Can't Help but Love Him

What he hasn't told me

     "Jason, what kind of tea do you prefer? You're from London, so you must love tea, right? I was listening to you and Axel break in and I must say, I just love your accent! Come and sit! Steven won't be home for decades so feel free to use his chair." She babbled, having a servant pull up a chair for her.

     "Um, I like tea, s-sure." I understood what Axel had meant by passionate, but this was overwhelming. I sat across from her, eyeing the servers that lined the hall.

     "Speaking of Axel, tell me how he's been treating you! He hasn't caused you any trouble, has he?" She asked, leaning forward. 

     "No, no trouble..." Guilt rose over me; if anything I had been causing him trouble, not the other way around. 

     "He never tells me enough about you! Tell me your story, sweety. How did you become infatuated with my son?" She inquired, looking me deep in the eyes. She surprised me; I didn't know she was alright with our relationship. She even seemed interested, if anything.

     "W-Well, I have been in America for a few years but I've lived in London for most of my life." I started, my brain still processing how much she looked like Axel. It was weird.

     "We moved to Chicago when I was thirteen or so, I guess that's when my father's business started to get big." I continued. "We spent about four years there, until they died and I went back to London for school."

     She took my hands in hers, and poured her soul into my eyes. "My apologies for your loss, Jason. I know I won't be nearly as much as a mother, but you can come to me whenever you need."

     I felt strange, like this was the first sincere 'sorry for your loss' I had gotten. Axel had been completely different with his approach, I remembered when he had bluntly asked me about it. Even so, they had the same straightforward attitude.

     "Thanks, Mrs. Johnson." I blushed, folding my hands. Tea, crumpets and biscuits were all simultaneously brought to the table. I had learned basic table manners when I was five, but even this was pretty new to me.

     "Oh please, call me Anne. Have some food, love! You must be starving after your big flight." She insisted, sliding the plate towards me. I was pretty hungry; I hadn't eaten since morning, so I headed straight for the biscuits. 

     She watched me eat the biscuits, relived that I liked them. "Those were Axel's favorite food as a child." She smiled. He liked biscuits? I had never heard that before. Come to think of it, I knew very little about him. 

     "I suppose he didn't tell you very much about himself," She sighed, examining my confused expression. "He tends to avoid personal questions."

     "I know a little, about why he was sent to London." I said, looking down at my half eaten biscuit. 

     "Do you really?" She burst, shooting up from her chair. She startled me, causing me to choke on the bite in my mouth. 

     "Steven! Everything's his fault! He's despicable!." She seethes, leaning over the table. I simply nod in agreement, trying to swallow the crumbs stuck in my throat. 

     "Oh, I'm sorry, love. I should explain." She sits down again, straightening her outfit. 

     "Let's start from the beginning, shall we? I fell in love with Steven at a very young age, there was a ten year age gap between us. He hid his true self flawlessly, showing no signs of hostility towards me. I made the mistake to sleep with him when I finally was an adult." She began, taking a glass of wine from one of the servers.

     "When I came to Steven one day, crying and telling him I was pregnant, that's when he decided to show his dark side. He practically forced me to marry him, offering my family loads of money in exchange for me. They sold my body, not once looking back at me." She said, blankly staring ahead.

     "Those nine months were the beginning of my new, terrible life. Giving birth seemed a walk in the park compared to what I was put through. I was worried for my child; his father was a very powerful and dictating man, and I didn't want him to be born in the life I was forced into." There was overwhelming regret in her eyes, as she took a sip of wine. 

     "I love Axel, of course. He's my precious son, I really wouldn't trade the world for him. That's why it was so shocking when I found out what Steven had in store for him." 

     "When he was about twelve, his father started to line him up with women from other companies to form alliances. They were all older, too. In their late teens." She grit her teeth, tightening the hold on her drink. 

     "He was put through Hell, again and again. Axel has been married four times you know, all before the age of sixteen. The only reason he was allowed to break with them was that Steven's company had grown too big for women. He called it 'upgrading', and every time, Axel was forced to marry a woman more rich than the last."

     "His emotions were worn down. I was afraid he'd never be able to love anyone again, and begged Steven to stop. Can you believe that? I had to beg him to stop abusing his son." 

       I couldn't believe it; his father was a monster. He was a monster. I thought of all the times Axel had smiled, and wondered how many of them weren't forced. I wouldn't be surprised if he was traumatized away from relationships, and it had left him emotionally confused. 

     "I had an amazing relationship with Axel; he was the only reason I... I kept going. When he told me he didn't like girls, I wasn't even surprised. I told him I loved him, and of course supported how he felt." She stopped, and I could see pain deep in her eyes.

     "When he told his Steven, I had never seen him so angry before. There was a menacing aura about him, and he refused to talk to Axel like a child. I woke up one day, and found out that Axel had been sent across the country. My son, he was sent away without me knowing." The tears began, but she quickly wiped them away.

     "I wasn't told where he went for years, and I had no contact with him whatsoever. Then, Steven got another offer that would almost double his business. The only catch was, it would require two people to lead. He tried to get ahold of Axel, but of course he was blocked." 

     "I was scared, Jason. I had no idea what had happened to him. So when he finally came back, and told me he had found you, I was brimming with joy. You're a miracle, my love. I've never been so happy for him."