Saving Us ✔

10.

I can hear my phone ringing, but I choose to ignore it so that I can stay in my cozy, warm position and continue to sleep. I can feel the bed shift from under me and I suddenly remember that the reason I'm so cozy right now is because I am cuddled up to Axel, my body wrapped around his in a way that makes my face heat up.

Axel nudges me and I reluctantly open my eyes to answer my phone. Katie's name shows on the caller ID and I yawn as rub my eyes and answer her call, "Hello?"

I stretch out on the bed, aware of my legs still tangled with Axel's, and aware of his eyes wandering over me as I listen to Katie talk about a hike at the state park.

"So are you in?" She asks.

"Yeah sure, sounds fun. I'll see you in an hour " I'm just about to end the call when I realize that Axel's hand is resting on my bare knee.

With everything that has happened in the past twenty four hours, I feel like I'm close to getting more than a friendship with Axel. I feel things with Axel that I didn't know were possible, like the calm and rightness of having him in my bed, the feel of his hand right now, and the way my heart skips when he gives me that lazy smile.

"Actually, is it okay if I bring a friend?"

"Is it a boy? If it's a boy, then heck yeah, bring a friend." Katie is still talking when I hit the end call button.

I look over at Axel, who has his brow raised in question. Instead of answering his silent question though, I get out of the bed, immediately missing the feel of his skin on mine as I do so, and I stretch.

I can feel his eyes on me as I stretch, causing my shirt to raise and expose my stomach. Slowly, I turn around and watch as his eyes dart away from me. "Get up, Ax. We're going hiking."

"Okay."

I hadn't expected him to agree so quickly, but then again I hadn't been expecting a lot of things that have been happening with him lately.

He rolls over and gets out of my bed, pulls on his shoes and is out the door, calling "I'll be back in twenty" all while I am still processing that he had just agreed to hang out with me and my friends.

While Axel is gone, I take a quick shower and put on some comfortable clothes before heading downstairs in search of some water bottles for the two of us.

I keep thinking about last night while I open cabinets and search for my usual hiking bottle. I keep thinking about the way that we slept cuddled together, the way Axel was so worried about me after everything with Jackson, the way that he looked me up and down, the way his he looked after he woke up...

I am so engrossed by my thoughts that I don't hear Axel come back in until he pulls out a chair from the kitchen table. 

"So who are we hiking with?"

I know that Axel doesn't know any of my friends, but they all know of him. Axel's reputation is no secret around town, and I hope that my friends are smart enough to not comment on it or make this awkward. "Just some of my friends. Becca, Ryan, Katie, and Josh."

I toss Axel one of the water bottles I had just filled as a car pulls into my driveway. 

"Ready?" I ask, hoping he doesn't take this as his opportunity to back out. 

"Ready." 

The two of us get into the back of Becca's SUV and she immediately turns towards us, raising her brow at me. 

I guess Katie didn't tell her I was bringing someone. 

"So McKenna, who's this?" She asks as she raises her sunglasses to take a good look at Axel.