Ally's pov:

I was running a few minutes behind, heading to the library to meet Axel. 

I had attempted to try and find Claire after she had ran off, but it was no good. It's not like her to disappear after a fight, which makes it all the more worrying. 

I let Zoe stay back in my room so that Sophia could have some space in their room. It also helps that if Claire comes back, Zoe could text me instead of me worrying over my roommate's whereabouts. 

I can't explain why Axel was the only person I wanted to see after the argument. I just felt that I needed to see him, no matter what.

Maybe it's because I know deep down that seeing him will make me feel better, like it always does. 

My heart races as I climb the stairs, heading to our meeting spot. And when I see him, leaning against a wall on the far side of the room, I can't help but admire how good he looks. 

See? I'm already feeling better. 

"Axel...?" I say, approaching him. He looks up from where he was staring off into space, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking so hard about before I arrived. 

"Ally, are you okay?" He asks, already noticing the sad look in my eyes. 

"I'm better now... the talk didn't go so well though." I say, letting him pull me into a hug when I'm in arms reach of him. 

I let him hold me for a couple seconds, allowing myself to finally breath after a stressful day. 

"Is there anything I can do to make it better?" He asks, letting me go enough to look into my eyes. 

I shake my head, not wanting him to feel he had to get involved in something like this, "No, it's okay. I'll be alright. Seeing you has already made me feel better." I say, honestly. 

He smiles at that, "I'm glad. I'll always be here for you, no matter what," he says, and for some reason, I feel like he means more than just this conversation.

"I know you will." I say, knowing that his words are true. And that alone makes me put all my worry and stress on the back burner as I take in the comfort of his words.

"Do you want to sit down and just talk for a bit?" He asks. I nod my head and let him lead me to a small corner in the room where there is a small seating area with a couch and tv. 

Luckily, we seem to be the only people in the building, which is strange for a school night. But I'm grateful, nonetheless, knowing that I get some privacy with Axel. 

Once we are sat down, we sit in a comfortable silence for the next couple minutes. I don't know how he knows that this is exactly what I needed, but it just proves how understanding Axel is. 

The sound of his phone buzzing though interrupts our quiet space, and I see just in time as Axel denies two calls. One from Tanner, and another from Dylan. 

"You can take those, if you need to. I don't mind." I say, not wanting him to miss anything that could be important from either of his friends. 

Axel just shakes his head though, shoving his phone in his back pocket before sighing, "They're fine. I don't want to talk to them right now." 

"Did something happen?" I can't help but ask, noticing his upset expression.

"It's nothing. I just had a bit of a disagreement with Bryce, they'll get over it." He says, but the tone of his voice doesn't exactly make me believe that everything is alright. 

"You can tell me about it, if you want." I say, wanting to be a comfort to him just as much as he is to me. 

He scratches the back of his neck and remains silent, which slightly worries me since I'm used to Axel ranting about the arguments he has with his roommates with no problem. 

"Was this a bad argument?" I ask, watching as he slowly nods his head after a few seconds. 

"I punched him in the face." Axel says, which causes me to gasp, because Axel is not someone who resorts to violence when it comes to a disagreement. Especially with someone who he cares about. 

"What-... what happened?" I ask, my eyes wide as I stare at the side of his face, waiting for a response. 

Axel's hands ball up into fists as he stares angrily at the carpet, probably recalling what had happened. 

"I'll tell you about it later. Right now is about you. " He says, refusing to meet my eye as he says this. 

"It can be about both of us, I don't mind. I want to be there for you too if you're having a bad day. It shouldn't be one sided." I say, putting a hand on his arm, trying to get him to look up at me. 

He doesn't look up at me as his next words put a small crack in my heart, "I don't want this to kick you while you're already down." 

I stare at him, confused, letting a thousand thoughts run through my head before saying, "Your fight was about me?"

Slowly but surely, he nods his head, and that is when he finally looks up at me to see my expression. 

I was confused yet hurt at the same time, not understanding why their fight would be over me, specifically. 

I always thought Bryce and I were on our way to becoming good friends. I didn't pick up on any signs that he didn't like me. 

"What did he say?" I ask, already expecting the worst in my head. 

Maybe he thinks I'm a bad influence on Axel... 

Do Tanner and Dylan think this too? Are they trying to do some type of intervention for Axel? 

These thoughts make me sick to my stomach, and I find myself squeezing the couch underneath me to release the tension flowing through my gut. 

Axel sighs, clearly not wanting to say what had happened, "Morgan had found something that caused them stop me on the way over here to meet you." 

I look at him with a curious expression, but not surprised that Morgan had something to do with it.

I knew that girl didn't like me. 

She was rude from the beginning, and clearly didn't like me or my friends hanging out with the boys. 

She is weirdly possessive over Axel, Dylan, and Tanner, who don't even particularly like her to begin with. 

It was amusing, yet sad to watch. 

But I couldn't help but wonder what she could have possibly found on me...

My stomach drops. 

No, there's no way. 

She couldn't have. 

I start to get nervous as I think about how easy it is to do a quick google search of my name. 

I was hoping though to have that talk with Axel before either him or his friends get curious. 

"What was it?" I ask, even though I was now already aware of what he was about to say. 

Axel runs a hand through his hair, taking a second to carefully choose his words before turning towards me, "About who you are. Your family, your life before coming here, ...you." 

He watches me carefully, letting the words sync in. He was clearly looking for some type of reaction out of me, to perhaps see what I was thinking. But instead, I froze. 

"Are you mad?" I ask, after a few seconds of silence. I felt guilty that he had to find out that I was a whole different person from someone else. I wish I did it sooner. 

"I'm not mad... I'm just confused. And a bit hurt I guess, because you know almost everything about me, but I barely know anything about you," He says, crossing his arms over his chest as he gives me a look. 

I look down, his stare burning into my soul, "I know. I only told you what I wanted you to know and wasn't honest from the start. I'm sorry I lied." 

"I guess I don't understand why you weren't just honest from the beginning..? I don't care if you come from some insanely rich family, or the fact that you are some famous modal, which I totally predicted by the way, back in California." He laughs to himself during the modal part, because indeed, he did call it. Multiple times, actually, he said he couldn't believe I wasn't a modal. 

Turns out, I actually am.

Or... was, I guess.

I'm not even sure anymore. 

"I wanted to tell you, from the start. You, your friends, my friends... I should have said something when I started forming real connections with all of you..." It was true. I should have said something when I started forming these real friendships. 

He gives me a look, urging me to continue.

I rest my head on the back of the couch as I look up, trying not to get emotional, "My life is so different here than back home. No one looks at me as if I'm some lottery jackpot, and I get to finally be a normal student without some insane expectations. Back home, it was always about my career and protecting the family name. Always watching my back for people trying to get money out of my dad or fame from my mother. I just wanted to pretend, for a little while, that none of that existed. But in the meantime, I ended up lying to all of you and I'm sorry." 

I blink back tears, hating myself for being so self-centered and careless.

Just as I'm about to wipe the tear that escaped down the side of my face, Axel's hand beats me to it. He caresses that side of my face with his thumb, and I close my eyes, not wanting to see him looking at me. 

"I told you, I'm not mad. I just wanted to understand." he says in a gentle voice, continuing his sweet caressing. 

I don't say anything as I let him comfort me, afraid that if I say something this moment will end. 

"Ally... please say something. I don't know what's going on in your head, but I hate it." 

"You don't even know what I'm thinking." I say, matter of factly. 

He bops me on the nose after hearing that, "I know you're probably guilty and thinking things that are definitely far from the truth."

"And what would that be?"

He stills, not answering my question. 

He goes awfully quiet from beside me, and just as I am about to peek an eye open to see what he's doing, I feel his soft lips land on mine, beckoning me into a kiss. 

"hmmm~" I mumble against his lips, shocked by the sudden kiss. 

I try to ask what in the world he was doing, because out of the thousands of ways I planned out how I would tell Axel the truth, kissing definitely wasn't included in any of the responses I made up in my head. 

Okay, maybe one, but I thought it was a little bit delulu, even for me. 

Axel senses me trying to ask what he was doing, which only results in him chuckling. Amused by my reaction, he says, "Just shush and kiss me already, Ally, let's call it even." 

And safe to say, I kissed the living heck out of him. 

Hey guys!!!

I hope you liked this chapter <3

Lol y'all were pissed about that last cliffhanger omg XD 

Sorrrry notttt sorrrry. (You just gotta trust the process okok)

Love you all!!!

~juls