Axel

Chapter 13

Maya

I smile at the post box, having just deposited my latest letter to Joe. As usual, I can barely wait for his reply already, even though I know it'll be a day or two before he even receives the letter I just slotted into that box. 

Sad? Yes. But who cares. Writing to Joe makes me happy, so I'll go with that. 

I turn on my heel and head back the way I just came, towards campus. No car today, because I'm quickly falling out of love with my jeep. The check engine light came on this morning and I really just cannot deal with that right now. Fall is well and truly upon us, so I'm wrapped up warm in neutral tones, but it's a nice enough day besides the declining temperature. The walk will do me good.

I have some books due back soon, so I hit the NBU library first. My last class of the day is in around an hour, so I plan to sit at a nice secluded desk in the library and get some work done. 

But my plans don't always work out, and today is no exception when I approach the stone steps outside the library building and see Zak standing talking to someone. My boyfriend. Yeah, he's my boyfriend. I can't just smile and wave before walking by. I have to stop and talk to him. So, I do.

"Hey, Zak." I walk towards them, smiling as I look between him and the redhead he's chatting away to. She's very pretty, and she looks a little shy when her eyes take me in. I wonder if this is Fallon. 

"Maya, hey." Zak greets me warmly, but he doesn't make a move to touch me like he usually would. Oh, yeah. This is totally his girl. "Uh, I don't know if you know Fallon?"

Yup, nailed it. 

"No, hi." I give her my best smile, even if she does look increasingly sheepish in my presence. She says hello to me anyway, and I know she knows Zak and I are a couple. I can also tell by how awkwardly she's behaving that the feeling is mutual between them. She likes Zak, same way he likes her. 

"I have class soon, I better get going." I smile between the two of them again, being sure to stay out of Izaak's orbit; we don't need to touch each other or act like a couple in front of this girl. And if Zak hasn't already made the decision, I'm gonna make it for him; we need to break up. I am not keeping him from a potential real romantic situation. He deserves to be truly happy, and if Fallon can do that for him, I refuse to get in the way. I'll talk to him about it later. 

"Trouble in paradise?" 

I jump at the low voice hitting me right in the ear, turning at the top of the steps to see none other than Axel standing right next to me. Where the hell did he come from?

"Leave me alone." I mumble as I push away from him, headed for the double doors in front of me. He follows, much to my annoyance.

"Is that any way to talk to the guy that fixed your car up for you?" He asks sarcastically. 

"I'd hardly class switching out a light bulb as fixing my car up." I grumble in annoyance. Why am I entertaining him? I should just ignore his ass and move along. 

"You and Zak still a thing?" He asks, and I stop walking just inside the library entrance, whipping around to glare at him. I don't need him following me inside, so if he's gonna keep talking to me, we can do this right here.

"Yes, not that it's any of your business." I frown at him, unsettled by his appearance. The boy looks too god damn fine in designer labels. My Alex never wore these types of clothes; and I hate how much I like it on Axel. 

"Could have fooled me. He seems more taken with the foxy red head he's been flirting with out there for the past half hour." He leans his weight against the back of the door, smirking down at me like he knows some big joke that I don't, and one of these days the joke will be on me. So arrogant. So full of it. So fucking unwelcome.