Falling for My Old High School Bully (Complete)

Chapter 23 - Campfire Confessions

They sat around the campfire drinking wine, with everyone taking turns standing up and telling their most embarrassing moment. Some of them were so hilarious, they had trouble even telling the stories because they had to keep stopping to laugh. They all ended up laughing so hard and having a really good time. Even Emma was letting loose and having fun. 

When it was her turn, Emma stood up and having Axel there with her made her more comfortable and brave than she would normally be around her co-workers. 

"So this guy right here," she said, pointing to Axel. "We went to high school together and I had the BIGGEST crush on him. I thought he was the most gorgeous man that ever walked the earth. He didn't even know I existed and I was desperate to get his attention but I was too shy to talk to him. Well I ended up getting his attention alright but not the way I wanted to," she laughed. 

"So I was walking down the hall one day, digging in my backpack for my class schedule, not paying attention to where I was going, which was a totally normal thing for clumsy old me," she laughed at the memory and Axel laughed too. "So I came around the corner and crashed right into him so hard I knocked him down and landed on top of him, with everything from my backpack flying everywhere and getting kicked around by the people walking by." 

People started laughing and smiling. 

"Oh wait. It gets worse. That's not the most embarrassing part. When I landed on him my knee slammed right into his crotch and I was so stunned I just laid on him for a minute looking like a deer stuck in headlights, too paralyzed to move. I'm sure I looked like a crazy person just laying on top of him, staring at him."

He spoke up and said, "I can laugh about it now but that really fucking hurt." 

Everyone laughed including Emma. 

"Yeah, my knee crushed his balls and he had to hobble to the nurse's office because he could hardly walk. He literally had to spend the rest of the day walking around the school with a big bag of ice on his balls," she laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes. 

"They were purple for a week!" he added. 

Everyone really laughed at that point.  

She sat back down next to him on the log and he looked over at her with a smile and said, "It worked though. You definitely got my attention after that."

"Yeah," she laughed looking down at her lap. "I definitely got your attention."

She could feel his eyes on her and she slowly turned her head and looked at him. 

"What?" she asked quietly. 

"You never told me you had a crush on me before we met that day." 

"I didn't?" she asked, nervously. "I thought I told you." 

"No," he said, shaking his head and taking a sip of his wine. "I definitely would have remembered."

"Yeah," she said, with her face flushing red, looking forward at the dancing fire. "I had it really bad for you."

"Well that makes me feel like a dick then for the way I talked to you that day. Not the best first impression huh?" he laughed. 

That made her smile and she said, "No definitely not the best first impression Axel," she told him, pushing on his shoulder and giving him a smile, shaking her head. 

After the campfire was over he stood up and held his hand out, helping her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her as they headed towards their cabin and when they got inside there was an awkward silence between them as they both stood there.