Ring of Love

Hints and Games

Ally's pov:

"So, is there something you would like to admit or are you going to make me say it?" I tease Axel once I finally get him alone in an emptier part of the room.

After dancing with Dylan and Zoe, for what must have been a little over an hour, I find myself breathing hard and in need of a drink.

I didn't even take one step off the dance floor when Axel came out of nowhere, shoving a water bottle in my hand.

The sudden action made me wonder if he was doing it to sober me up, or because I look so badly out of shape that it was that obvious I was dry heaving to catch air.

I am going to hope that it isn't the second one because it might just be the reality check I need to actually start working out for once in my life instead of binging on a sleeve of double-stuf Oreos.

It doesn't help that Axel is fit as hell, which makes me look ten times worse standing next to him.

One of Axel's eyebrows raises as he looks at me in question, not understanding where I was getting at.

After that small chat with Dylan, where he admitted that there's some campus-wide, off-hands rule going on that the boys started this past week, I've been thinking about it nonstop.

I find it cute, that the boys would do something like that. It's so in character for Axel, that I didn't even doubt that he was the one who started it in the first place.

He mentioned countless times before that he is protective over his friends, and if that isn't the most endearing thing to hear from a man, then I don't know what is.

"I don't know what you're talking about," He answers, his head tilting to the side like it always does when he doesn't understand something.

It's the little things he does that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Do you want a hint?" I ask playfully, which causes him to nod his head slowly, as if he was cautious about what I was trying to do.

He should be cautious, because I don't plan on letting him off easy. Even though I'm not mad, I don't think I can stop myself from teasing him about it to get a reaction.

In one single motion, I gesture down to my outfit, and I don't miss the way his eyes travel down the length of my body when doing so.

"Why haven't I had any dance partners tonight?" I ask innocently once his bright, blue eyes find mine again, and I can tell he still hasn't connected the dots that Dylan shared their little secret.

Axel must have a lot more faith in Dylan that he wouldn't spill the beans than I thought, because he looks genuinely puzzled about what I was trying to get at.

"I'm sure having Dylan there gave them the clear sense to stay away. Why, did you want a dance partner?" He asks, and the way he asks that question so naively made me want to drop the whole thing all together and take him up on his potential offer to bring him to the dance floor with me.

I'm weak for this man, and if he hasn't caught on to it by now, I don't know if he ever will.

A giggle slips my mouth as I answer, "If you're offering to dance with me, you should have mentioned it earlier before I got sweaty and gross."

He laughs, before reaching out and moving a strand of hair out of my face, "You're not sweaty and gross."

I give him my best Are you joking look, and I'm not surprised to get an I'm serious look in return.

He's way too good for my ego, that's for sure.

"I look like I just ran a marathon. In over 100 degrees weather. Backwards." I say in a serious tone, fanning myself with my hand to exaggerate my case.