Chapter 3

Axel looks at Athena with disbelief in his eyes that she would even consider him actually doing something that horrid to her. He knew that she did not wholly trust him yet because he did break their childhood promise, but she knew him better than that. Right? It had started to feel like that promise was broken years ago, not two days ago. Axel assumed that Athena would be over that tiny little thing. He also knew that the promise was not just a small thing to Athena; it meant the world to her and destroyed her world.

Now, this had happened to her, and she just can't catch a break. Axel felt sorry for her, and he wanted to prove to her that he would never do something so heinous.

He started walking towards the kitchen while he let her sort out her emotions and grabbed her favorite ice cream. He grabbed a spoon and the ice cream and sat on the couch, waiting for her to finish her train of thought.

Athena had different emotions swirling around inside of her. She was angry and shocked and confused. Athena had several questions swimming through her head about the credibility of what had just happened on the phone with the police. She doubted that Axel would do that, but she also never thought he would actually break the 10-year promise that they had, but he did. It did seem like he could have done it to get back at her. After fooling her at the big apology but it was all just revenge for getting mad at him for the promise.

"A-Axel, did you 'd-do it? I need to know if you did it to get back at me for being upset about breaking the promise." Axel sat the ice cream down. After Athena had that outbreak, Axel just sat there with her in his arms.

He turned her to look at him. "Why would I ever do something so horrid to you? I thought long and hard about what happened at the diner, and I realized that I was wrong and that you had every right to be mad at me. I would never do something to hurt you intentionally."

Athena looks at him like he was stupid.

"What?"

Athena rolls her eyes and sighs.

"Do you not remember when you took my iPod in like 6th grade and hid it in your pants because you thought that I would never go and get it. All I had to do was beat you up, and you gave it to me after breaking the mirror in my room, which made me cut myself when I reached back to stand up? Cause I sure do, and I still have the scar from where I had to koi stitches."

Axel picked up her right hand and drew tiny circles on her thumb where the scar was and reminisce about their childhood. Athena looked at him with content in her eyes.

They were 12 years old, and Athena went over to Axel's house to hang out. He made her favorite dish, Chicken Alfredo, and they watched T.V. on his couch. Axel wanted to show her something so, they went to his room where she sat on his bed and put her iPod under her thigh. He showed her his newest Nintendo D.S. and then saw her iPod. He reached for it, and she, thinking he was being stupid, playfully pushed him away and laughed. 'Athena, let me see your new iPod!' Athena rolled her eyes, 'Come on, Axel. It's my iPod why in the world would I give it to you?' Axel got a little angry and pushed her harder than he meant to. Athena fell into the full-length mirror that hung on Axel's wall. She started to bleed from her thumb when she went to get up from the accident. 'Axel! What is going on here?' His mother came yelling up the stairs after the sudden noise. She walked in and saw Athena bleeding. They went to the Emergency Room, and Athena had to get a couple of stitches. The Doctor told Axel's mom that it would scar, but it would be small.

"I would never do such a thing to you. I know I broke your trust, but I know that you still believe in me and the relationship that we have. It has been a rough couple of days, but I would never do that to you in a million years. Okay? Know right here and now that I, Axel Michael Sullivan, would never hurt you like that. I love you, and you know it. Please say that you trust me on this?"

Athena looked up at him and saw the honesty in his eyes. She nodded her head and let Axel pull her into a hug. "I love you too, Axel." She looked up at him and realized for the first time that she meant it. She did not mean that as a friend or brother, but she loved him all over her heart. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.

"We will prove that it was Allana, I promise Athena," Axel said after the long silence.

Athena fell asleep in Axel's arms at her house. He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. Maurice walked in quietly, patted Axel on the shoulder, kissed her on the forehead, and went to his room for the night. Axel starts to play with her hair. He knew that it was a way to calm her even when she was asleep. Axel could not get himself to go to sleep, just quietly watched her rest. He was cautious of his movements, careful not to wake her. He held her until the sun rose the next day and she woke up.

She woke up to a warm sensation and steady breathing coming from behind her. She twisted ever so slightly to see who it was. Axel was lying on her couch in half sitting up and half laying down position. She moved to where her head was in the crook of his neck, and she nuzzled closer, checking to see if he was awake. Athena slowly got up careful not to wake him. She went to the kitchen and checked her phone. She had received five text messages from Maurice, and seventeen missed calls.

Ten of them being from this boy that she liked, Thomas Martin. Plus, the one hundred messages from Thomas Martin.

He had been trying to get her to go out with him for months but, because of Axel, she did not want to go out with him. He was the most persistent guy had ever met, and with her car being on the news, that did not help.

She ignored his calls and messages. She snuck into her room and started getting dressed for school. Axel woke up and realized that Athena was gone, and he started thinking of the worst things possible. He got up and ran to her, without knocking opened her room to see if she was in there.

"Axel! SHUT THE DOOR!" Athena was completely naked, and Axel just stood there in awe. He looked her up and down while he stood entirely still. It took him about five seconds to realize that she was telling him to get out.

He slammed the door shut and put his back to the door. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm his racing heart. He could not stop thinking about how Athena looked.

Athena waited for a couple of minutes to make sure he was not going to come in again. She sighed a breath of relief, "Gee whiz! He scared me, I am gonna kill him for that! Who just walks in without knocking?" She hurriedly put her clothes on and opened the door. Axel sat by the wall with his head in his hands.

"Bye, Axel." Then she walked out of the apartment.

He did not look up when she came out of her room, but when the front door shut. He did not even hear her say bye. He was so embarrassed that he was frozen at the wall for some time.

Maurice walked out of his room a couple hours later. He looked at Axel and raised an eyebrow. "You okay? You look like you just saw my sister naked." Maurice laughed at the joke. Axel looked at him with wide eyes and a slight blush that crept to his face.

After Maurice realized that he was laughing by himself. He noticed the way Axel was looking at him and started to see red. He grabbed Axel by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall. "What the hell, man?! I thought you were better than that. I honest to God thought you had more common sense to not piss me off! You are just an idiot! Get out of my house, and do not come back!"

Axel left as soon as Maurice put him down. When he was back in his apartment, he locked the doors and called Athena.

Ring

Ring

Ring

"Hello?"

"Hi, Athena. Your brother figured out what happened this morning and almost killed me. Can you calm him down, please? You know that I did not mean to walk in on you changing, but I was looking for you to make sure you were safe."

An extended period of silence followed

"Athena...?"

"Yea, sorry I am here. Um, let me see what I can do. Can you meet me at University? We need to talk face to face."

He nodded like she could see him, "Oh yea. When?"

"Meet me for lunch at 12:30."

The call ended.

Athena took a deep breath and looked at Dakota. He was new to the University, and he had an interest in her. She was a little uncomfortable around him. She texted Axel something that could not be said over the phone because Dakota was around.

Hey. When you come, pretend that we are dating. There is a new kid in my Advanced Bio class, and he follows me around. I don't feel comfortable with him around me. Please, will you do that for me?

Axel replied almost instantly

Yes.

"Hey, Dakota! My boyfriend is going to join us today for lunch. He also attends University with us! It will be fun!"

Dakota just nodded. Athena realized that he had never really spoken before. He just nodded and grunted all of his responses.

Athena spun on her heels and started to walk towards the cafeteria since it was getting close to 12:30, and Axel would be here soon.

Dakota followed her like a lost puppy and into the cafeteria. She spotted Axel and walked straight for him. Axel turned around to see Athena walking toward him, and before he could say anything, she kissed him. His eyes grew wide with shock, then he melted, and their kiss became passionate.

Axel took his hands and wrapped them around Athena's tiny frame. She unconsciously pulled her hands up behind his neck. She broke their kiss and remembered that Dakota was there and that they were in the middle of the cafeteria of her college friends. Axel looked confused and pleased.

"Sorry about that trying to make it look authentic..." Athena whispered so Dakota could not hear.

Athena turned around with a soft blush gracing her face and a smile to distract Dakota from the scene that had just happened. Dakota was turning as red as an apple.

"Hi. You must be Dakota. I am Axel. Pleased to meet you."

Axel reached out to shake Dakota's hand, but Athena brought the hand to her hips.

"Come on, boys! Are we gonna stand here all day?"

Athena grabbed Axel by the hand and drug him off to a table. Dakota stood there in shock after a few seconds, he followed them to the table that Athena had selected. Axel sat next to Athena and wrapped his arm around her protectively. He grabbed the menu, "Babe, whatcha want to eat?" Athena got a small blush on her cheeks and then hid behind the menu.

"Umm...how about a pizza, chili cheese fries, and a chocolate milkshake?" Athena looked at Axel. He nodded then turned to Dakota. "Hey, man. Are you gonna order or just stare at Athena the entire lunch? She is mine don't forget that she is mine and mine alone. Got it?"

Dakota turned red again and ordered a burger and fries.

"Ouch! Hey, you are gonna pay for that!" Axel looked at Athena. She had turned red as well, and as a punishment for making her blush, she had elbowed him in the gut.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, our food came. Axel stole one of Athena's fries and laughed as she glared at him. "That's my fry, sir!" She leaned up and kissed him. He moved his hand to behind her head and pulled them into a deeper kiss. After that, their lunch date when on without much conflict.

Axel had started realizing that when he had called Athena his, he had meant it and did not want to give her to anyone else. Did she feel the same way? Is that why she had asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend in front of Dakota? His head filled with questions as he drove home. Athena had completed her side of the deal as well. She talked Maurice down for the time being, but Axel knew that he might not live if he went over there too soon. So, he went to his apartment and waited for Athena to get done with class. Axel got to thinking about the last time they had been pretending to be together.

Flashback

Athena and Axel were at the park they were playing house. They were having so much fun that Axel had suggested that they have a fake wedding. Athena happily agreed. They ran home to prepare for their ' marriage.' Athena had put on her prettiest dress while Axel had put on his most excellent suit. They met in Axel's backyard wearing their Sunday's best. Axel had a Ring Pop and was on one knee. "Athena, my best friend ever, will you be my wife?" Athena jumped up and down excitedly. "Yes!"

They had not been 'married' for 20 minutes, and they got into a fight that had ended with Athena throwing the Ring Pop into the grass and stomped it.

Flashback over

He smiled while he was caught up in his daydreaming so much that he did not even hear Athena sneak in. She leaned toward him from behind and covered his eyes, "Guess who?" Axel smiled.

"Maurice?"

"No, no, this is Cleo's hands!"

Athena giggled and ran from behind him and sat on the couch next to him. "Nope, silly, it was me!"

"Um...thank you for today, Axel, it meant a lot to me...that kid kinda makes me nervous and uncomfortable...so thank you."

She had a tight-lipped smile as she looked around the room at anything but Axel. Trying to avoid the uncomfortable tension in the room. They sat in the awkward silence for several minutes, not sure what to say or to do.

Axel cleared his throat, not being able to handle the tension anymore. "So um...that kiss...can we talk about it? There was a lot of passion in the kiss, and I want to make sure we are on the same page." Axel's face turned a deep shade of red as he recalled the kiss.

Athena nodded, "Yeah, I think we really need to talk about that...um...." Athena had no idea how to make it form into the right question. "...how did it make you feel?" Athena had finally asked with a timid voice. Axel took several moments to think about what he was going to say next and how to make it sound less awkward.

"It ...um shocked me at first, but then it kind of felt like it...um...should be like maybe we should? Um...be more than friends. I guess..." Athena was conflicted by what he said.

"That makes sense, but we have known each other for so long. Will it be awkward if we...um...you know become more than friends?"

The awkward silence filled the apartment and remained for several minutes once again. Axel grabbed the remote and switched on the T.V., flipping to their favorite show.

"Maybe we should take it slow and see how we feel after a while. We can sort out this Police business and get Dakota to stop following you around like a lost dog?" Athena silently shook her head in agreement, and that was the end of the conversation for now.