AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I take a deep breath to steady myself as I hit send on the RSVP. There’s no going back now. In just a few short weeks, I’ll be face to face with Axel again.
My heart flutters at the thought. I haven’t seen him since that quick drink at the bar. Will I still feel that magnetic pull between us after our time apart?
A flood of memories rushes through me. Axel’s big arms wrapped around my body, his breath fanning my neck. The scratch of his stubble as he kissed a line down my stomach, lower and lower…
I bite my lip, heat flooding my cheeks. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. I wanted a clean break, a fresh start. But one look from those piercing blue eyes and I may turn to putty in his hands.
Can I trust myself around him? Can I resist the urge to run my fingers through his thick salt and pepper hair, to feel his big, strong body press against mine?
I take a shaky breath. It doesn’t matter. I’ve made my choice.
I close my eyes, remembering the thrill of our secret meetings. The way we’d sneak off campus to Axel’s car, hearts racing with anticipation. How we lost ourselves in each other.
Axel’s hands seemed to be everywhere all at once - tangled in my hair, gripping my hips, sliding up my thighs. His kisses left me dizzy and breathless. I’d emerge from his backseat flushed and disheveled, floating through the rest of the day in a hormone-induced haze.
We’d steal kisses between classes, his body pressing mine against the lockers. Just the brush of his lips ignited a fire inside me.
My own personal brand of addictive drug - once I got a taste, I was hooked. Couldn’t get enough of his intoxicating kisses and roaming hands. He ruined me for anyone else.
Maybe that’s why I ended up here, pining for the man I left behind. Craving the passion we once shared. I know seeing Axel again is playing with fire.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes, picturing his face. That cocky smile I loved so much, those intense eyes that seemed to stare right through me. Even after all this time apart, I can conjure up every detail - the faint scar on his chin, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he laughs.
God, that laugh. Low and husky. It never failed to make my heart skip a beat.
I miss the way he used to look at me, like I was the most captivating creature he’d ever seen. The raw desire in his gaze as his fingers traced over my body, lighting me up from the inside out. He knew every curve, every sensitive spot. It was like our bodies were made for each other.
There’s an Axel-shaped hole in my life that no one else can ever fill. His kisses remain seared into my memory, his touch imprinted on my skin. Fuck, will I ever forget this man?
Three
Axel
When the doorbell rings I wonder who it could be? I wasn’t expecting anyone.
I jog down the stairs; the floorboards creaking under my feet. When I swing open the front door, a delivery guy stands on the porch, holding out an envelope.
“Axel Cain?” he asks.
“That’s me.”
“Sign here, please.”
I scrawl my signature across the electronic pad and take the envelope from him. I tear it open, my fingers fumbling in my haste. Inside is a single sheet of paper. I unfold it slowly, my heart suddenly pounding against my ribs. As my eyes scan the page, the words blur together. Divorce petition. Irreconcilable differences. Dissolution of marriage.
“No, no, no,” I whisper hoarsely. This can’t be happening!
My legs go weak and I sink down to the bottom step of the staircase. How could Maya do this? After everything we’ve been through together? I thought what we had was unbreakable.
I read through the document again, bile rising up my throat. There, in black and white, is the end of my marriage. But I’ll be damned if I let it happen without a fight.
I carefully refold the petition and slip it back into its envelope. I know what I need to do - I’m going to that reunion and I’m winning my wife back. Maya is the love of my life and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.
My hands tremble slightly as I pack. I’m nervous, but excited too. These next few days with Maya will define the rest of our lives.
I pick up the divorce papers laying on the bed. I smooth out the crinkled pages, the legal jargon swimming before my eyes.
Carefully, almost reverently, I fold the documents and tuck them away again. I know Maya is serious about this, but I can’t accept it’s over between us. Not without a fight.
