The Distance Between Us

Chapter 8: Finish What You Start

Chapter 8: Finish What You Start

I was intent on finishing that conversation with Axel. When the day ended, I was considering waiting at his car but I was quickly relieved that I didn't when I saw him leave school with Victoria on his arm. I, on the other hand, was waiting for my mom. I'd texted her in last period asking when she was going to arrive but I didn't get a response. I had a feeling she forgot about me and was doing something she could do any other time, like grocery shopping or doing laundry.

"Do you need a ride?" Axel's voice asked as he pulled up beside me in his car. Victoria was sitting in the front passenger's seat, looking annoyed.

I glanced at my phone, noting that my mother hasn't responded to my texts in an hour. I realized that if I go with him, he'll drop Victoria off first and we could finish our conversation on the drive to my house. "Yeah," I responded, a bit too cheerful. Victoria snapped her head around to look at me and I offered her a smirk, which I tried to pull off as a friendly smile.

I pulled open the back door and got in, slamming it shut behind me, making sure to shake the car so that Victoria's face would bounce against the window. She removed her head from the glass, holding it with a look of annoyance written across her face. I buckled my seatbelt, sitting directly behind the evil girlfriend. I propped my legs up so my knees were drilling into the back of her seat, watching as she repeatedly adjusted herself.

"Can you get your legs off my seat?" she snapped once we were fifteen minutes from the school.

"Sure," I responded cheerily before placing my book bag on my knees, allowing it to rest against the back of her seat. This earned a frustrated groan from her and a quiet chuckle from Axel.

"It's not funny!" she snapped. Axel bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh. As we continued driving, she looked out the window. "Why are you dropping me off first?"

"Because you're closer," Axel answered as if it was obvious.

"How far is her house?" she retorted.

"From here? About forty five minutes," he replied, earning a scoff from Victoria.

We continued driving, pulling up to a cute blue house with wind chimes decorating the portico along with a porch swing. If you were to just drive past, you wouldn't guess that its home to the devil and her family. Already anticipating her actions, I looked down at my phone as the sound of kissing filled the car. I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach and I repressed the urge to sigh. I simply scrolled through my messages, responding to my friends as slowly as I could; waiting for their make out session to come to an end. The kissing noise stopped and I waited for her to get out of the car.

"I love you," she announced and my head snapped up. It seemed as if Axel was just as shocked as I was. Victoria didn't catch on to his surprise as she shut the door and walked towards her house. I got out of the car and slipped into the front seat, looking at Axel as he stared at the steering wheel in some kind of trance.

"So I guess that's a new thing," I mumbled as he slowly took off down the street. He nodded in response and I looked out the window. "And you didn't say it back."

"I didn't," he agreed with me, turning down the street.

"Do you love her?" I questioned, genuinely curious. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the answer. But then again, why wouldn't I be?

He opened his mouth to speak before closing it. "I don't think I do," he confessed.

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief course through my chest. I stared at him and he looked like the world was falling apart around him. "That's okay, you know? To not love her back, I mean. Some people's feelings develop faster than others. I'm sure she'll understand. Just don't beat yourself up about it. And definitely don't say you love her if you don't, because that's bound to get you into trouble."