Axel

11

I S A B E L L A

Tears blur my vision and my body shakes as i grab a cloth from the nearest table and rub at my chest.

My chest stung from the piping hot liquid that was thrown at me, and i rubbed as hard i can to get rid of the feeling. The fabric felt like it was scratching at my skin but i needed to get rid of the burning.

Abby brang a hand over her mouth and laughed into it, but was cut off when a strong hand grabs her upper arm.

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve." Axel spat, pulling her into him harshly by the arm.

"What-" Abby stumbles over her words a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"Get the fuck out." Axel's voice was calm but his eyes and expression was dark and angry.

He yanks her out of the cafe by the arm and slams the door behind after. Abby stood there, no longer laughing and only staring with her jaw hanging to the floor.

I let out a sob, the hot coffee was now off my chest but the stinging feeling still remained there and i couldn't stop rubbing.

A pair of warm hands softly grasp mine stopping me from the rubbing and i let out another uncontrollable sob.

I recognised the tattoos and found myself face to face with Axel as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"You're hurting yourself more." He whispered, pulling my hands to his chest to stop me. I look down at my chest, where a big bright red patch laid. Then i looked down at my dress.

My mother's dress was ruined, there was a brown stain on the front of it. This dress meant the world to me, my mother loved this dress, i loved this dress.

Another sob escapes my lips, and i feel not in control of my body. The more i try to stop crying the more it comes out.

"Shh, it's okay." Axel has bent down to eye level with me, trying to calm me down. One of his hands let go of my hands to bring it up to the side of my neck. His fingers rub gentle circles onto my skin as my lips tremble.

I look into his eyes; slate outer rings with teal all the way to black, those blue eyes fixed me in the best ways. One glance of those eyes told of a lifetime of struggle that had never been put into words.

"What the fuck happened!" Lucy appears, Axel's hot chocolate in her hand. I look around the cafe, to realise everyone was now staring and have seen the scene that just happened. They have stopped eating and drinking, the queue waiting for their order was looking at us and i felt the urge to say sorry.

I look back at Axel and Lucy who are having their own conversation. Their voices and the background sounds are muffled and i focus on the veins pulsing out of Axel's neck and his adam's apple moving up and down as he spoke. Lucy tries to hand Axel's hot chocolate to him but he declines and looks back at me.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Axel asks his eyes scanning my face, Lucy only nods and runs off.

Another tear rolls down my cheek, and i almost scoff at the fact I'm still crying. I need to stop crying. Im pathetic. So, i swallow down the pain, eat it up into my belly and wear a passive face, a tentative smile and act meek.