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shush," then he whispered, "Hailey's watching from the door."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so," he spun me around like we were dancing then faced me to him, his hands dropping to hold onto my waist, "Why don't we continue with the tour with you taking me to your room?" Then he led me to the staircase as if this was his house and not mine. We passed by Hailey in the doorway, "Oh, Hales, didn't see you there," he smirked satisfied at the bewildered look on Hailey's face as we went upstairs with his hand still lingering on the small of my back.

As we reached the last step upstairs, I removed his hand from me, "That was uncalled for."

"I'm sorry, I had to."

"You enjoyed it."

His expression was defensive until he can't help the smile appearing on his face, "Fine, I did. But in my defense, watching you panic was fun."

"Fun?" my voice raised. He cocked a brow at me as if to say Hailey could still be in earshot. I hushed my voice, "I was not panicking. I did not panic."

"Keep telling yourself that. In the meantime," he nodded to the door on his left, "I'm guessing this is your room?"

"Yeah, well," my brain decided right there and then to short-circuit to the contents of my high school bedroom. Teal paint under poster after poster of Teenage Axel James. "Shit."

His hand made contact with the doorknob, twisting until the audible click of the unlocking mechanism was all I could hear. "No!"

His head turned to me and I shoved my body to stop him, only to fall over him as the door opened beside him. The crash was loud over the wooden floors.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" He winced in pain.

Shuffling on the stairs soon followed, "Laurie? Are you alright?" Hailey was put into a halt when she saw me on top of Axel. "Oh."

"Help me up," I said and she lent me a hand.

"What were you two doing? Jesus, have some self-control."

Rapid heavy steps on wood ascended as my dad called out, "How is everyone?" When he reached us and saw Axel still on the floor, he rushed to his aid, "What are you doing, girls? Can't you help the man out? Clearly, he slipped."

"Yeah," Hailey's head tossed back, "He slipped."

I bulged my eyes at her because her tone was very suggestive. She spoke rapidly, "But he didn't want our help, see?" she offered her hand but pulled it too soon before Axel could even take it.

Dad, the oblivious one, took his hand and helped him out.

"Dad?" I shut the door behind me. "Why don't you take Axel to where you do your barbecues?" my hands jazzed at the word barbecues.

"Where you do?" his hands jazzed, copying me. "Pumpkin, I think you meant grill."

"Yeah, whatever."

He sighed, disappointed at my barbecue sacrilege, "Come on, Axel," he placed his hand just below Axel's nape and patted it, "I'll show you."

"Thanks, Daaaad," I smiled toothily.

Dad led him downstairs, but as they turned the staircase, Axel looked at me, eyes begging for rescue. I gave him two encouraging thumbs up then as soon as they were out of sight, I turned to open my old room.

"Come on," I grabbed Hailey by the arm. "Help me out."

"Whoa!" She scanned the room as I locked the door. "It's like I traveled back through time. I totally forgot you were so obsessed with him. Does he know?"

My horrified look was enough to answer.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Help me take these down," I grabbed a poster on top of the bed and ripped it off the wall. Hailey did the same and in record time, the walls of my old room were devoid of any Axel James merch but were now laying on a heap of garbage on the floor.

"Now, what? Do you have a box in your closet or something?"

"I don't think so," I opened my closet and saw more merch from his old TV show, "God!" I yelped.

"What?" She craned her head by my side, "Holy crap."

A knock on the door caught our attention. "Babe?" a voice called, Axel's without a doubt. I heard the doorknob twist and turn, "Why is this locked? Babe? Are you okay?"

Hailey and I looked at each other with frantic eyes. "Quick!" She grabbed a handful of trash on the floor, "Open the window."

I opened the window without hesitation. I'll pick it up from the side of the yard later.

"Just a second, babe!" I called out and picked up as much as I can from the pile.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes!" I threw them out the window.

"Are you sure? You don't sound okay. Is Hailey with you?"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be right out!" Hailey replied as she threw some more stuff out the window.

"What is that sound?" He wondered aloud.

Hailey's bulging eyes met mine, "Open the door!" she whispered.

"What? No. We're not finished yet."

"Well, do something. Go out, distract him, whatever."

"How do you suppose I distract him, huh?"

"I don't know what you guys do! Kiss him, I guess?"

My mouth parted in surprise.

"What?" she challenged. "It's not like you two don't make out like teenagers."

"Hailey!"

"I saw you."

Huh, this is an opportunity for her to confess. I raised my head, "Where?"

She rolled her eyes in defeat, "Fine. I saw you in the movies."

"What?" I acted the innocent.

"The tickets I gave you for the movies weren't really for me and Josh if you haven't figured out yet. I got it for you and Axel."

"What do you mean?"

"I meant I was there too. That's why I saw you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Well," she pursed her lips shut. "You knew I was skeptical of your relationship from the beginning."

"Babe?" Axel knocked again.

"Go!" she pushed me towards the door. "Shut him up."

Fuck my life.

I opened the door just a few inches then used my body to cover the inside, squeezing myself to get out without him seeing anything inside.

"Are you okay? What's happening?" The concern in his voice was overwhelming.

"Nothing, everything's great."

"Well, can I see your old room?" his lower lip jutting out in excitement. He was about to open the door but I stopped him. Our hands overlap on the doorknob. His gaze shot at our hands, I glanced at it too before looking at his face, only to find him now staring at me. He moved closer then suddenly his lips were on mine. I was about to protest, but he pulled me closer by the waist, melting all my power to wiggle out of his grasp, giving in to the passion of his tender kiss. We seemed to have lost our other senses because we were only brought back by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

I broke away from the kiss. Wiping my mouth, I saw Hailey right beside us, twisting the doorknob close.

"Hailey," Axel cleared his throat. "Josh is downstairs."

"Right," she pointed using finger guns then put her hands immediately in her pockets as soon as she realized. "I'll go downstairs."

"Yeah," I nodded but my eyes were on the floor as she walked away.

"About that," Axel started.

"Let's not."

I could feel his eyes on me even when I was staring at the floor. I dared to look up, and no doubt, I was right: he was staring at me. He didn't say a word, and neither did I, but we stood there in the hallway basking in the soft light of the sunset coming in from the window, lost in each other's presence. It's an odd feeling brewing inside me that I can't quite comprehend, much less explain. All I could think was how I could liken him to a metal – shiny and new and appealing. And I'm a magnet coming close but never enough to stick, always resisting the pull, never letting it happen.

"Laurie! Come on down, dinner's ready!"

My head would usually snap in attention, but not this time. I don't understand myself. It feels like I'm in a trance that I can't take my eyes off of him. Has he bewitched me? I don't believe he has access to that. He kept his eyes on me, seemingly trapped in the same vortex as me, unmoving, unyielding. His throat bobbed up and down, and it got me thinking what's going on inside his head?

"Laurie?" my dad yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

A breeze blew softly on my face, washing away whatever spell we were on. "We'll be right down!"

"Alright," a slap on the banister indicated my dad's nonchalance.

A few seconds passed and I'm still trying to calm my nerves. "Why don't you go ahead? I'll come right down."

The minute movement of his brows indicated that he was surprised but he did his best to hide it. "Okay."

I watched his back as he walked down the stairs. Alone in the darkening hallway with my head both full and empty of thought at the same time. I questioned how this was happening. Why am I suddenly stunned? This can't happen. This shouldn't happen.