MACY

"So, he hasn't spoken to you for the last two weeks?" Emmitt asked, his voice blaring through the phone as I placed it on loudspeaker. He sounded just as baffled as I was at Axel's sudden change in behaviour. "Why don't you try asking him what's wrong?"

I glared at my phone that laid on the granite countertop in my bathroom as I tied my hair into a pony, "Well, that's a bit hard to do considering he keeps ignoring me and shutting down all my attempts to enter in a conversation. The comfortable silence we had before has dissipated and turned into an awkward, uncomfortable tension. Do you know what a pain it is to be confined in the same car as him?" I realised how whiny I sounded, but I really was disgruntled by his behaviour.

"And this is going on for what, two weeks if I'm not mistaken?" Emmitt quipped, "It's almost a month in and you still have a little over two months with the guy. If I were you I would be camping outside his bedroom door and demanding he tells me what crawled up his butt crack! It's time you grow a pair and face him or else the rest of your time there is going to be hell on Earth, love."

Humming in response, I separated my hair that was now placed securely in a hair tie in half, pulling at it to tighten the ponytail, "We shall see what happens," I mused, "What are your plans for today?"

"It's Valentine's Day, tonight is the one night that I'm overbooked but I'm sure to have a fucking good time," he replied suggestively, lightly snickering at his own pun.

What he found funny, I found weird and a little disgusting only because picturing two people having sex wasn't a dandy thought, "You're nauseating."

"Oh, come on. Maybe if you make up with Axel you could have a fucking good time too. Make up sex is the best after all," Emmitt's sing-song voice made me cringe but his words created a yearning feeling within me.

God, what's wrong with me?

Ignoring that feeling I said, "Firstly, he's probably going to spend the night with Claudia, those two have been whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears since that night of their date," the thought of Axel and Claudia getting it on was nothing but repulsive, nevertheless I continued, "and you very well know that I don't see Axel in that way."

At this statement, Emmitt erupted into a laugh that I thought would break my bathroom mirror, "Love, please remember that if you're blind it doesn't mean the whole world is blind as well. Your absurdity never seems to fail me. Anyway, if he isn't spending the night with Claudia then maybe you could take advantage of that. A little experimenting never hurt anyone and not to mention that you're a twenty-three year old virgin. Are you planning to die as one?"

"Nuns are virgins and they live happy lives!"

"Oh you sweet thing, you don't know what the nuns get up too at night. Dildos were invented for a reason," he taunted.

Grabbing my phone from the counter, I disengaged the speaker mode and place it to my ear so that no one else in the house could hear Emmitt's ridiculous thoughts, "You're unbelievable."

"Seriously though, you have so much pent up sexual frustration, you would feel much better by getting rid of it. If you're convinced you don't like the man it's okay, he will just be your little sex toy. It's not like you didn't enjoy that kiss you two shared."

"I wouldn't regard it as a kiss," I corrected.

"Fine, the peck on your lips that lasted long enough to count as a kiss," Emmitt said with witticism.

"Okay, I need you to shut up and get lost!" I groaned as my phone began to buzz, "I'm getting another call, enjoy your day you sex-crazed maniac!" Not waiting for his reply, I ended the call and answered the other line, "Macy speaking, who am I speaking too?"

A throat cleared on the other end before speaking, "Happy Valentines Day, Jade," the name took me off guard. Since this was a brand new phone, hardly anyone had my number and none of my clients from when I worked as an escort had my number either.

"Who the hell is this?" I growled lowly, the name put me on edge. It was a name that reminded me of something I wanted to forget. Jade was my escort identity and she died when I lost my job.

"Relax sweetheart," another man's voice filled my ear. The word he called me struck a chord, only one very annoying person called me that.

"Dwayne?"

"I find it funny how you recognised my voice and not Chase's when you've known him longer," Dwayne chortled.

Rolling my eyes even though I knew he couldn't see me I deadpanned, "It wasn't your voice, it was the word sweetheart that gave your idiotic ass away."

"Oh, she's still as feisty as ever," Dwayne murmured, probably to Chase who was strangely silent. 

"How did you guys get my number?"

This time Chase spoke up, "Axel had given it to me. I wanted to check up on you and your old number went straight to voicemail each time I tried it. It was a long shot, but somehow I knew the maggot had your number," his words turned sour at the end and I had a strange urge to defend Axel but I clenched my jaw and remained quiet instead as Chase continued, "I'm surprised you took him up on his over. You seemed adamant enough to not even want to be in the same city as the guy."

"Walking over to my bed, I took a seat at its edge before letting out a deep sigh, "Yeah well, shit happens and things change I guess. By the way, do you still mind telling me what Axel held against you to fire me?" I asked to bait him. Thanks to Emmitt, I already knew what their secret was.

"Yes, I do," Chase said in a clipped tone.

"Tell her, it's not like she's going to tell anyone," Dwayne intercepted, his tone more pleading than anything else, "Stop giving me that monkey face of yours and spit it out or I will."

His threat reminded me of the masquerade ball I attended with him as my date. Then too, the two of them were bickering, Dwayne calling Chase a monkey and Chase only brooding further. Even now, I felt Chase resembled more of an ape or something bigger than a monkey.

"Fine, sometimes I wonder why I know you," Chase complained, "It's well... Because... It's..." He trailed on, struggling to find the words as he stammered probably out of nervousness.

"Lord help you," Dwayne's sarcastic voice was heard, "I'm married to a total dweeb!"

If I had water in my mouth, I would have spat it out at the statement. What I expected to hear and what I heard were two different things. I knew that they were an item but to be married? How the heck did I miss that? I never noticed Chase wearing a wedding ring and definitely, Dwayne didn't wear one because his parents really did believe I was his date that night. They probably didn't even know that their son wasn't straight.

Chocking on fresh air, I tried to calm my coughing and gasped for air so that I could use my words.

"Great, you've done it this time! Couldn't you be subtle?" Chase chided, "Macy, are you okay? I would get you some water but I'm across the pond."

Heaving, I responded, "I'm alive! You guys are married? I mean, I knew that you two were gay but married? When did this happen? How did this happen? Who else knows? Am I meant to keep it a secret as well?" I spewed out all my questions hastily, trying to organise my thoughts.

"Calm down, sweetheart. Just take in a deep breath and we will explain everything. It's really not that big of a deal, " Dwayne coaxed in a soothing voice to pacify me.

"We've been married for just over a year. It was a small thing, just us, Axel, and one of the girls that worked for me. It would have been just Dwayne and me but we needed witnesses. Dwayne's parents obviously have no idea, that's why we get someone to pretend to be his date. He rather lie to his parents that he is straight than face their disappointment by telling them the truth," Chase snorted at the end.

"It's not like that," Dwayne immediately defended, "you heard Macy's reaction, imagine how my parents would react. My dad might have a stroke or something."

"Or fake one," I heard Chase murmur softly.

"That's uncalled for," Dwayne seethed, his anger evident.

It was definitely awkward sitting on the phone and listening to them argue while leaving me on the line. They had probably forgotten I was there, "Break it up you two!" I reprimanded causing their spitfire battle to halt.

"Sorry, wait, you said that you knew we were gay. Did Axel tell you?" Chase asked skeptically.

"No, he didn't. It's a long story that I can explain some other time. You two in a screaming match is my cue to leave."

After ending the call, I exited my room and made my way to the kitchen. Axel had already left for the day, giving me the go-ahead to spend my time at home rather than accompany him to the bakery. It irritated me that he chose for me to stay home so that he could spend the day with Claudia without my presence.

Of course, he didn't really tell me that, it was more of a speculation or assumption.

I found Stephen in the kitchen hopelessly making pancakes as his daughter sat and watched, giggling whenever he made a silly mistake. Once his pancakes were ready and placed on a tray, he made some freshly squeezed orange juice and placed it on the tray as well, including a thin, long, glass vase with a single blood-red rose.

He smiled at his daughter and then nodded his head at me as a greeting before scurrying off to the main bedroom to bring his sweet wife some breakfast in bed. The look on his face spread euphoria throughout the room. It was clear as a bright blue sky that he loved his wife more than life itself. It sort of reminded me of my parents.

I missed my parents so much. They tried to call at least once a week considering the call was long distance so the billing was quite excessive. After my dad had paid off my debt for me, he began to spend money more wisely. He still had to buy whatever my mother craved for though but luckily her cravings seemed to be dying down. They informed me that she was beginning to show a baby bump and because of that slight bump, more than half of my mom's clothes failed to fit her anymore.

In place of me, Lacy took on the duty of making sure my mom had everything she needed whenever my father wasn't around. My father and Dylan seemed to hit it off even though it took Dylan some time to get past the fact that my dad worked for the police. Apparently, Dylan didn't trust the law very much.

Both my parents had even taken a strong liking to Rose. That kid weaseled her way into anyone and everyone's heart, even mine even though we butted heads more often than not. She reminded my mum of what having a child around the house felt like, inevitably preparing her for her soon to come bundle of joy.

I desperately wished to be there with them, hating every minute apart. Each moment I missed just infuriated me. My mom was yet to feel the baby kicking for the first time but that would be very soon and I would miss it. Everyone else would get the chance to be there except for me and that just made me unhappy. Thinking of all that practically made me brood for an entire week.

"What's with the sour face, Barbie?" Stephanie said, raising an eyebrow at me. Pulling out the chair next to her, she smirked, "Have a seat."

Rolling my eyes, I did as she said because I was too mentally drained to argue with her. The fact that she called me Barbie begged me to snap back at her but I just couldn't. I felt...broken.

"So, what's wrong? Are you mad because my brother chose to go to work instead of spending the day with you?" She prodded, an amused glint shining in her eyes that were so much like Axel's.

She hit the nail on the head in a way but I wasn't about to tell her that. It wasn't as if Axel leaving without me was the only thing that plagued my mind, however, it was the one thing that was predominant.

"He will be back tonight, cheer up. He's like a lovesick puppy when it comes to you and I have no idea why," Stephanie snorted, placing her elbows on the table and cupping her cheeks with the palms of her hands, "He probably went out to get you something for today. This whole Valentines' Day thing is so overrated!"

I stared at her stunned for a moment. This was probably the first time Stephanie and I had an actual conversation and yet somehow even with her my conversation surrounded the fact that Axel and I were somehow meant to be together. Apparently, everyone could see the love blooming between us except for me. I couldn't help wonder what Axel's view on this was. He flirted with me on many occasions but I always took it as playful banter. Nothing more, nothing less.

"What do you mean by 'get me something'?" I asked, using actual air quotes to emphasize my confusion, "He would probably be getting something for Claudia. That's who he loves anyway," I practically sneered. The thought of them together in any way just bothered me and I couldn't help but air my grievances.

Stephanie let out a cackle before examining my face and realising that I was being very serious, "Those two have absolutely no future together. Let me tell you a story, those two schooled together. Apparently, they were like best friends or something along those lines. My dork of a brother included her in everything, and I mean everything. I bet you would find her in almost every photo in mum's family album. It was so bad that if a stranger saw it, they would think that she was our sister. Then again, that's all Axel ever saw her as except she took it the wrong way. I have to admit, she's pretty persistent that one."

Furrowing my brows, I tried to add up everything in my head but something was still a miss, "So, if he only sees her as a sister, then why did he go on a date with her?"

Stephanie simply shrugged, "I don't know but knowing my brother, he probably didn't make any moves on her. He's not like other men out there if he sees someone as family that will never change so in his head, Claudia Sterling was always off-limits and will always be that way."

I nodded in understanding. Stephanie knew her brother better than I did. Even if they were going through a rough patch right now, she wouldn't just forget her brother. She spoke about him with love in her voice and pain in her eyes. There was a longing for forgiveness and hope that their relationship could be rebuilt swimming in her hazel orbs.

"I don't think I've asked this before, but which one of you is older?" I queried sheepishly.

"I am, Axel is my little brother. He's twenty-four and I'm twenty-six," she smiled a warm smile that I had never seen grace her face before. It was nice to see that she had other expressions beside the cynical one she continuously wore on a daily basis.

The rest of the day I spent watching television with Stephanie. Stephen and Aggie never left their bedroom mainly because Aggie's health started deteriorating once again. She showed some signs of improvement when I first arrived but for the past week, she became weaker to the extent where she couldn't get out of bed. She refused to visit the hospital because she could dictate what the doctor would say and she wasn't budging about getting a heart transplant. After the major heart attack she had, she was lucky to survive but her heart was weakening each day, more and more. To her, if this was her way to die then she would welcome it and not prolong it.

To me, that was both honorable, noble, and very stupid.

My dad had phoned to wish me on for the special day. He always wished my mom and me by getting mom a bouquet of red roses. From that bouquet, he would always pluck out one rose and hand it to me. Although it wasn't much, it made me feel special. As a little girl, it showed me that no matter what, it's the little things that counted the most.

I couldn't help but count down the hours, minutes, and even seconds on the clock, waiting for Axel's arrival. If he came home early tonight, if he came home at all, then maybe Stephanie was right and Axel's perception of Claudia hadn't changed. Maybe there was another reason for him to ignore my presence and maybe I should grow a pair and confront him just like Emmitt had told me too.

Doing my calculations, I knew that the bakery closed at six today. With Axel now having his own car as transportation, it would only take him half an hour to get home, give or take the traffic. Stephanie, although she wouldn't stop teasing me, tried to help me take my mind of everything. I felt so jittery and nervous. If he wasn't spending the night with Claudia then he would be with me and we might not do what Emmitt suggested we do but we would still have fun, right after I castrated him for ignoring me for two weeks straight.

That sounds fair, right?

On cue, at half-past six, the front door opened and in walked Axel, teeth clattering, body shaking and nose bright red. He quickly shrugged off his trench coat and left it on the coat rack before making a B-line for his room.

Once again ignoring me.

"Let him have a shower and warm up. He must be freezing, Stephanie reassured me, "Let's make dinner. Mum isn't well and dad really isn't much of a cook. Axel is probably exhausted and dinner was meant to be ready an hour ago."

Giving her the are you kidding me look, I chastised, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have made something. We could make a quick spaghetti with tomato sauce or order pizza."

Shaking her head, Stephanie muttered, "Pizza isn't good for mum's health. Let's go with the spaghetti idea."

I nodded in understanding as we leaped up from the couch and made out way to the kitchen. It felt good to be actually cooking and not baking since baking scared me with all its precise measurements. In a kitchen, I felt as if I were in my element. There was no set recipe to make something, no distinct measurement to follow. Especially with me, I worked according to taste. If it tastes good then it's a success whereas a cake has so many things that could falter.

In no time, dinner was ready. Stephanie had taken the food to her parents and then called Axel to join us at the dining table to eat. The look on Axel's face when he noticed that his sister and I finally seemed to be getting along was priceless. He looked as if he were about to faint. Unfortunately, the complete composed Axel shrugged it off and continued to eat, barely participating in the conversation.

Since I cooked the meal, Stephanie was saddled with the dishes. With a lot of groaning, moaning,  grunting, and other sounds of procrastination, I finally lured her into the kitchen, promising the wipe and pack the dishes for her if she washed them. All it took was a little team effort.

After dinner, Axel locked himself within the confinements if his room. I always knew what to say and when to say it. Yes, I mostly chose the wrong time to say things just to get on people's nerves but I knew what to do in every situation. When it came to Axel, everything was different. The situation seemed more complex than it really was and words always evaded me. Basically, I become as dumb as a doormat. It's on the rare occasion that I come back with a witty remark or fight him back.

"I'm off to bed," Stephanie said mid-yawn as I kept the last plate away.

"It's really early though," my eyes lingered on the clock, working out the time since it had no numbers.

"I know but I've got to open shop early tomorrow since we didn't open today. We've got to make money to keep us afloat after all. Good night, Barbie!" She patted me on the shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen and in the direction of her room.

Switching the house lights off, I made my way to the room with the bright green door. If I thought it through any further then I would convince myself not to face him so I had to just go in, unprepared, and speak from the... Heart?

Knocking on the door lightly so that no one else would hear, I swallowed the rising bile that crept up my throat.

With a gruff voice, Axel said, "Come in."

I opened the door to find him sitting shirtless at the edge of his bed. During the time I had spent here I had never been in his room. There was a lot of green that decorated the place and many trophies and certificates of accomplishments. There were even family pictures from his childhood hung on the walls.

He got up from the bed, his long legs taking long strides toward me. My eyes we glued on the way the dim light of the room created shadows against his lean, toned body. Each abdominal muscle of his looking tanned and dare I say it, delectable. My eyes followed his every movement, watching how his muscles stiffened, hardened and contracted when he closed the door behind me.

Something within me burned, call it desire, hunger, want, lust, or pent up sexual frustration. The lingering sensation made heat rush up my neck to tint my cheeks a bright red. My palms became clammy and my heart began to forget how to beat. I just felt dizzy from him perfectly sculptured figure.

Axel cleared his throat, forcing me to rip my eyes away from his body to meet his darkened gaze. His pupils had dilated and suddenly I remembered something I was taught back in school.

A person's eyes dilates when they see something they have great emotion for.

"Sunshine, is something the matter?"

I started at Axel blankly, still in my thoughts. His continuous flirting was not just playful banter but it was meaningful. The sparks that made no sense but appeared every time we touched meant something, the reason he cared so much that he even got me fired from being an escort wasn't because he was trying to be an egotistical jerk.

No, it was none of those things. It was because somehow, staring into his blackened eyes, I finally realised something everyone had been trying to drill into my head. The reason he came home tonight, the reason he smiled and paid so much attention to me and told me what to do even though I didn't like it. Even though we had a rocky start, somehow, he still developed feelings for me

And although it's just been three weeks of me actually being friendly to him, I somehow developed feelings for him too.

To any religious people reading this chapter, a thousand and one apologies if I offended you but picking on nuns... It just playful banter after all!