his plucked flower

Chapter 22: Daffodil

"You should just leave," Axel stated, staring into the dull eyes of his mother, the same hazel eyes as his. His hand had a tight grip on both of Lillian's smaller ones, finding comfort in her delicate touch.

His mother's eyes watered achingly. She cleared her throat before replying. "Axel, before I leave I just want you to know I tried, okay, I did. Your father, he's- he's so hotheaded sometimes and doesn't know how to control his anger. I was terrified of him. All I wanted was your safety Axel, and god I'm so happy you left. He would've hurt you badly like he hurt me."

"What do you mean?" Axel asked, now intrigued by his mother's words, but he kept a none caring facade on making sure she didn't see the cracks, but Lillian already did.

His mother shakily pulled a bit of her long sleeve up, her heart dreading her for what she's about to show him. Long deep scars littered her skin.

Axel reached over with his empty hand and pulled her wrist just the slightest bit closer to him, to make sure he didn't hurt her. His eyebrows deepened staring at her arm. His eyes caught some circular burn marks, obviously made from a cigarette burn.

"He did this?" Axel said, what sounded more like an angry statement rather than a question, his eyes were still flickering back and forth between the scars and burn marks.

"He was always like this Axel, but I did a good job on keeping him away from you, my boy." Her eyes were focused on his flickering ones.

"I never knew," Axel whispered. "I-I would've stopped him." He looked up into his mother's eyes, feeling completely vulnerable.

"You don't have to worry anymore. He's gone," his mother said, her eyes glazing over as if deep in thought before coming back to life.

___________

"Your mother was sweet," Lillian stated staring at Axel who sat right next to her.

His mother left after awhile of conversing, saying she had somewhere to go right after and she was already late. He and his mother finally fixed things, things that have been put in a deep hole for years, things he's always wanted to say we're finally said. They both felt a huge burden was off their shoulders.

"She liked you." Axel smiled adoringly. "I always knew she would."

Lillian looked down, fiddling with her fingers before looking back up. "Sorry about your dad."

Axel shrugged. "He was a dick." Axel sighed before beginning to trace an invisible pattern on her arm.

"No, I mean, sorry about - you know - what happened with your mom and him," Lillian mumbled, feeling really self conscious.

"It's alright. Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about that book you've been hiding the second you came here." Axel smirked watching her shocked, blushing face, adoring the pink hue that came along with it.

"R-remember, like weeks back, when you told me to send my book to a company. Yeah, well, I finally have the first ever copy of it," Lillian's soft voice awkwardly spoke, before handing him the paperback book.

"You're getting published!" Axel exclaimed, pulling her smaller body into his larger one and enveloping her in his tight embrace before kissing the top of her head and, with his arms around her, eagerly opened the first page.

As he looked through the book Lillian cuddled into his body and look with him, loving the warmth he gave her. His familiar musky scent was still evident and she basked in it, she finally felt at home.

"I love you," Lillian mumbled subconsciously.

"I love you too," Axel whispered, before kissing her hair and lightly scratching it with his fingertips as he continued to read. "Can I keep this?"

"Yeah, if they let you."

"I think they will," Axel mumbled, only half paying attention as the rest of him was thoroughly immersed in reading the book she gave him.

Lillian quietly giggled to herself at him. He look oddly adorable with the crease between his eyebrows and his focused eyes, that she deeply loved. She couldn't imagine herself in anyone else's arms.

Slowly her body became deadweight as she fell asleep in his arms. Axel stopped reading for a moment to look down, spotting her sleeping figure, he smiled in adoration and humor considering the room was still loud and obnoxious with prisoner's sons or daughters running around and some people just plainly talking loudly.

Axel squeezed his arms tighter around her body before continuing to read. His eyes danced along the words as Lillian moved around in his arms every few minutes trying to find a more relaxing position. They both felt at home in each other's embrace.

A/N

I hope you guys liked that. I'm currently on vacation and my focus has been less on wattpad and more on the views and stuff but we're going back tomorrow so writing will hopefully be easier.

Don't forget to vote and comment! It's truly appreciated! All the love.