My Stepson, My Lover

My ex-boyfriend slams his hand on the desk, but the seventeen-year-old delinquent beside me just smirks and laces his fingers through mine.

Your nephew? Harrison sneers, adjusting his glasses to hide the jealousy in his eyes.

I take a slow, deliberate sip of tea. Son.

Margot, youre twenty-three. Axel is seventeen. Do you take me for an idiot?

I smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. "My late husband was fifty-three. His son is seventeen. Do the math, teach."

Harrisons face darkens like a storm cloud. "You sold yourself for money?"

Before I can answer, Axel leans forward, his voice low and dangerous. "Watch your tone, Mr. Harrison. You're speaking to my mother and she's way out of your league now."

Chapter 1

Fresh out of college. Dumped. Jobless. Then my dad, Bob, got sick. The medical bills started piling up like a death sentence. I was cornered. So I took the shortcut.

Harold. The richest man in the city. An old guy with one foot in the grave. "I'm dying," he told me. "I need someone to keep my kid company. Nanny, big sister, whatever."

"Done. I can act."

Harold was a man of his word. He died the next day. We didn't even have time to sign the marriage license. No wedding. No ring. Then came the funeral. And the will.

"If Axel gets accepted into a university, Margot receives seventy-five million dollars."

Five seconds. I had to replay every tragedy of my life in my head just to keep from laughing out loud right there at the graveside. That night, I was lying in the master suite of the hilltop villa, mentally spending my millions.

Crash.

My luggage hit the pavement outside the front gate. I sprinted out in my silk pajamas, barefoot on the cold stone driveway. My suitcase was on fire.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I stared at him. Basketball jersey. Sweat glistening on his collarbone. A cigarette dangling loosely from his fingers. My blood boiled.

"Oops," he drawled. "Slipped."

He lowered his gaze. Dark, heavy eyes locked onto mine. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent the burning cigarette butt arcing through the air. It landed right on my clothes. Then he turned and walked upstairs like he owned the world.

I didn't have time to scream. I was too busy stomping out the flames. The clothes were toast. My hair was singed. I marched to his room and pounded on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Your mother!"

The door swung open. He was wearing nothing but a towel slung low on his hips. Damp skin. Fresh from the shower. Water droplets traced the line of his abs.

"Huh. Since when do I have a mom? Or have you been watching too many specific categories on the internet, Stepmom?"

My blood pressure spiked from the rage. "Axel, show some respect! I am your guardian!"

"Respect?" He leaned against the doorframe, towering over me. "You're banging on my door in the middle of the night while I'm naked. Is that respect?"

I choked. Words failed me.

"Margot, you're a bit too old for my taste. Get out."

Slam.

The door shut in my face. I thought Axel was supposed to be a kid? Seventeen? He was six-foot-two with a mouth sharper than a razor blade. He could trigger a mental breakdown in seconds. I spent the whole night staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out how a teenager just walked all over me. Clearly, my approach was wrong.

The next morning, I decided to pivot. Kill them with kindness. Warmth. Love. I woke up at the crack of dawn to make pancakes. An hour later, I knocked on his door.

"Axel, breakfast is ready. You're going to be late." My voice was soft. Gentle. The perfect guardian.

The door opened. Messy hair. Impatient eyes. "What do you want this early?" His voice was raspy. Morning voice. Deep and scratchy.

"I made food. Wash up and eat. I'll drive you to school." I plastered a massive, blinding smile on my face.

"Not eating." He turned back into the room, ignoring me completely.

"Not eating? You're a growing boy! You need nutrition. Trust me, your body is perfect, you don't need to diet" I nagged as I followed him inside.

"Annoying." He walked to the bed, turned his back to me, and grabbed the hem of his T-shirt. "I'm doing this for your own good"

Chapter 2

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died on my tongue. His back was bare. Smooth skin stretched over lean muscle. The kind of definition that didn't come from a gym, but from genetics and youth. The lines of his spine dipped low, disappearing into the waistband of his sweatpants.

"Enjoying the view?" His voice was laced with mockery.

His long fingers hovered over the drawstring of his pants. He didn't move to cover himself. Instead, he turned his head slightly, his dark eyes pinning me to the spot.

"I I" My brain short-circuited. "I'm going to check the milk."

I spun on my heel and fled the room like it was on fire. Back in the kitchen, I leaned against the counter, regretting everything. Why was I blushing? I've seen men before. Why was a teenager making my heart hammer against my ribs? He's just a kid. A brat. A piece of meat. Nothing to look at.

I slammed the milk onto the dining table and waited. Ten minutes later, he came downstairs. He didn't even glance at the table. He walked straight past me, heading for the door. Clearly, breakfast wasn't on his agenda.

"Axel, I made breakfast. Aren't you going to eat?"

He stopped but didn't turn around. "Why would I?"

"I woke up at 5 AM to make this. Don't you think you're being a little rude?" I stood up, my chair scraping against the floor.

"Who asked you to?" He didn't back down.

"Your father entrusted you to me. I have to take care of you!"

"Who agreed to that?" He didn't waste another word on me. He slung his backpack over one shoulder, his sneakers squeaking on the hardwood as he kicked the door open. "Go be with whoever agreed to it. If you think I'm going to acknowledge you, keep dreaming."

The sound of his foot hitting the door echoed his anger.

"You! You are impossible!" I stood there, shaking with rage.

He was halfway out the door when he stopped. A thought seemed to cross his mind. He turned back, walked over to the table, and picked up the plate of pancakes I had spent an hour making. Without breaking eye contact, he walked outside and dumped the entire plate into the Golden Retriever's bowl.

"Since you're so desperate to be a mom," he sneered. "He needs one."

Before I could even scream, he shot me one last cold look, got into the car, and left for school. I was left standing there, suffocating on my own fury. Axel and I were oil and water. Fire and gasoline. Part of me wanted to burn the whole house down and walk away. But then I remembered the seventy-five million dollars.

I could tolerate a lot for seventy-five million dollars.

I channeled my frustration into the only logical solution: Amazon. I ordered every parenting book in existence. By evening, I had read enough to reignite my fighting spirit. According to the experts, Axel was suffering from "Adolescent Rebellion Syndrome." Basically, he was a teenager. I couldn't fight him head-on. I had to be compliant. Gentle. Guide him slowly.

That night, I called Mack, the driver. Axel hadn't come home. He was at a bar. A high schooler? At a bar? Dangerous. I hesitated for three seconds before throwing on a dress and doing my makeup.

When I arrived at the club, the bass was thumping so hard I could feel it in my teeth. I spotted him immediately. He was surrounded by girls in tiny dresses, all fighting to feed him fruit. A boy, alone in a place like this. Definitely dangerous. I was about to swoop in and save the defenseless lamb when I heard his friends talking.

"Axel, I heard your dad got you a stepmom. She's barely older than you, right? Heard she's hot."

"Got pics? I want a stepmom too."

"You watch too much porn, bro."

"Shut up." Axel shot them a look that could freeze hell over. They instantly quieted down. They were terrified of him.

Then he looked up. And saw me. Our eyes locked. I saw the shock flash through his gaze, followed instantly by disgust and indifference. I stood there, awkward and out of place. But I forced my feet to move.

"Who's this?" One of his friends asked, eyeing me up and down. "Axel, looks like she's here for you. Where'd you find this hottie? She's spicy"

Hottie? Thanks for the compliment, kid. Auntie feels better already.

Chapter 3

I forced a smile. "Hi. I'm his step aunt."

"Axel, this is your stepmom? Holy shit."

The boys erupted into chaos. I felt my cheeks heat up. I glanced at Axel. He had already looked away, downing his drink in one go.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice flat.

"Worried about you. Taking you home."

"Go home yourself." He shot me a cold glare and poured another drink.

"Hey, why leave so soon? Stay and hang out! Yeah, don't call her 'Auntie.' She's way too hot for that."

"Right, right. Gorgeous, what are you drinking? On me." A few of the guys grabbed my arm, enthusiastic and insistent.

"If I sit here, I won't ruin your vibe?" I mean, there was a generational gap.

"No way! Sit next to me." One of them pulled me onto the couch.

I looked up at Axel. He finished his drink, slammed the glass down, and stood up. "You guys are sick."

He turned and walked away.

"Look what you did. You had to sit next to Axel's girl. Now he's pissed." Another guy smacked the first one on the back of the head.

"I was just trying to liven things up!" The guy rubbed his head, looking wronged.

I watched Axel's retreating back and sighed. Mad again. He seemed allergic to my presence.

"He's just going to the bathroom. Babe, what do you want to drink?"

"Cranberry juice."

The books said to befriend the rebellious child. So I joined them. At first, I was stiff. But five minutes later, I was one of the bros.

"Babe, is it true there's no 8 AM classes in college? No exams?"

I wiped imaginary sweat from my forehead. "Of course. All exams are open book. Easy peasy. You guys should definitely aim for college."

"Are there a lot of hot girls in college?"

"Tons. No one stays single in college."

"Is it easy to find a job after graduation?"

"Super easy. I had dozens of companies fighting over me. I turned them all down."

These kids had a million questions. To encourage them, I lied through my teeth. Forgive me, Lord.

I spent an hour answering questions and drinking with them before Axel finally came back. When he saw us laughing together, looking like a happy family, his face dropped to sub-zero temperatures.

"Are we leaving or not?"

"Huh? It's still early." I pulled out my phone to check the time. My head was spinning. I squinted, but the numbers were swimming.

Axel lost his patience. He marched over, gripped my arm, and hauled me out of the booth like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey!"

"Do you want to see what you look like right now? Stepmom?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Do I look beautiful?" My brain was buzzing. I was babbling.

He didn't answer.

"Do I look ugly? Wait, let me fix my bangs. I have split ends."

He didn't say a word. He just let go of me and walked away.

Chapter 4

I stumbled, my heel catching on the floor. Gravity took over, pulling me sideways. But I didn't hit the ground. A strong hand gripped my arm, steadying me. He came back.

"Axel," I slurred, looking up at him through a haze of alcohol.

"Speak." He started dragging me towards the exit, shooting me a look that screamed annoyance.

"You're hurting me."

He glanced at his grip on my arm. Without a word, he shifted his hold, supporting me more gently.

"Why do you hate me?"

"Why should I like you?"

"I like you classmate." I hiccuped.

He looked at me, saying nothing.

"See? Your friends get along with me just fine. They even asked me about college. They even"

"Shut up." His patience snapped.

Oh. Mad again. So mean. I shut up.

Three seconds later "Axel, I think I"

"If you don't shut up, I'm leaving you on the street."

Okay, that scared me. I didn't dare speak. One minute later. I threw up. On a telephone pole. In a flower bed. Next to a trash can. On his shirt everywhere.

Axel's face went darker than I had ever seen it. "Why didn't you say something?" He came over to support me, disgust written all over his face.

"You told me to shut up." I looked up at him, pathetic and teary-eyed.

"From now on, don't say a single word to me!" He peeled off his ruined shirt and tossed it straight into the trash can. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Unless you're going to puke."

"Okay." I watched his designer shirt disappear into the garbage. Thousands of dollars, gone. What a waste. I should memorize the location and come back for it tomorrow. Unfortunately, by the next morning, I had forgotten everything.

He held me up on the curb for a few minutes until Mack pulled up in the car. Axel yanked the back door open and stuffed me inside. Stuffed. Like a ragdoll. Did I dare move? No.

I didn't say a word the whole ride. Because I wasn't allowed to. Halfway home, my phone rang. I answered it in a daze.

"Where are you?"

The voice hit me like a bucket of ice water. Memories came flooding back. Harrison. My hot ex-boyfriend. Sob. We broke up.

"In a Bentley."

"Margot, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

"My dear ex-boyfriend, can you not hear me? I said I'm in a Bentley." I shouted into the phone, repeating myself for emphasis.

Even Mack turned around to look at me. Axel looked completely done with my existence. Mistake. Too arrogant. I covered the receiver. "Can't talk. Busy."

"You don't even have a job. What are you busy with?"

"Busy raising a kid! Bye!"

The rage at my ex sobered me up halfway. But I couldn't face reality yet. So I pretended to pass out.

Chapter 5

Hangovers are hell. Seriously. I didn't even take my makeup off last night. One month of skincare, down the drain. The memories of last night came flooding back. I went there to pick up my "son," and ended up wasted, puking my guts out, and lecturing Axel like a lunatic. Humiliation didn't even cover it. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

But since I couldn't die, I decided to embrace the chaos. I stayed up until 3 AM playing video games. Slept until noon. Woke up naturally. Watered the plants in the garden. Fed the cats and dogs. Bought a few designer bags when I got bored. Took the sports car for a spin when I got even more bored. Rich people's lives. Monotonous. Dull.

If Fitzgerald hadn't called to invite us over for Thanksgiving, I might have thought this was the rest of my life. I hadn't seen Axel in days. We were existing in peaceful, separate orbits.

That afternoon, I put on a full face of makeup and drove to pick him up. My Porsche was parked right in front of the school gate. It was impossible to miss. Students were whispering.

"Who's that hot girl? Damn, whose sister is that rich?"

"Not a sister. Stepmom. Axel's. Heard it from my dad."

"For real?"

"Yeah. Married his dad the day before he died. Gold digger."

"That's wild. How does she have the nerve to show her face here? Poor Axel. His family life is messed up."

The smile froze on my face. I grabbed my sunglasses and slid them on, hiding my eyes. Finally, I saw him. Axel walked out, surrounded by a crowd of boys and girls.

Youth. It radiated off him. Even in a school uniform, he looked like a model. Pale skin. Monolid eyes that somehow looked soulful even when he was staring at a stray dog. Back in my high school days, a guy like him would have been the dream. No wonder half the school was chasing him.

"Axel." I honked the horn.

He looked up. Saw me. Paused for exactly one second. Then he looked away and kept walking.

Brat!

I couldn't honk again without causing a scene, so I rolled down the window and hissed, "Axel! Your grandfather wants us for dinner."

"Don't call me." He shot me a glare.

I glanced around at the staring students. Oh. He's embarrassed.

"Get in the car and I won't."

"No."

"If you don't get in, I'll get lost."

"Use GPS."

"Don't know how."

He finally stopped. He looked at me with pure annoyance. "You are annoying."

Okay, I admit it. But he got in the car. That was a win.

"Need me to buckle you in?" I leaned over, reaching for his seatbelt, a sycophantic smile plastered on my face.

He looked down at me. Didn't move a muscle. The coldness in his eyes froze me in place. I retracted my hand instantly.

"Or you can do it yourself."

Fitzgerald's estate was in the suburbs. A Greek revival mansion with its own golf course. From the outside, it looked like a public park. But inside? Holy shit. Did they own a diamond mine?

Chapter 6

"Are those lions at the gate real gold?" Axel was already ten paces ahead of me. I scrambled to catch up.

"What do you think?" He sighed, stopping to wait for me. "If they are, are you going to chew on them?"

"Just got my teeth cleaned. Can't risk it," I mumbled.

He ignored me and kept walking.

"Axel," I hissed.

"What now?" He looked like he was contemplating drowning me in the decorative pond.

"I feel like I should have brought the Hermes instead of the Chanel. I can't go in there." Regret washed over me. My entire outfit cost over ten grand, and I still felt like a pauper.

"I think you shouldn't have come at all." He looked at me coldly.

Me:

He had a point.

"Maybe you should just say you came alone. I just remembered there's a sale at Whole Foods"

"Margot." His patience snapped. "You insisted on coming."

I froze, panic rising in my chest. He sighed, his tone shifting slightly. "Follow me."

He turned and led me into the courtyard. It was packed. I recognized faces from the funeraldistant relatives, vultures in designer suitsbut I couldn't put names to any of them.

"Look. He's here."

The chatter died down. Everyone turned to look at us. They were smiling, but their eyes were dead.

"The bastard child. And his new stepmom. Hilarious."

"My brother must have lost his mind. How could he fall for her? A gold digger in cheap clothes trying to compete with Nancy."

Nancy. Harold's first wife. The "Big Sister-in-Law." She scanned me with a look of pure disdain.

"Girls these days. Too lazy to work. They just want to sleep their way to the top."

"And that face? You can find a hundred just like it on Instagram. Nothing special." Someone chimed in immediately.

My face burned.

"Scared?" Axel looked down at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Scared of what?" I clenched my fists. "I'm thirty years younger than her. Besides, your grandfather invited me. I'm sitting right there."

I grabbed Axel's arm and marched us toward Fitzgerald.

"You're here." The old man's expression was lukewarm when he looked at me. But when his gaze shifted to Axel, his eyes lit up. "Axel. Come sit by Grandpa."

"Pass." The brat didn't give him an inch. He walked over to a rattan chair in the corner and sat down.

I awkwardly greeted the patriarch and then hurried over to sit next to Axel.

Dinner was a debate. The topic: Axel's living arrangements. Stay with Grandpa, or go back to his own house? Listening to them, I pieced together the family history. Axel was born to Harold's secretary. That affair was the reason Nancy divorced Harold. The secretary took off to Europe after giving birth. Harold kept Axel in a separate house, away from the main family. He had barely set foot in this mansion.

Of course, the real reason they didn't want him here was the inheritance. He was a threat.

"The boy is grown now. He's a Lee. He should be with his family."

"But Axel doesn't know anyone here. We don't want him to feel uncomfortable."

Chapter 7

The debate was heating up.

"What do you think, Axel? Stay with Grandpa, or" Fitzgerald glanced at me. "Stay with your stepmom?"

I looked at Axel. He wasn't looking at me, but I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles. Obviously, he should stay with Grandpa! I was an outsider. I'd follow whatever arrangement they made.

"I'm not staying with anyone." Axel dropped the bomb casually.

Everyone froze.

"You're a minor," Fitzgerald said, concern etched on his face.

"Some people are adults and still don't have a brain." Axel suddenly looked at me.

Excuse me? Why are you looking at me?!

"That won't work. You're too young. You need someone to take care of you. How about this? Grandpa will make the decision. You move back here tomorrow."

"I'm staying with her." He looked at me again. "The old man paid a fortune to find me a stepmom. Can't let that go to waste."

Me

This kid definitely had a vendetta against me. Now everyone was staring at me.

"Um, Grandpa Fitzgerald, I swear I will take good care of Axel." I had to stand up and pledge my loyalty.

Fitzgerald looked disappointed, but the rest of the family looked thrilled.

"Your father left you a subsidiary company. When you graduate from college, the shares will be transferred to you." Fitzgerald sighed.

"That company is profitable! Harold was confused, and Dad, you're confused too. Giving it to a kid? Can he handle it?" The relatives were "worried."

"I don't want it." Axel threw it away without a second thought.

This kid was something else. A huge company, and he just tossed it aside. Lucky for those relatives. They were grinning so wide their faces looked like the Nike swoosh.

"We want it! Why wouldn't we want it?!"

I stood up. Axel looked up at me, confused.

"Grandpa, his father said I have to take care of him until he gets into college. He's a minor. His decisions shouldn't count. At the very least, we should wait until he graduates to decide."

"Margot." Axel shot me a warning look.

The relatives' faces turned green.

"You're a minor." I smiled at him, signaling him to shut up.

"The nerve of some people, interrupting family business." Nancy jumped in.

I felt a lump of anger in my throat.

"I'm not 'some people.' I have a name. It's Margot." I smiled back at her, refusing to back down.

"Who cares who you are? Why are you jumping around like a clown?" Another relative chimed in.

Me Bullying me because I'm outnumbered, huh?

"I know her." Axel, sitting next to me, dropped the sentence like an ice cube into boiling oil.

The other side shut up instantly.

"Grandpa, we should respect the dead. We should follow the will. Don't you think?" This was about Axel's money. I wasn't backing down.

The atmosphere was incredibly awkward.

"You're right. Let's wait until Axel graduates, then he can decide for himself." Fitzgerald finally made the call.

I ate the rest of my dinner walking on eggshells. After all, I was now Public Enemy Number One for the entire Lee family.

On the ride back, Axel was still mad at me.

"Who gave you the right to make decisions for me?"

"I told you, you're a minor."

"That's none of your business."

Why was he so stubborn?

Chapter 8

"Axel, you're still young. You don't know how hard it is to find a job, how hard it is to make money. Do you know what a company means?" I tried to reason with him.

"What does it mean?"

"It means you never have to work a day in your life. It means you can blow money for three lifetimes and never run out. It's something most people dream of but never get."

Spoiled rich kid. He didn't know the first thing about real struggle.

"Margot, you're just like my mom." He suddenly blurted out, his mood visibly darkening.

"Huh? I look like your mom? No way. What's her name? Maybe if we go back three generations, we're actually related."

He looked at me calmly. "All you see is money. You'll swallow anything for it. You only care about your own instant gratification, regardless of morals, regardless of anyone else's life."

I choked. So that's why he was angry. I took a breath, struggling to find the right words to comfort him.

"You can't say that." I paused. "Your life is in your own hands."

"Didn't you hear them calling me a bastard? What's the point of sucking up to me?"

"Who cares what they say? If you want something, fight for it. And if you can't get it you still have me, right?" I gave him a firm, determined look. "I'm definitely on your side."

He didn't reject the company because he didn't want it. He rejected it because he couldn't stand being called a bastard while fighting for the inheritance.

"Have you?" He let out a cold laugh. "What, are you planning to support me for the rest of my life?"

The rest of his life? I mentally calculated the meager balance in my bank account.

"Why not?" My smile twitched.

He glanced at me. "You're sick."

Come on, I was being emotional here.

"If you insult me again, I'm really going to get mad." I raised a fist, threatening to hit him.

"Heh" He scoffed, unimpressed by my threat. "Look over there. What is that?"

"Where?" I craned my neck to look, curiosity getting the better of me.

"There's a kid," he said calmly. "A kid died over by the lake a long time ago. Now, every night, he comes back looking for his mom."

"Ah!" My first reaction was to throw myself into his arms. I buried my face in his chest, squeezing my eyes shut. After a long moment, I peeked out, terrified to look in that direction. "Is the kid gone?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"That scared?" His voice was cold, mocking me.

"I'm not scared!" I tried to pull away, but my body was honest. The next second, I grabbed onto him tighter.

"Weren't you going to hit me? What are you doing now, Auntie?" He looked down at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"That can wait!"

For the rest of the walk, I clung to his arm like a lifeline. This brat. He found my weakness. He spent the entire way home adding details to the ghost story. I was furious. By the time we got home, my soul had left my body.

Then he dropped one last line. "Forgot to tell you. That kid was me."

Me: ?

He ignored my confusion and went straight to his room.

Chapter 9

After that, the ice between Axel and me thawed. Just a little. About the size of a fingernail clipping. He still didn't acknowledge me. He still ignored my rules. He did whatever he wanted. But he didn't throw my luggage out again. He didn't feed my pancakes to the dog.

I'll take the win. As his guardian, I let him do whatever he wanted during the day. But at night? If he went to the bar, I went with him. Safety first. He went from hating it to not caring. Usually, he'd sit with a bunch of girls, drinking and smoking, looking bored out of his mind.

Me? I was busy destroying his friends at poker and video games. I was basically one of the bros now. One night, I was mid-game when I saw him ordering another round.

"Maybe switch it up?" I asked tentatively.

"Switch to what?" He side-eyed me.

"Milk?"

The look he gave me was special.

"You guys are still growing. Too much alcohol isn't good. Drink some milk, maybe you'll get taller. Axel, your mom wants you to drink milk at the club."

Pfft.

The table exploded in laughter. Was it that funny? Axel stood up and glared at them. The laughter died instantly. He stared at me, shaking his head. A small, exasperated laugh escaped him. "You are unbelievable."

He turned and headed for the bathroom. Mad again. Unsolvable puzzle, that boy.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A text from Tori.

He's back.

Three words. No name. But my stomach dropped to the floor. I grabbed my phone and walked outside to call her.

"When?"

"Heard he's been back for three months. He hasn't contacted you?"

"No" I paused. "Maybe once." That time I was drunk in the limo. Humiliating.

"He came back with Brooke. They're organizing a class reunion."

"Oh. Is that so?" We broke up a year ago. But hearing that still felt like swallowing acid.

"You really not getting back together with him?"

"Get back together? When we broke up, he made it very clear. We're on different levels now. He's Mr. International now, fresh back from overseas."

"So what? You're a rich wife now."

Mentioning money made me feel a little better. Harrison was my neighbor. I'd loved him since I was a kid. He must have liked me, right? Otherwise, why didn't he reject me when I confessed sophomore year? But we dated for less than six months before he left to study abroad.

I begged him not to go. He asked me, "Margot, don't you have your own life? Can you not survive without me?"

I waited for him for two years. And what did I get? A picture of him and Brooke, looking happy together.

"Margot, you're not here. You can't demand that I have no female friends."

Was I stopping him from having friends? Brooke liked him. The whole school knew. Did he not know? Was he clueless? Or did he just enjoy the attention?

Chapter 10

So, senior year, I pulled the plug. Harrison didn't fight for me. He didn't ask me to stay. So we were done.

"Are you coming to the reunion?" Tori asked over the phone.

"I'm coming. I have to wish my ex well, right? They're organizing this whole thing just to flaunt their relationship. If I don't go, I look weak."

"Sis, I salute you. You're a savage."

I hung up and took my rage out on the hydrangeas in the garden. The night wind stung my eyes, making them water.

"Did the flowers offend you?"

A voice drifted down from above. I looked up. Axel.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, startled.

"Smoking."

"You're a kid. Why do you smoke so much? It's bad for your development."

"You've got plenty of fight left in you. Guess the ex-boyfriend isn't that important after all." He glanced at me, unimpressed.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"Why would I bother?" He countered.

"This is adult business. Kids shouldn't interrupt."

"You're barely older than me. Stop acting like some ancient matriarch. And between the two of us, we both know who has the higher IQ."

"You!"

Harrison never made me this angry. But this kid? He could make me cough up blood in seconds.

"By the way," he added, flicking ash into the darkness. "I developed just fine."

He crushed the cigarette, turned, and walked away with that infuriatingly cool swagger.

Back at the booth, Axel lounged on the sofa. He didn't speak. He didn't drink. He just watched me with lazy, half-lidded eyes. It made my attempt to flirt with his classmates feel like a covert military operation.

"Hey, can I get your number?" I asked one of the guys.

"For sure! Let me add you." The boy reached for his phone.

Thud.

Axel kicked the leg of the boy's chair. Hard.

"Axel, what the hell?"

"What are you going to add her on?" Axel sneered. "Your Gizmo Watch?"

Me: ?

"You" The boy's face turned bright red. "Sis, my mom doesn't let me have a phone. Can we add each other on the watch app?"

"Sis, add me! I have a phone!" Another boy rushed over.

Axel shot him a look. A dead, cold stare. The boy's attitude did a 180.

"Sis, actually I don't have a phone either."

Me: ?

The atmosphere was suffocating.

"Let's go." Axel stood up and walked straight for the exit.

I scrambled to follow him. "Why won't you let me get their numbers?"

"Are you bored? Why do you need them?" He stopped and stared at me.

"I need a favor from your classmates," I admitted.

"What favor?"

"Well" An idea sparked in my brain. "Actually, you could do it. Will you help me?"

"Speak."

"Pretend to be my boyfriend. For the reunion"

"No." He cut me off before I could even finish the sentence. Cold. Final.

"You won't help, and you won't let me ask anyone else. What is your problem?"

"I thought you had some master plan to destroy your ex. Turns out you're just brainless."

"Fine! I'm brainless! You have a brain! You're the genius! The whole world knows you're smart! Is that enough?!" I snapped. The frustration of the entire daythe entire yearerupted. Tears sprang to my eyes instantly.

I admit it. The news about Harrison coming back broke me.

Axel stood there, stunned. He clearly hadn't expected the explosion. He rubbed the back of his neck and cursed under his breath. "I meant it's easy to get caught. We stand next to each other, and we don't look like a couple"

"You're the smart one! You're always right!" I didn't want to hear it. I wiped my face and stormed off.

"You're smart. You're always right." The dam broke. Tears spilled over my lashes before I could stop them. I admit it. Harrison coming back wrecked me.

Axel stood there, frozen. He rubbed the back of his neck, cursing under his breath. I kept walking, ignoring the car that pulled up beside me. Mack and Axel were trailing me. I swore I wouldn't talk to him.

"Get in. I'll do it."

He agreed?

"Fine." I swore next time. This one didn't count. I got in the car.

Chapter 11

The day of the reunion, I was a nervous wreck. I tried on about fifty outfits.

"Dressed like that? Trying to rekindle an old flame?" Axel leaned against my doorframe, eyeing the slip dress I was wearing with disdain.

"You're a kid, you don't get it. This is my battle armor." I ignored him and shoved him toward his room. "Go change. You can't wear your school uniform. It'll blow our cover."

"Why not? You bagged a high schooler. Isn't that enough to brag about for a year?"

"True." He frowned. "You really are brainless."

Insulting me again? Is this kid trying to start a war? I was about to explode, but he walked away.

Time was running out. I went to knock on his door. The door opened. I froze. Stunned by handsomeness.

"Axel why are you dressed like that?" I stammered.

He was wearing a black suit. It made his pale skin look porcelain. His lips were naturally red, and his eyes, usually hidden under messy hair, shone like stars. I suddenly remembered a news story about a wealthy woman obsessed with high school boys. I thought it was perverted at the time.

Right now? I felt like the queen of perverts.

"No good?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Too good!" I was practically swooning.

The reunion was at a lakeside hotel. High class. On the way there, I lectured myself on morality and ethics. But the second we walked in, I linked my arm through Axel's like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You're mute tonight. I'll do the talking."

"Aren't you afraid they'll laugh at you for dating a mute?"

"Oh, good point. Just grunt occasionally."

"Margot." He looked at me darkly. "Do you ever think before you speak?"

"What did I do?"

"Figure it out."

Me:

"Margot." Someone called my name.

I looked up. Brooke. She was wearing a long white dress, hair half-up. Pure. Beautiful.

"Brooke." I plastered on a smile. "You've changed so much! I almost didn't recognize you. You got prettier."

"No way." She was still a master of social niceties. I should hate her, but I couldn't say anything mean. "And this is? Aren't you going to introduce us?" Her gaze landed on Axel.

Just then, someone walked up behind her. Suit and tie. Cold expression. Even from a meter away, he sucked the air out of the room. Harrison.

I took a deep breath and dramatically pulled Axel closer. "Axel. My boyfriend."

"Wow, your boyfriend is so handsome! But he looks a little young?" Brooke's smile stiffened.

"Not young. He's twenty."

"Only twenty? God, Margot, you're amazing."

"Yeah, he's gorgeous. Did you save a galaxy in your past life?"

A crowd gathered around us. I clung to Axel, shyly avoiding Harrison's gaze.

"Twenty?" Harrison let out a soft laugh. "Axel, I seem to recall your student ID says seventeen."

"Seventeen?!"

"What's going on?"

Me