Axel's Daisy

9 • Axel

Truth be told, I didn't listen to the story.

I heard bits and pieces about how she had found this place a year ago when she was struggling with a competition. She had placed second, and on her way, she had spotted the café near the fields, explored it, and made it her own.

"It was just an empty lot," she murmured, "but I turned it into my secret place. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this place." She ordered as she tilted her head to wait for my answer, her hair falling over her forehead.

"I promise," I said.

Her hair annoyed me as it flopped down to cover her eyes from the wind. My calloused fingers ran through her hair as I gently pushed it back and brushed the remaining strands behind her ear.

"Thank you," she squeaked with deep red cheeks. She tried to act like nothing had happened and continued, "So... um, what is your favorite music?"

"That's easy—Ed Sheeran songs." That caught her by surprise; her eyebrows shot up, and she held back a smug grin. I playfully glared at her, and she chuckled. "What about you, Daisy?"

The blossoms in her cheeks tinted even more at the nickname I gave her, reminding her of the reason for it. I grinned at the way her smile played on her heart-shaped face.

"I really like John Legend's songs. I think he has such pure talent; you can feel his emotions through his lyrics," she passionately explained, her eyes gleaming energetically with their honey-like color as she brushed her hair off again.

"Why do you like plants so much?" I blurted out. She didn't take it as offensive; her fingers trailed on the sand beneath us.

"I just remember my mom a lot. I feel like I don't want to forget her, and plants remind me so much of her," she confessed. I felt like an asshole for making her feel bad.

So, I pulled a "bad boy" move and plucked a lilac to place behind her ear. She giggled with a quizzical stare at me.

"Quit moving; I want to put it on you," I told her, but she did the opposite with a cheeky smile. The sun faded into the distance as the afternoon wore on.

I finally managed to place it behind her ear when she opened her eyes.

"Can I take a picture?" I asked, wanting to hold onto this happy memory.

She nodded shyly, and I grabbed my phone to take a picture, but the text message I saw made my blood run cold.

"I am marrying Scott, and there is nothing you can do about it."

The cold feeling in the pit of my stomach made me stand up and throw my phone far among the peonies. She was going to marry another man because she was thinking only of herself.

Sometimes, I wished it had been dad who had stayed alive.

Arms wrapped around my waist, making me look down into her saffron irises as her bottom lip quivered.

"Is—is everything okay?" She hesitantly asked. She was the only one who felt real to me as her fingers touched the side of my cheek, and I didn't recognize my own tears.

"You can cry on my shoulder," she consoled, but instead, I was jolted back to reality as I backed off and stomped out in a fit of rage.

I saw red everywhere as I furiously got into my car and sped home.

How could she move on like that? How could she be so selfish as to use our house for her rebounds?

I wouldn't let that happen. Over my dead body.

The thoughts in my head worsened by the minute as I hit the steering wheel, swerving through traffic while ignoring the honks and middle fingers.

I slammed on the brakes, got out of the car, and almost knocked the door down.

"Axel, calm down—listen, just calm down." She saw the state I was in but didn't bother to listen to my feelings when that douchebag behind her appeared with a victorious smile.

I ignored them both as I went up to my room, pulled out my travel bag, and shoved everything inside. Mom came into my room with tears in her eyes, but I wasn't a fan of crocodile tears. I packed frames with memories of me and dad, his oldest jersey and medal, and my lucky golden ball on top of the piled clothes.

"I will live on my own, and you can go marry whoever you want. But know this," I came closer to her, my eyes flashing dangerously at hers, "you never deserved dad." Each word was a dagger to her heart, but she hadn't been honest with me when she was caught between someone else's head.

"When will you let him go?"

I laughed bitterly. "Like you already did? You know what, mom, you can lie to yourself all you want, but you can't fool me."

"You can't leave like this."

She touched my arm, and it took everything in me not to push her away as my body shivered. She felt it too when she released my arm.

"Watch me."

    With that, I left mom with a medium-sized travel bag and a void in my heart.