❀"After Life"- kotlc sequel❀

❀Chapter 4❀

One day, Skylar manifested as a polyglot-empath.

Keefe taught him some tips and tricks, since Sky's empathy had the same strength as his father's. 

He used his ability to feel his sister's emotions through the air in the same way Keefe had. Relentlessly teasing her.

Sky's teasing was how Sophie and Keefe found out Kayla had a crush.

A boy named Alex Nester at Foxfire, or "Axle" as Kayla called him, since he was a technopath. 

He was a level three when she was a level one. Kayla had brought the boy over once, and Sophie had certainly noticed the way he looked at her. The way his deep aquamarine eyes watched her closely. The way his freckled face flushed red when she teased him.

Keefe talked to Sophie a lot about how he suspected the two – Kaylex, as he'd dubbed them – were falling in love. 

•⁎⁕•⁎ALEX's POV⁕•⁎⁕•

"You should ask her out," Skylar said. Alex's face turned bright red. "What?"

"I'm sure she'd be happy," Skylar continued, smirking at the way Alex's face had reddened. "She talks about you all the time, I'm sure she'd be super, super happy if you asked her out."

"Yeah," Alex said, a squeak in his voice. "But... She's, like, basically famous,"

"No," Skylar countered. "She's actually not. She's awesome, and I'm not saying that because I'm her brother. I'm saying it as a reality. She's cute, pretty, smart, very similar to my mom-"

"Yeah, but your mom is like... ten times cooler than anyone. She saved the world — so did your dad." Alex said, looking at his feet. Skylar tilted Alex's chin up with his hand.

"I get it," Skylar said, smirking again. "I'm awesomely awesome. But... My parents don't have much to do with your confidence. It's your choice — by the way, — I am in no way forcing anything on you. You do you, man. But I certainly think you should consider it, okay?"

Alex nodded.

Alex was terrified. But Skylar's advice had stuck in his brain with some force that was far too powerful to ignore. Plus, Skylar already had a girlfriend — Rosemary was her name. 

So, he knew. Alex knew he could ask Keefe, or Dex, or Fitz. There were plenty of people — who were all adults, he realized — who could give him advice. But, somehow, taking advice from someone who wasn't all that much older than him felt more... comfortable.

He let out a sigh, trying to steal his nerves before he knocked on the door that led to Kayla's room. She had no idea he was over, and he was — admittedly — a little excited to see her reaction to him coming over without her knowledge.

He finally forced himself to knock on her door.

"Come in," Kayla's voice. Her voice. His heart nearly stopped.

Before he could change his mind, Alex forced himself to open the door.

She was sitting on her bed, a sketchbook and pencil in hand, but when she saw Alex, she nearly dropped both things. Her eyes widened, and he could see that faint hint of color in her cheeks whenever she saw him.

God, she was so cute.

"Axle?" she mumbled; her eyes shy. He wandered into the room, closing the door softly behind him.

There was a lavender carpet of petals covering the wood floor. Her bed sat in the middle of the room, the blanket covered in flowers and butterflies. She had a massive bookshelf, a huge walk-in closet and a bathroom. The room smelled like her, a soft scent filled with flowers; roses, lavender and something else.

She had one section of her room strictly dedicated to paintings and sketches she'd done in the past, old sketchbooks, and art supplies he'd never seen her use.

"What are you doing here? You didn't let me know you'd be over today." She said, her voice soft the way it always was when she talked to him.

He stared at her for a second before he moved and sat beside her on her bed. "I just... I wanted to talk to you about something."

Her beautiful eyes widened. "Did Skylar tell you something?" she asked, a new blush painting her cheeks a deeper red than they were before.

"Skylar told me something, yes, but not anything about you. He tried to encourage me."

"To...?" Kayla suggested.

Alex's face heated up. "Well... he was trying to encourage me to... ask you out." He said.

Kayla sucked in a breath. Alex turned to her. His heart was beating fast as he blurted, "I'm serious. And I've been considering it, since I really, really like you, as more than a friend, and–" His voice was cut off when she touched his hand. He looked down and watched as she gripped his hand in hers.

"Alex," she whispered. "You know I'll say yes."

"Really?" He basically gasped. "Y-you'll..."

"Yes!" She said, more excited this time as she tangled her fingers with his. Her eyes fell to her lap. "I've liked you forever..." she said softly. 

He, without thinking, reached up with his free hand and cupped her cheek, trailing his thumb over her jaw. She looked up, nervousness, and excitement molding her expression. 

He gazed at her, his eyes tracing every inch of her face. When his eyes focused on her lips, he saw the way her eyes widened. But something else had taken over his emotions. 

A feeling of longing? new confidence? Whatever it was, it made his voice rough when he whispered, "Kayla," and kissed her before she could respond.

She froze, then thawed slowly, melting into him. He let out a small sigh.

Kayla calling Alex "Axle" is probably one of my favorite things I've ever written!! XD

 - Eve//Everest