the royals ✅

chap 50: you have me

The trip takes several hours back,  constant jabs, and laughter. She laughs so much that her sides hurt. Her bruise is worse than ever, but she is able to endure the pain. He takes the exit now, turning swiftly. She smiles sadly. She doesn't want this to end. This was the perfect exclusion- exactly what she needed. She needed out desperately, and god, he helped her. Helped her feel better, helped her revitalize. She had almost run out of energy, but now, she feels better than ever.

It's round two. And she's back, feeling better than ever. Her mind is clear.

"So, Alexis," He cockily asks, leaning back against the seat as he recklessly drives, pulling up in a random parking lot "When are we doing this again?"

"Oh," She says, cocking her head and smiling calmly "It was a one time thing" She cannot stop the laughter at his hurt expression. He smiles warmly, turning off the engine.

  He grins, "Not this again. You love me Rhodes" He says, his voice is deep and he sounds exhausted. She feels bad for him. He must have been worried, having to take care of her.

"Of course I do" She replies easily, smiling. It's wide, stretching from cheek to cheek. She cares about him. She doesn't know why she didn't discover him earlier. Before he can blink, she presses a kiss to his cheek. He points towards his mouth, cheekily smiling. She presses her lips to his, not hesitating. He is shocked at first, but he does so too, kissing her back.

 She knows this is nothing more than a fling. He knows it too as they scramble onto the backseat, and she's on top of him, pressing her lips against his, her eyes piercing into his as he slides off her jacket, then removing her top. He stares at her for a few seconds. His gaze is filled with wanting and lust.

"God, you are beautiful" He says, and his voice is filled with lust. Nothing more. She's glad for it. He trails kisses down her collarbone, kissing her stomach lightly, stopping when he reaches her jeans. He doesn't touch them, instead, returning to her lips, pressing his own against them.

This is easy. Simple. And while she doesn't want to be with him, she likes the way his body feels against hers. She feels at peace. Calm.

He lifts his lips from hers, removing his own top. His body is molded perfectly. She slowly trails her hands along his six-pack, a smirk on her lips.

 And then she sits up straight. She doesn't want to go further. And neither does she want to lead him on more. He doesn't seem surprised, putting his own shirt on. She catches something out of the corner of her eye. Someone, staring right at them. A camera in their hand.

  She grips her hands to her, tightly, "Someone just took a picture of us," She lowly hisses, ducking lower in the car, behind a seat. Axel rises, looking to where she is gesturing, and he nods.

 Axel shifts, his face cold, "They're gone. Just left in the car" His voice is filled with defeat. She presses her body against the back of the seat, putting her top on uneasily.

"If we go down, we go down together," He calmly says, and she nods. It makes sense. Besides, she doesn't care. She isn't ashamed of her body, and neither is she ashamed of kissing him.  It had calmed her down "Anyways, I think you would be happy to know that you are a good kisser"

"Friends?" She asks, holding out her hand with a smile, and he nods.

"Friends with benefits?" He returns, winking at her, and she rolls her eyes. She could get used to this. He's respectful, and he understands her boundaries. If anything, she doesn't even trust anyone else with her body.

"We'll see" She mischievously replies, and they both move towards the front again, and he starts the car, pressing on the accelerator. Minutes later, they approach her house. She does not want to go in, but she does, finally forcing herself to enter.

"See you soon, Rhodes"

 Axel doesn't leave until she is inside the house, skirting off. She's going to miss him, that's for sure. Her mother greets her, hugging her, engulfing her. She looks worried, and she has eyebags, making it clear she has not slept for a while. Alexis is exhausted for some reason, and she allows her mother to hug her. "Where were you? Your father and I were so worried," her mother mutters, clearly trying to pull herself together "Anyways, you can go to sleep. You look exhausted. We'll talk to you later"

 Alexis breathes in, "I'm not tired. I'm hungry" Alexis retorts, not meeting her mother's worried gaze. She doesn't want to see the pity in those eyes. She looks a lot like her mother.

  Alexis leans against the couch, "Okay, I'll get the chef to cook something up for you," Her mother says, releasing her. She looks at her daughter carefully, noticing the bruise. Alexis groans, attempting to cover it with the bag before her mother can say anything "Oh my god, what happened?"

 "I just showered with hot water. The bruise got worse" She offhandedly replies, not really caring when her mother squints, pulling up her top and gazing at the bruise.

 Her brows crinkle, "What did you treat it with?"

"Some balm. Neospoirin or something," She mumbles, collapsing against the bed "Anyways, I'm hungry. Can you get me something quickly?" Her mother finally draws her gaze away from the bruise, nodding. She offers her daughter a short smile before she leaves. Alexis's side hurts. She massages it slightly, ignoring the pain. She doesn't know why it refuses to heal. Maybe because she doesn't give herself time to heal.

 Her mother returns second later with her father, who is scowling. But he looks relieved too. That she's back. She frowns at him. Her mother passes her a plate of pasta, which she gratefully accepts, propping it against her knee as she adjusts her position. "Alexis, where were you?" He asks sternly, and she rolls her eyes. This act again. Bad cop, Good cop. Honestly, she's tired of it. This act exhausts her.

"San Francisco"

  His lips stretch into a thin line, clearly tired of her disobedience,"And why were you there?" Her father pushes, and she snaps. Something in her that she has been holding back just leaves. She can't control her rage this time, as she speaks, her voice dripping with venom.

"Because I need out," she snarls "This is too much for me. When you guys were together, all you ever did was argue. You have no idea how things are for me. All you guys care about is your pathetic fucking reunion. I left because I didn't want to put up with this," she says, gesturing to them, placing the pasta on the table, "And I need a break from everything. That's why I left. Are you going to ground me for it?" she mocks "Maybe cut off my credit cards?" she adds, snarling.

  Her mother and father exchange a glance,"Alexis, we ask you because we care about you" Her dad patiently replies, apparently missing the entire point of her speech. She nods briefly before picking up her pasta, ignoring the gazes both of them shoot her.

 Her mom sighs, "Please don't go darling" Her mother calls after her, but she's halfway up the stairs when she locks her room door, shutting it before her father can say anything. She knows her parents. She'll have some kind of consequence or the other, but she doesn't care. She can't find it anywhere in her to care. All she feels is bitterness. God, she's so tired.

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