AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He's at my side in an instant, his hand on my elbow. "We need to talk," he says, his voice low and urgent.
I nod, allowing him to guide me away from the bar and into a quiet hallway. The moment we're alone, he rounds on me, his eyes searching mine.
"What the hell was that?" he demands.
I blink, taken aback by his intensity. "What was what?"
"You know what," he says, his voice tight. "That guy, the way he was all over you."
I scoff, pulling my arm from his grasp. "He wasn't all over me. We were just talking."
"Right," Axel says, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just talking. With his hand on you."
I stare at him, incredulous. "Are you serious right now? He barely touched me. And even if he did, so what? It's not like it's any of your business. I thought we were pretending.”
His eyes flash, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "It is my business. I'm here to protect you, remember?"
"Protect me from what?" I snap, my own temper rising. "From having a conversation with a colleague? From living my life?"
"From putting yourself in danger," he fires back. "From being reckless and naive."
His words hit me like a slap, stinging and sharp. I reel back, my eyes widening. "Naive? Is that what you think of me?"
He sighs, running a hand over his face. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" I ask, my voice shaking. "Because from where I'm standing, it sounds like you don't trust me to take care of myself. Like you think I'm some helpless damsel who needs you to swoop in and save her."
"That's not it," he says, but there's a hesitation in his voice that speaks volumes.
I shake my head, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "You know what? Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe we're just too different now."
His eyes widen, a flash of something raw and vulnerable crossing his face. "Sasha..."
But I'm already turning away, my heart cracking in my chest. "I need some air," I mutter, pushing past him and out into the night.
As I flee the party, the cool night air hits me like a balm, soothing my flushed skin. But it does nothing to ease the ache in my chest, the swirling mess of emotions that Axel's words have stirred up.
I find myself in the garden, a secluded oasis away from the glitz and glamor of the party. I sink onto a bench, my head in my hands, and let the tears come.
I'm not sure how long I sit there, lost in my own thoughts, before I feel a presence beside me. I look up, my vision blurred by tears, to see Axel standing there, his expression pained.
"I'm sorry," he says softly, the words seeming to cost him. "I didn't mean to upset you."
I wipe my eyes, sniffling. "But you did. You act like I'm some fragile thing that needs to be protected. But I'm not. I'm strong, Axel. I've had to be."
He sits beside me, his elbows on his knees. "I know you are. It's just... seeing you with that guy, it brought up some old feelings. Some old fears."
I look at him, my heart clenching. "What do you mean?"
He sighs, his eyes distant. "I am always scared of losing you like the way I lost my team. Of not being enough for you. And seeing you tonight, so confident and beautiful and in your element... it just reminded me of how much I stand to lose."
His words steal my breath, a revelation that shakes me to my core. "Axel..."
He turns to me, his gaze intense. "I know I have no right to feel this way. I know we're not together. But damn it, Sasha, I can't help it. I look at you and I..."
He trails off, his eyes searching mine. And at this moment, I see it. The vulnerability, the longing, the fear. All the things he's been trying so hard to hide.
I reach for him, taking one of his hands in mine. "I'm scared too," I whisper. "Of letting you in again. Of getting hurt. Of you leaving again.”
