☼ twenty-six ☼

                                    

                                          
Axel stopped a few feet away from Olivia and I, eyebrows raising as he gaped between us. "Am I interrupting something?"
Olivia's mouth started to form a yes, but I shook my head fervently, backing into my apartment. "I swear to you, she's leaving." I gulped. "Forever."
Olivia's jaw dropped, her green eyes glowing in my direction. "I was?"
"Did I not literally shove you out?" My nerves were frayed, on edge, and the pain in my stomach worsened with Axel there. With Axel witnessing this—Olivia and I arguing, which confirmed my lies, and put me once more in a delicate situation. "Did I not say to get your drunk ass out of my building?"
Olivia cackled, shaking her head. "You didn't say ass; I'd have remembered that."
"Olivia." My voice was low and threatening, but still, she didn't let up. That sparkle in her gaze, the nonchalant leaning forward; she was amused.
I expected Axel to turn tail and storm off to leave us to our devices. To leave me to handle Olivia on my own. I deserved it, after all; I'd lied to him, so why would he get involved with any of this? 
To my surprise, he strode forward and stood in front of me. He stretched up to his full height, his muscular arms folded before his equally muscular chest, his neck taut. I couldn't see his face with his back to me, but somehow I knew he was glaring at her.
"She asked you to leave," he said, his voice more menacing than mine, holding more meaning. "You've caused enough damage, so I suggest you listen to her."
Olivia's entertainment faded as she peered up at him, lower lip puffing out. "But I—"
"—no buts." Axel took one step forward, and Olivia teetered backwards, barely maintaining her balance. "I won't use force against you, because you're clearly intoxicated, and that would be unfair. I don't hit women. But if you don't get the fuck out of here, I will call the cops."
Olivia perked up, jutting her chin at me as I cowered behind Axel. "Whatever. But this isn't over."
Axel's spine tensed; I felt the electricity along his body as he flicked his wrist at Olivia. "The hell it's over. You're not to come within ten feet of Vivienne again, including at the wedding. And once the wedding is over, I'm putting out a restraining order."
Olivia scoffed, but still didn't budge. "A restraining order? You're joking. Fuck that."
"Don't," Axel wagged his finger at her, his stance nearing violent, "underestimate me, Olivia Preston. I do not fuck around, and I certainly don't joke."
"Right," Olivia rolled her eyes defiantly, "with all that money—"
"—money that I'll put to good use if you don't hurry and get your sorry, jealous ass out of here. I mean it." He gestured towards the stairwell. "You just about cost Vivienne her job, and you're costing me my sanity. Enough of that shit. Get. Out."
Before Olivia could utter another protest, Axel shoved me inside, followed, then slammed the door in her face.
He offered me a look devoid of any emotion—or if there was emotion, I couldn't read it—then stalked into the living room with a heavy sigh. "Jeez," he said, sounding exasperated, "what a nutcase, that one."
I crumbled against the door, my legs giving in to the shaking. Seeing Olivia was bad enough, but Axel showing up, then racing to my rescue...it riled up so many feelings in me that my body couldn't take it. Fear and loathing and shock all mingled to make me unstable on my feet.
Axel didn't come to me, though. Upon noticing me sitting on the floor, knees up to my chest, he narrowed his gaze. "You okay?"
I snorted. "Of course I'm not okay." I buried my nose between my knees. "That bitch, that...she..." I whipped my head up and fixed him with a severe stare. "She did it. She told on us."