How to Date an Asshole

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

An insistent knock on the door woke me. I looked at my phone to check for the time.

11:00 AM?! My lock screen was full of notifications – texts and missed calls from Hailey.

Axel sleepily stood by my door, rubbing his eyes. "Someone's at the door."

"Yeah, I'll get it." I stood a little too fast but kept on walking to the front door, ignoring the bout of blinding faintness.

I looked through the peephole and saw Hailey tapping her foot in annoyance, "Lauren!" she grunted then knocked again.

Oh God, I'm in trouble. I exhaled deeply then opened the door.

"What took you so long?" she stormed inside my apartment with her arms crossed against her chest.

"Hi?" guilt spreading across my face, I chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry, I was asleep."

She stopped in her tracks when she saw Axel walk out of my bedroom.

Well, he hasn't really been inside my bedroom, he was just by the door, but he's walking from the bedroom door and I know what it must've looked like for Hailey.

She turned back to look at me, eyes wide in shock, speechless.

I rubbed my right eyebrow and exhaled noisily. Another drama, here we go.

"It's not what it looks like," I explained.

"Mm-hm?" She nodded; mischief sprawled across her face.

"Hey!" Axel walked over to us. "Hailey, right?" he offered her his hand, which Hailey shook eagerly.

She smiled in gritted teeth, "Hi, Axel! Good to see you. In here... at Lauren's apartment..."

"Uh... I'm getting the feeling you don't want me here..."

"No! No... silly." She waved her hand as if it's nothing then raised her brow suggestively at me.

"For the love of God, Hailey. Nothing happened!" I waved over them, going to the kitchen.

Hailey followed me and Axel beelined.

"Alright, what are you doing here?" I said, taking the pitcher out of the fridge.

"Is that how you treat your best friend?"

I shrugged, pouring water into a glass.

She looked at Axel, "Do you hear this girl? What am I doing here?"

I put the pitcher down then massaged my temples, "Hailey, please."

"You know what? I don't care. I'm an open-minded person. Your hook-ups are your business. I just want you to tell me about them, no judgment. But today? Really? Not even a warning?"

"I would warn you if I knew you were coming. And for the record, this is not a hook-up!"

"It's true. Nothing happened." Axel interjected.

Hailey ignored him, "You forgot I'd be here?" she scoffed, "I'm here because Lola's coming. Do you not remember that?"

"What?" I said, stunned.

"Uh-huh!"

"Oh my God, is it the 26th?" I fumbled through my phone to check the calendar.

"No, it's not." She replied in a sarcastic tone. "And for someone who's very meticulous about planning, I'm sorry to say this, but this is very uncharacteristic of you." she sighed, "I don't know what is happening between the two of you," she waved her index finger side to side, pointing at me and Axel, "but do you really want Lola to meet him? What would she say?" she chuckled breathily, "No offense, Axel."