Page 48 of Sweet Hate
Axel
It’s quiet today. Dragged a lot. I prefer keeping busy. Missed working at the bakery tbh.
OK. Shut. The. Front. Door.
What fresh hell is this? Is he trying to make conversation? At midnight? Through text?With me?A small shiver of excitement runs up my spine at that possibility.Let’s put a pin in that, shall we?
Me
Oh, that’s a shame. Need me to start another fire so you’ve got something to do? It’s a new talent of mine these days.
Too much? Immediately second guessing myself, I consider unsending it, but it’s too late.
Axel
You have many talents. Firestarter doesn’t need to be one of them.
My brows practically shoot off my face. I don’t even know how to reply to that.
Axel
Fuck, sorry.
That sounded weird.
What did you do today?
Heistrying to make conversation. Forgetting all about the book, I try to figure out how to play it.
Casual, like,Oh, nothing much? Flirty? No. What am I saying? Not flirty.
We’re not playing that game anymore. Jesus, I don’t think I’ve ever overanalyzed how to text Axel back. Not once.
Me
LOL, you’re fine. Had lunch with the girls today. Kim insisted she couldn’t go a day longer without catching up.
Axel
No Swayze or Lucas?
Me
Feel like they’d have something to say if I called them “the girls”.
Axel
True.
Curling my toes into the sheets, I can’t help the flutter of excitement that runs through me again at the fact that we’re actually communicating or at the sight of those dots on my screen.
Axel
It looked like you were having fun the other night in Jett’s.
The night he was getting cozy with that blonde at the bar. My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach at that reminder.
I’m not entirely sure why he’d bring that up at all. Is this some sort of twisted game to him? It seems out of character, but then again, do I really even know him anymore? I never thought he’d ghost me either.
