This chapter is dedicated to @diyasue for voting and commenting! Thank you so much :)

••••

"I really need to go." I giggle as Axel comes out of his side of the car.

Pulling up at the dorm room car-park, I'm basically jumping up and down from happiness inside. My date with Axel went better than I ever could've expected it too.

After deciding to give it another go, it's a though the small flicker of hope that remained in my chest throughout our break has turned into a whole explosion of light and happiness.

"I know, I just don't want to leave you. Finally get you back and then I have to go again." Axel complains, walking around his side of the car to come and stand in front of me. Wrapping an arm round my waist, he draws me closer to his body.

I let out a contented sigh as I lay my head on his shoulder, his arms coming around me.

"I know, but you're going to football practice. It's not like we're going on a break." I laugh at his dramatic attitude, giving him a bit of a reality check.

Hi arms tighten around me as I mention the break. Bringing his hands to play with the ends of my hair, he keeps me close when he murmurs, "No, we're never doing that again. Ever."

"Right," I agree. "But, you're seriously going to be late for practice."

"Meh." He shrugs, giving me a grin.

Unable to help myself, I use my unbroken arm to draw him closer to me. His lips touch mine in the familiar dance as the immortal sparks light up inside my head.

Loosing myself in him, I forget about the world. Only focusing on my current feelings of elation. I inwardly scold myself when my smile gets in the way of our lips.

But maybe it was a good thing we stopped making-out because the next thing I hear is a whoop of joy.

Axel and I slowly turn. Still in his arms, I twist my neck round to see Rob and Emma bounding over to us with smiles bigger than their faces. Carrying Starbucks, they clearly stopped for coffee, before stumbling upon Axel and I.

Before they reach us, Axel leans down and whispers in my ear, "You know, if you got into the car really quickly we could drive away."

I playfully slap his shoulder at his suggestion, knowing that we're going to have to face our friends at one moment or the other.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming again!" Rob practically screams in excitement.

Letting his arms fall from my waist, Axel grabs my hand in a reassuring manner. His lips pull up at the corner as he shouts back at Rob, "Again?"

"Not important right now! Are you guys back together?" Emma asks, urgency and excitement clear in her tone.

Axel and I look at each other with a shy smile as he squeezes my hand in reassurance. Taking a deep breath, I nod.

"Thank god!" Emma and Rob both exclaim/half groan in relief.

"We weren't that bad." Axel defends.

"Bad? Bad! You missed two of our meetups! You might as well of shot me in the chest." Rob basically shouts, looking at Axel accusingly despite the smile on his face.

"I need details." Emma sequels, almost jumping up and down in her eagerness.

"I need to go anyway." Axel nods, leaning down he kisses me on the cheek.

Waving goodbye to Rob and Emma, he opens the car door. Sending me a wink, he climbs into his car and drives away.

Leaving me with the two hyper toddlers - also known as my two best friends.

"Details. Now." Rob demands.

Knowing I'm not going to get out of this, I agree and we all make our way back to the dorm where I tell them both every detail of this afternoon.

The afternoon that burst open my suppressed love for Axel.

••••

Blue lights flicker across my eyelids, the light blinding and impossible to ignore. With rain pounding on the window outside, I squint my eyes and will them to open.

Rob and Emma lay sound asleep, Emma staying over due to us not getting to bed till late at night. Glancing over at my clock, I realise it's ten in the morning.

My curiosity gets the better of me and I make my way to the window. Looking down, the usual Californian sky is grey and the rain is heavy in what looks like an indication of the mood of the scene below me.

A gasp leaves my lips as I take in the two police cars, their lights still blazing. The haze of the rain and bright lights makes it hard to see what's actually going on down there, but I can make out some faint shapes. My heart drops as I realise it looks like a car crash and with one car completely smashed at the front, it looks like an extreme case.

My heart rate speeds up at the thought of someone loosing their loved ones in the street below me - one that's usually filled with sunshine and students. Taking a look round the room, I realise that Rob and Emma are safe because they're sleeping in the same room as me.

But I quickly realise who's not here.

Axel.

Making my way back to my bed, I immediately grab my phone off of the bedside table.

Clicking on his contact, my mind whirls with possibilities. Unable to face any negative ones, I nearly start crying when he doesn't pick up. After leaving him a voicemail, I send him a text.

Hey, bad crash outside of my apartment. Are you okay?

The bubble that usually appears after I text him doesn't appear. There's no reply.

Five minutes later and I'm quickly over-thinking every possible situation. Walking over to Rob and Emma, I gently shake them awake.

"Why are you waking me up from my beauty sleep?" Rob exclaims, waking up automatically despite his protests.

His warm, joking tone fades away as he takes in my face. Trying to keep my emotions at bay, my face looks as though the worst has happened.

Which it might of, I still don't know.

And I know I'm overreacting right now, but the whole concept of not knowing if Axel is affected by the horrendous car crash downstairs is making me want to throw up.

"There's been a car crash just outside and Axel isn't answering any of my text messages." I whisper in explanation.

"Okay, have you checked Twitter and Instagram? School website?" Emma asks and in a split second fills the role of being the responsible one perfectly well.

"Yeah, there's nothing on it." I nod, knowing I've checked every single media outlet.

"Jesus, how did we sleep through that?" Rob whispers, looking out of the window at the car and seeming genuinely shaken for the first time.

"I don't know, but I'm freaking out a bit." I explain, sitting down on my bed.

Just as Rob begins to dial Axel's number, there's a knock at the door. Standing up on my wobbly knees, I stumble to the door. Opening it up, I'm immediately engulfed in the arms I've been longing for all night.

The dorm slams shut behind me as I clutch him tighter, Rob and Emma still inside.

"Thank god you're okay." Axel mumbles as he buries his face into my hair.

My heart pounds in relief and I almost start crying at the sight of him unharmed - his arms around me have never felt so reassuring.

"I was so worried about you." I confess, wrapping my arms around him in return, only to realise he is soaking. "Why are you all wet?"

He looks down at his drenched t-shirt and joggers before shrugging, "I ran here."

At a loss of words, I stutter out, "What? Why didn't you take your car? Or better yet, look at your damn phone." I scold.

"I saw there was an accident and ran, the road is closed to cars both ways anyway. I didn't have time to grab my phone." He explains.

"You're such an idiot." I shake my head, the cool sensation of relief flooding through me as the weight on my shoulders lifts.

"Your idiot, though." He grins, his dimples appearing.

I let out a breathy laugh as Axel dips his head to mine and connects our lips in a kiss that conveys the relief we both feel. Standing in each others arms, knowing that we're both safe is suddenly something I'm very thankful for.

Breaking for air, I look behind me to see the dorm room shut. Axel lets out a groan and rests his head against my shoulder.

"They're so going to make fun of me." He laughs.

"Yep." I nod, slowly backing away from him. Taking in his soaked clothes and dark hair plastered to his forehead, I realise that we shouldn't just be standing here unless we want Axel to get ill.

I open the door as Rob lets out a cheer. "My boy lives!"

"Your boy needs to borrow some clothes." I instruct, the rules my mom had drilled into me as a child suddenly being useful.

"Wife material right there." Rob nods at Axel.

Axel grins at me and Rob before agreeing, "I know."

My face lights up on cue.

While my 'friends' and supposed 'boyfriend' all laugh at me, Rob looks out some clothes. Throwing them at Axel, he goes and gets changed. Coming out in shots and a tight t-shirt, my mouth runs dry.

Clearing her throat to get attention, Emma speaks up. "Study and sleepover night?" She suggests.

"It's eleven in the morning." Axel says, clearly confused over Emma's excitement.

"As long as there's snacks." Rob shrugs, obviously up for Emma's suggestion.

"Of course there would be snacks. What do you take me for, a monster?" I joke, placing a hand against my chest in mock-hurt.

Emma and Rob head out to get snacks from downstairs, Axel and I start on setting up the blankets and pillows across the floor.

Turning on the fairy lights by the bed, I collapse onto the floor with a sigh. Axel comes and lies beside me, his fall much more graceful.

"I can't believe they're this excited for today." Axel laughs as he turns to look at me.

"Me either, it's cute though." I say trying to defend them.

"Not as cute as you." Axel winks, delivering yet another cheesy line

Turning to look into his eyes, I'm momentarily caught off guard. His lit up with amusement and the soft glow of fairy lights casting a shadow over his face - I'm suddenly thankful that I met Axel.

Thankful that we met, that we make each other happy and that despite our arguments and problems, he's fought his way back into my life.

Because without it, I wouldn't be lying beside the man I love.

••••

Thy're so cute! I love having them back together! Do you?

What did we think about this chapter? How about the car crash?

Please leave a vote if you enjoyed it and I'll see you all next Friday for another update :)

Much love,

Jade x