Chapter 10: Tu nombre en mi piel

Inna really missed her father and their home, but she did not expect that, given how they parted, she would be welcomed like that. Abel, Inna's father, pressed his daughter and granddaughter to his chest for a long time and asked to forget the past.

Rene's first day was a shock by the vast house and the gifts grandfather showered her with. The girl seemed to be in another world. If in A-Card, the gray color is the main one she could see, then in Nebo, it is the color of burnt bricks. Rene had previously seen a massive courtyard with a swimming pool, a bunch of guards, expensive cars, and servants only on TV. Now they bring her breakfast in bed and fulfill any desire. To prevent Rene from getting bored, Abel invited the children of his friends to stay with her. The girl walks around the city all day with new acquaintances. Grandpa insists that Rene should buy whatever she likes, book tables for her in the best cafes on the territory, and pampers her in every way. After every day full of discoveries and gifts, Rene runs to her place and sends Axel a selfie. If he can speak on the phone, they talk, and if not, she writes him huge texts, where she shares her impressions. In addition to all this, Rene, secretly from mum, went to the tattoo parlor and left the place with a particular name under her chest's left side. Axel's birthday is coming up, and Rene is going to give him a present.

Today grandfather left for the neighboring territory. Rene's new friends told her that the wife of the head of a neighboring cartel had died yesterday, and so many of the cartel's top leaders had left for the funeral. Rene would have ignored the unnecessary information, but the deceased's daughter seems to be a pain in the ass of her new friend, who didn't express any sympathy for the girl who was left without a mum. She showed Rene the girl's social media page, and Rene noticed that she's is stunning and, judging by the pictures, very rich.

It's only on her last day in Nebo that Rene is in a bad mood, which, no matter how hard she tries, she can't hide. She doesn't even admit to herself how much she liked Nebo. The only reason pulling her back is Axel. For the first time in fifteen years, Rene hates the place she calls home.

On the way to the border, the girl does not hold back and, sitting in the car's back seat, secretly wipes away tears. Inna immediately notices and draws Rene to her.

"I lived this life, but I did not appreciate it. I thought that freedom of choice is better than living every day like a princess," The elder says quietly. "I fell in love with Do, and he loves me. Only love alone is not always enough. It would be best if you didn't live my life, so I'm talking to you, sharing my vision. Your father turned my life into hell. Then Do brought me to hell. I hoped that everything would change, that we could get out of this hole, or at least bring it into a human form. Still, the further, the more I understand that A-Card has no future, and I ruin your life, forcing you to rot in this swamp," the woman kisses Rene on the crown. "Don't cry. You still have a chance."

"I'm fine as it is," Ren doesn't want to show mum that she was right.

"You didn't even want to go to bed so that you don't miss an hour there while sleeping," Inna grins. "You are the granddaughter of a powerful man who is ready to throw the whole world at your feet. Nebo has excellent educational institutions, a bunch of trendy cafes. You have a huge house there with a separate dressing room, not to mention the beautiful and smart men you can meet there."

"I am not interested."

"Of course, you are still too blinded by your so-called love for Axel, who with his character and ambitions seeks death for himself," Inna says irritably. "In A-Card, the maximum you can achieve is to finish school, sleep with your precious Axel and give him a future orphan. You will raise him, like Leo's mother, ducking in five jobs and hoping she gets through another extra day."

"Mum, please stop," Rene wipes away her tears.

"I will not say anything more. You will understand everything yourself," Inna moves away from her. "Until we know what is better, we cannot be persuaded, but you saw that there is another life, that the whole world is not A-Card. The rest is up to you."

"I have nothing to decide. I know what I want," Rene turns to the window and puts headphones in her ears.

Axel and his dad meet the women at the border. Axel never slept. He even arrived at the border much earlier because he could not find a place for himself with impatience. Rene, jumping out of the car, immediately rushes to Axel, who lifts her in his arms and hugs her for a long time. Axel, still holding Rene, walks over to his SUV given to him by Chan. When Do demands to let Rene leave with them, Axel states in front of everyone that "he'll take his girl myself." Inna goes with Do.

All the way to the house, Axel hugs the girl to him and, without stopping, kisses her on the top of her head and cheeks. For today he even refuses all business and stays for dinner. This is the first evening in a long time that the whole family is sitting at the table together. Rene, with glowing eyes, tells Axel about everything she saw in Nebo, and Axel listens patiently.

In fact, Axel doesn't like Rene's delight, especially when it comes to Abel's home and richness. Axel can't afford that luxury yet and is mostly angry with himself now. He spotted Rene's new clothes at the border; he is furious with these bracelets around her wrist, but the thing that infuriates the most is that she started using perfume. It changed her smell. Outwardly, Axel doesn't show his displeasure, doesn't want to spoil Rene's mood, and continues to listen to her stories patiently.

Axel turns twenty tomorrow. Rene will make her first cake in the morning, so she runs to the kitchen to see if his father's security has bought all the ingredients. After dinner, Axel doesn't leave, and the girl can't hide her happiness. After saying goodnight to everyone, Rene walks over to her room but doesn't even think about going to bed. At one o'clock in the morning, she watches Axel smoking in the yard from her window. Ensuring that everyone is asleep, quietly, so as not to wake anyone up, she slips into Axel's room and immediately finds herself in a firm embrace.

"You thought you were cunning, but I know you better," the elder grins.

"Happy Birthday!" Rene climbs onto Axel's lap, crouched on the bed, and wraps her arms around his neck. "Ready to receive a gift?"

"My greatest gift is in my hands," Axel pulls her closer to him.

"Two gifts," Rene declares and pulls back a little and pulls up her shirt. "This is the first."

Axel doesn't immediately understand what the girl is doing and then notices his name written on her skin.

"Baby, it must have hurt you," Axel gently touches the tattoo with his fingertips, does not hide his delight. The Spirit in the man rejoices. Axel never thought Rene would write his name on herself. Rene's name is Axel's first tattoo, his favorite one. Now he strokes the four letters in a beautiful font and feels how the tips of his fingers tingle against the delicate skin.

"Your name is in there, so it doesn't hurt," Rene smiles contentedly, noticing how pleasantly shocked the other one is. Axel gets up and puts the girl on the bed, approaches the writing, and leaves a kiss on it. For Rene, this tattoo is an indicator of love for Axel. For Axel, this is from now on his whole meaning; he will forever love and protect the one on whom his name is stamped.

"I know you have my name under your heart," Rene distracts him from contemplating the tattoo.

"Where from?" Axel looks down at her in surprise.

"Never mind, now it's the time for the second present." Rene wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him, kisses ineptly.

"Rene," Axel whispers against her lips.

"Kiss me for real," Rene doesn't let go. "I heard that you told the father that I am your girl, which means that you are my man. Kiss Me. Axel."

The temptation is too great. Axel can feel the first wall between them sinking to the ground. He touches and moves away, is afraid to drown in the one he did not emerge from, and still goes like a stone to the bottom. Axel kisses slowly, gently, doesn't deepen the kiss, doesn't bite into it like a beast starving for prey, even though it's his nails broken against the sheet and his teeth clenched almost to a crack. Rene shudders beneath him, and it snapped the man sobering. He abruptly pulls back and, getting to his feet, walks to the window and opens it.

"I know that I don't know how to kiss," the flushed girl draws knees to her chest.

"You are a fool," Axel smiles at her and goes back to the bed. "You're still small, and you may not understand a lot, but when the man chooses his woman, it's hard for him…" Axel tries to find the words.

"I know what sex is," Rene finishes for him. "I'm not five years old."

"Then you should know that you are too young and I am too weak in front of you, so no more adult kissing until you come of age," Axel says firmly.

"I wasn't going to kiss you anymore. It was a gift," Rene chuckles and gets to her feet. "Until mum goes to check my room, I'll go."

"Don't go," Axel catches her by the hand. "Stay with me today. It's my birthday," pulling her close; Axel kisses her on the forehead.

"Mum will swear, and dad will yell at you." Rene doesn't want to leave him. She reaches for Axel and rests her head on his chest, listening to his measured breathing.

"They won't dare," Axel plays with her hair. The girl, throwing off her slippers, dives under the covers and, after a couple of minutes, peacefully snooze in Axel's arms.

He cannot sleep for a long time; he still cannot calm his heart from bursting out, which froze when he saw the tattoo, and again went into a frantic rhythm after the kiss. Rene is a complete discovery for Axel. She grew up in front of his eyes, Axel can read her mood and thoughts on her face, but at the same time, this girl manages not only to surprise him but to strike him right in the heart. Axel never imagined that Rene would give him gifts that would make him remember this birthday for life.

Rene moves in a dream. Axel pulls her closer to him and buries his face in his raspberry-scented hair as he falls asleep. In the morning, Axel wakes up not from the "happy birthday" song. Axel sharply opens his eyes from Rene's cries and turns to look at Rene's pain-distorted face. She is still asleep and tossed about in her sleep.

"Rene," Axel bends over to her face, glances down her sweaty neck, collarbones peeking out from under a shirt stuck to her body. "I'll call Inna," he says hoarsely, not recognizing his own voice.

"Axel," Rene opens her eyes. "It seems ... "

"I know." Axel leaves the room as soon as possible to escape the understanding that Rene is mature now. Rene lies there, repeating that kiss in her head and burning with the name stamped on her side, on her lips.

For a week, Axel doesn't show up at home, holds himself back, loads himself with work, fights with his Spirit, but doesn't break down to Rene. Rene has been living through hell for five days, from which mum's pills and sleep cannot save her. She still lies there, repeating that kiss in her head and burning with the name stamped on her side, on her lips.

His name…

* The title of the chapter is "Your name on my skin" (Spanish: Tu Nombre en mi piel.)