What the f–?

Mila’s POV

"I'll wash," I said, standing up and reaching for the empty plates to escape having to stare at Axel any moment longer.

"Oh, Mila, no, you just got here—" Carol started, her hands already reaching to take the plates from me.

"I've got it," Aaron interrupted, sliding out of his chair with an easy smile. He took the stack of plates right out of my hands. "I'll help her."

"Thank you," I whispered, smiling at him. I was glad it was him and not Axel.

From the corner of my eye, I could feel Axel’s eyes following my every movement. I didn’t dare meet his gaze.

In the kitchen, Aaron took his spot right next to me, grabbing a clean white dish towel. He wiped while I washed.

"So," Aaron started, leaning his hip against the counter as he dried the first plate. "Are you excited to start at the high school next week?"

I let out a dry, quiet chuckle, keeping my eyes on the soapy water. "Excited isn't exactly the word I'd use."

"No?" He turned his head to look at me, his eyes holding a gentle, curious glint. "What's the word then?"

"Terrified, maybe," I admitted, my voice dropping an octave. I hadn't planned on being honest, but there was something about his presence that made it easy to talk to him. "I had to leave all my friends behind. My best friend, Chloe... we did everything together. Now I'm the new girl, starting completely from scratch in the middle of the school year. I have this stupid fear that I'm just not going to fit in, or that making new friends here is going to be impossible."

Aaron stopped wiping for a moment, letting the towel rest in his hands as he listened intently. "Hey, look at me," he said softly.

I swallowed, looking up from the sink to meet his gaze.

"I know it's a big adjustment, and it sucks leaving your life behind," Aaron said, his voice deep and reassuring. "But you're not going to be invisible, Mila. Honestly, our school is pretty typical." He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "We have a nice cheer squad, I guess."

I blinked at him, staring at the serious look on his face. “Really?" I burst into laughter.

"Yeah." He tossed the dry plate into the cabinet. "They basically run the social calendar, but that's not really my scene. Now, the football team—that’s a different story. We're the regional champions." He beamed, his pretty dimples peeking out for a fraction of a second as an animated look took over his face. "We completely destroyed our rivals last season. The whole town shows up for the games. Prom is usually fire, too. They hire a really solid DJ."

A low giggle escaped my throat. "Okay, so what you're saying is, football is everything. And I need to put on my dancing shoes for prom?"

"Pretty much," he laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets for a second. "But seriously, you'll settle in quickly, don't worry. It helps that you're the sister of the football captains. Axel and I are, well… how do I put this lightly?"

“Popular?” I finished for him.

His lips slowly curled into a shy smile. “I guess you could say that. People generally look out for us. Which means they're going to look out for you."

I didn’t know if it was the way he smiled when he spoke to me, or if it was just his words, but it warmed my heart. I managed a real smile, passing him a wet mug. "Maybe it might not be all bad."

"Trust me, it won’t," he said, his face suddenly turning serious. “I’ll make sure of it.”

The conversation felt so normal, so effortless, that I finally found myself relaxing, until he suddenly checked his watch, his face dropping.

"Ah, crap. I completely forgot I promised Coach I'd help him with the equipment in the gym," he said, looking genuinely apologetic. "Mila, I am so sorry for leaving you with the plates."

"Go, it’s fine," I replied with a small shrug.

"I owe you," he said, rushing out the swinging door.

I turned back to the sink, finishing up the last of the plates alone. The kitchen was completely quiet.

Then, I turned around. I jolted. “Oh, shit! What the hell?”

Axel was standing right there. He hadn't announced his presence at all, just lurking in the space.

"Did I scare you?" he asked.

My mind instantly flashed back to the night in the kitchen when I had shuddered because he was lurking in the dark. This was his habit, I thought, my chest tightening.

He crossed the distance between us slowly. It was completely reminiscent of last night, the way he closed the space until he was towering over me. My eyes involuntarily flickered toward the kitchen door, expecting someone to walk in.

"Don't worry," Axel murmured, tracking my gaze. "No one’s coming.”

I didn’t know if that was meant to be reassuring, but it wasn’t. Hearing that made my heart race. Now I knew for sure—our interaction last night was weird. I wanted to put my foot down, to tell him to back off, but I was holding my breath, a sudden heat traveling up to my cheeks.

Axel smiled knowingly. "Quite a reaction to my question about last night. It was harmless, wasn't it?"

"Axel..." My voice cracked, completely weak.

"You can't even look me in the eyes," he said, his eyes boring into mine.

I wanted to say last night was nothing, that it didn't mean anything, but I couldn't open my mouth to say a word.

He stared hard at me for a moment. "You have something on your cheek."

Before I could move, he leaned in and wiped it with his thumb.

I let out an audible gasp, my heart pounding against my ribs.

He lowered his hand, his smirk widening. "Surely there’s only one reason why you choked at the table when I asked about your night?"

I couldn't even breathe.

He leaned a fraction closer. "You had naughty thoughts last night, and you did naughty things, didn't you?"

My brows creased in sudden confusion. "Huh?"

Wait, what was he talking about?

I searched his eyes, desperately looking for any clue that he was the one in the kitchen last night. There was absolutely nothing. No knowing smirk, no look in his eyes that suggested he had any recollection.

What the fuck...