My Best Friend's Brother

19

I was sitting with Axel on my bed, it was early October so the weather was cool but not unbearable, my window was open and a breeze blew around the room. It rustled our papers as we did homework on opposite sides of the bed. I sat against my pillows by he laid against my footboard. We had soft music playing from my laptop that was near me, we were both so focused.

That was, until something came flying through my window. We both looked up and saw a small pink bear sitting on my bed. It looked like a miniature version of the one Collins won me.

I was completely over Collins now, of course I loved him and probably always will, he was my first love and that would always hold a special spot in my heart but I was with Axel now. We've been dating since a few weeks ago when he finally asked me to be his girlfriend.

We were a very different couple than Collins and I were, Collins and I were a popular couple. The ones that people tag in couple goals posts, the ones that everyone is obsessed with. We rarely fought, we were passionate, and always in the honeymoon stage. I always had butterflies and my heart would pound.

But with Axel I'm calm, he keeps me tranquil, he's badass and tough but knows how to connect with his emotions. We didn't show much PDA but enough to make us both happy, people didn't know all about our relationship and that's the way we preferred it.

I grabbed the bear and looked out the window, no one was in sight. I looked back at the bear and saw a note wrapped around it's neck with string.

'Go To The Front Door'

That was all the note said in pretty blue cursive. I showed it to Axel and we both walked to the front door, I opened the door and Axel leaned against it and kept it open as I stepped out onto the porch, I looked around and saw Collins sitting on the bench we kept by the door.

He sprung to his feet when he saw me. He was at an angle so he didn't see Axel standing a few feet behind me. "Nadia, you look...beautiful." He said as he stared at me in a daze, "What are you doing here Collins? I thought you were in Ohio?" I asked, "I'm on break, decided I'd come back and try to woo you back." He said and I'll admit, hearing him say those words woke up the butterflies in my stomach and my heart skipped a beat.

Then I remembered Axel behind me, my body didn't know what to do, butterflies were swarming my stomach but the rest of my body was calm. I stayed silent for a long time while Collins looked at me pleadingly, "I'm sorry Collins, I've moved on. You should too." I said and I looked back at Axel, he stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder, his thumb rubbed crook of my neck and my body melted into him.

"Him? You choose him as your rebound?" Collins asked in disbelief and Axel's thumb stopped moving and my body went rigid. My initial reaction was to scream and defend my relationship but my conscious knew better, "Goodnight Collins, give this to a special girl someday." I said as I handed him the fluffy bear and stepped back.

He stood in front of the door now, he looked drained of all emotion except sadness and despair as I closed the door gently. I laid my forehead against the cool vinyl of the door. I took a few deep breaths and Axel pushed all my hair to one side of my neck and gently kissed the exposed skin.

I lifted my head and shrugged him off, I walked over to the window and saw Collins starting to walk down the porch steps and walk away. His shoulders were slumped and he walked as if he had weights on his feet.

I turned and saw Axel standing further away from me now, obviously just trying to give me some space. I stood there in silence for a few moments before walking towards him and taking his hand in mine and leading him back to my room where we sat down and continued doing homework with the soft music engulfing us again.

I looked up at Axel to see him deep in thought about some math problem so I looked around my room and saw the little remnants of Collins still in my room.

Memories flooded me.

Collins and I cuddling on the bed watching movies until the sun came up. Taking steamy showers together when my mom wasn't home. His hoodies 'accidentally' left in my room which I would wear relentlessly until they lost his smell.

Pictures of us were still in my night stand, memories of us popped up in my Snapchat, I still looked at the archived photos of us on Instagram.

"Hey, babe? What's 14 to the second power?" I heard Axel ask which snapped me out of my thoughts, I looked over at him to see him still staring at the same problem.

"196." I said and he thanked me as I quietly sighed and got back to work.

I just hope I'm not making the wrong choice by staying with Axel.