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I knocked lightly, and his movements stilled. When he turned, his brows drew together, his lips parting in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, gripping the towel in his hands and wringing it once.

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. But before I could answer, he added, “Did you come by to set me up again?”

The sting of his words hit deep, laced with something bitter—anger, maybe even embarrassment.

I cringed, swallowing my pride. “No. And I’m sorry about that…” I admitted, stopping in front of him. Crossing my arms over my chest, I let out a slow sigh. “I was bitter. It wasn’t my best moment.”

Axel studied me for a beat, then, to my surprise, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, no shit. But don’t worry, I got over it. My ego only took a minor hit.”

Relief flooded through me, making this conversation feel a little more possible.

“Look,” I began, bracing myself. “I wanted to talk about what you saw in the kitchen the other day—”

Axel held up a hand, cutting me off.

Leaning against the steel counter, he crossed one ankle over the other and slung a towel over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “I’m gonna stop you right there,” he said, voice even. “You don’t have to explain anything.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head.

“If you two have something going on, it’s none of my business.”

I wanted to deny it. To tell him he was wrong, that there was nothing between Colton and me, but I couldn’t. Not anymore. Maybe the denial wasn’t even for other people anymore—maybe it was for me.

Axel took a step closer, his broad frame towering over mine. Once, that used to affect me. Now it didn’t. Not the way it used to. Those feelings, the ones I had carried for Axel, were gone. They belonged to someone else now.

To Colton.

“Eleanor,” Axel said softly, the edges of his lips quirking upward. “We may not have worked out, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be happy.”

Taking a deep breath, I let go of the tension I’d been holding in my chest. “I know how it looks, you walking in to see Colton and me so close. I didn’t want you to…use it against him.”

My gaze stayed on Axel as he furrowed his brows, like he’d been pained by my comment.

“You think I’d want to ruin you? Or him? That isn’t me. Whatever is going on, truly, it is none of my business.”

I exhaled, my shoulders sagging in relief. The weight of the tension easing a little more.

Seeing him that day in the kitchen after months of no contact had pushed me into fight or flight mode. When I heard Tawnie say his name, my first reaction was to bash him in a way to protect my own peace.

“Thanks,” I murmured, offering a small smile. “I want the same for you, too.”

Axel rubbed the back of his neck and then sighed. “I should’ve never said what I did about our relationship, claiming you didn’t love me. That was dumb. And hurtful.”

His admission caught me off guard. My head tilted slightly as I studied him, looking for sincerity.

He’d never apologized for that before. And it had hurt. More than I let on. My word was the one thing I prided myself on, and for him to doubt it—that had been a low blow.

“You were looking for something else. Someone different,” I said, my voice softer now. “And that’s fine.”

Axel nodded. “It doesn’t justify the way I made you feel. I’m sorry for that.”

I sighed. “And I’m sorry, too. Seeing you made me feel angry. The stunt with Colton was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so…” I trailed off, searching for the right word. I’d reacted in a way that wasn’t me.

“Irrational? Spiteful? Ornery?” he teased, arching a brow.

I laughed, shoving his shoulder playfully. He grinned, rubbing the spot where I’d made contact.