Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 81

KATE 

The school day finally came to an end and I rushed out to meet Axel in the parking lot. I was still slightly sweaty from gym class, but he, thankfully, didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, beautiful," he said, kissing my cheek.

I felt my cheeks flush pink from the gesture and bent over in the seat to adjust my backpack at my feet. Suddenly, I felt his hand rest against my back and his fingers began tracing the curve of my spine. I gasped at the feeling of his fingers that had begun to cause goosebumps to erupt all over my skin.

"Where are you going to take me?" I asked him curiously and he retracted his hand, handing me his phone.

"Remember when I told you what my favorite date of ours was?" He asked me, his eyes shining happily.

"Um, yeah, why?" I asked, settling on a song and pressing play.

"Want to re-live it?" He replied, smirking.

I felt my throat go dry at the thought of what could happen this time that could possibly be better than the last time.

Realizing that I hadn't answered his question, I nodded weakly, making the smile on his face stretch wider. He pulled out of the parking lot of my school, the song I'd chosen to play blaring softly through his car speakers.

Once we reached the mall, and since it was still daytime, Axel took me inside to Barnes & Noble. We took the escalator to the top floor, and thankfully, it was just as empty as it had been before. He took me to the couch, pulling me against his side.

"What if someone catches us?" I whispered to him but he just shook his head and pressed his lips against mine.

Feeling my hesitation flee away, I wrapped an arm around his neck, attempting to pull him closer. He shifted so that he felt more comfortable and kissed me harder, his mouth slanting hungrily against mine. Feeling out of breath, I removed my mouth from his and pressed my forehead against his, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes, breathing just as hard.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap, before wrapping his other arm around me as well, pressing me against his chest. I felt his lips press against the top of my head and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

"Want to continue our game?" He asked me, trailing his hands up and down my back.

"Yeah," I muttered into his chest.

He chuckled and pressed another kiss against the top of my head. "It's your turn, babe."

I lifted my head up from his chest, his dark eyes meeting mine. "Okay, what's your favorite color?"

He chuckled. "It's blue."

I smiled. "Mine too. Your turn."

He hummed in thought, his fingers still tracing circles over the soft material of my hoodie. "What's your favorite thing about me? Tell me yours and I'll tell you my favorite thing about you."

I pressed my hands against his chest, sitting up straighter, making him shift underneath me. "Okay, I like that I can be myself around you. Like I'm a generally quiet person, but you don't seem to mind it. You almost seem to like it."

He kissed my forehead. "I do," he stated, sounding serious. "And my favorite thing about you is that you're different than most girls. Like, you didn't throw yourself at me when we first met, you don't wear super slutty clothes, and you seem comfortable in your own skin. Most girls these days are always trying to be somebody else, but you're not. I love that about you."

Love. The word had flowed from his mouth so easily and when I looked up into his eyes I could see that he was serious.

"It's your turn, Katie," he said, kissing my nose.

"Oh, right," I said, blushing from his unexpected gesture. "Did you mean what you texted me the other day?"

He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "What did I say?"

Not being able to say it, I just replied, "You know, your confession."

His eyes widened in realization once he remembered what he'd said, but his expression softened when his eyes met mine. "Yes, I meant it. The question is, Katie, did you mean it when you said it back?"

I nodded. "Of course," I replied, but inside, I wasn't totally sure.