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“See you in class,” Sophie said. “I’ve had enough of a bad girl vibe for a while after the baby powder thing. I want to be early. Mr. Halifax definitely likes good girls.” She hurried off.

Liam shook his head. “She’s totally going to get him fired.”

“Do you think my dad will go ballistic when Sophie finally screws him?” RJ asked.

We all looked at each other and laughed.

Uncle Rob? Ballistic? Not possible.

“See you guys at lunch,” Jacob said. He turned to Axel. “You coming?”

They had their first class together.

“I’ll catch up in a minute,” Axel said.

Jacob nodded and he, Liam, and RJ walked off.

I grabbed the rest of my books and closed my locker.

“Your dad’s not really following us to college, is he?” Axel asked.

“He can’t,” I said. “Liam will still be going to school here. He’s just messing with my head for some reason.”

“I hope you’re right. I’m really looking forward to having you all to myself.”

I felt my cheeks flush. “Me too. But we should get to class. We have to do everything by the book to make sure we both get accepted to the University of New Castle. No more ditching. No more showing up drunk and high. Get to class.” I lightly slapped Axel’s butt.

He laughed and I hurried off.

But I only made it a few steps before he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the janitor’s closet. Just like old times.

The smell of lemon scented cleaning supplies did something to me after the first time we’d been in here together.

“I only ditched when the pain was too much to bear,” Axel whispered in the darkness. He cupped the side of my face. His thumb brushing along my cheek bone.

“The pain?”

“Of you not being mine.”

Oh, Axel. “I didn’t know that.”

“All the soup in the world can’t fix a broken heart. But I did appreciate it.”

I smiled. But I realized he couldn’t see it in the darkness. “And I will confess that there is no such thing as friendship soup. I sent you that soup because I was so unrequitedly in love with you.”

“It was never unrequited, baby.”

“I know that now.” I put my hand on his chest. “But we really need to get to class, Axel. I’m serious about being good the rest of the year.”

“But it’s so much more fun to be bad, Bonnie.”

I laughed. “You are so much trouble, Clyde.”

“Baby, I saw the way you pressed your thighs together when Sophie was talking about fucking the mascot.”

“I didn’t...”

“You did. And I know exactly what first I want to steal next.” He grabbed my ass, lifting my legs around his waist. He stepped forward and slammed my back against the wall.