"You have the weirdest best friend ever." Sophia commented as Axel was driving them back to the mansion. Silence filled the car today. Only the roars of the engine were heard. Even when Sophia turned up the radio, Axel annoyingly shut it down. He was deep in thoughts, Sophia noted. His brows kept on frowning and his knuckles for a unknown reason were white as snow. He was clutching on the wheel fiercely but he didn't care at all. 

"Aiden can be awkward sometimes." Axel replied again without looking at Sophia. He felt her gaze on him and can imagine her frowning at his tensing features. The words of Aiden, the ring and Sophia's rights to freedom kept on echoing in his mind. Does a ring matter that much? Is that why his Liza cheated on him? Is Sophia truly going to do the same? Why should he even care or feel mad when he tried to imagine gem in the hands of another man? Did his protectiveness levels reach a insane rank? 

"What are you thinking about?" Sophia interrupted his silent thoughts but he wouldn't answer...What would he tell her, that he should buy her a ring or that she is not allowed to cheat or maybe give her whole freedom and turn a blind eye to her? His ideas now were disturbed again yet by a song that he didn't know. 

 " The world comes to life

And everything's bright

From beginning to end

When you have a friend

By your side

That helps you to find

The beauty you are

When you open your heart

And believe in

The gift of a friend

The gift of a friend " ( Demi Lovato) the phone sung as Sophia searched for it in her bag

"Mitchy" she happily greeted and her face brightened with a huge grin. Axel's eyes now shifted to capture that moment and a voice inside his mind mocked her. He hated how Mitchell can influence Sophia immediately. He ,himself, can make her either blush or angry but Mitchell can make her happy, over the clouds even. Like the song said, When Axel was ignoring her Mitchell helped her see the beauty that she is. And as the song says, she believes in Mitchell but never believed in Axel and he clearly does not deserve her trust.

"I cannot do that." Sophia rapidly refused owning herself a frown from Axel 

"What does he want?" Axel asked knowing how crazy his brother can be

"But Mitchy..." Sophia nagged like a kid and stomped her foot as if Mitchell can see her

"Gem?" Axel questioned but got ignored again. He was feeling like a third wheel and he didn't appreciate such thing. Why would Mitchell be more important to Sophia? Okay he might have helped her when she was alone but now Axel was trying to become her friend too. Getting more frustrated, Axel's hand rapidly snatched the phone from Sophia's hand.

"Mitchell, Sophia will talk to you when we are there." Axel's voice roared and then he shut the phone throwing it on the dashboard 

"That was rude and unneeded." Sophia blamed as she leaned closer to him and reached for her phone but Axel stopped her moving it further away.

"What did Mitchell want?" Axel bluntly asked feeling his frustration reaching a level as high as the sky.

"None of your business." Sophia replied crossing her hands. Why would Axel act like so? Why is he being rude to her? Isn't it enough that he is clearly still in love with Liza while manipulating her feelings? 

"Gem, don't test my patience!" Axel threatened 

" He wants me to play the role of his girlfriend." Sophia informed and the car came to a sudden stop. The force of that sudden move shocked her. There they were in the middle of a luckily empty road.

"What? that fucking idiot! I will go and put some sense into him." Axel grumbled his knuckles turning whiter 

"You will do no such thing." Sophia yelled back at him owning herself a death glare from Axel.

"You are his sister in law. My wife. I have every right to knock some sense into him." Axel yelled back surprising Sophia. His wife since when exactly ? Did he forget that she is unwanted and was neglected?

"Wife, since when?" Sophia mocked crossing her hands again " Mitchell needs my help and as his best friend I will play the role. " she continued 

" I swear gem if you go anywhere with him, you will deeply regret it." Axel threatened loosening his seat belt

"What, you will fire me this time?" she mocked and felt hands gripping her shoulders and turning her to Axel. His grip was hurting her but she wouldn't admit it. She will never show him any weakness. He already thinks that he can rule her life and any fear will prove how strong he is.

"Gem." Axel roared at her again making her green eyes connect with his blueish ones. They were no more blue and clear, they darkened a shade and reflected how angry he is. They made her shiver of fear. What will he do to her? Is he going to hurt her? Does he own the power to hurt her physically?

Questiones stormed in her mind. She wanted to push herself away but he was faster. One hand fastened her seat belt and another pulled her to him. His lips captured hers in a nanosecond and his hands brought her body as close as possible to him. She wanted to stop her, at least her mind wanted to but his smooth lips and dominating kisses silenced any thought she was having. Her hands itched, then moved and circled his neck. They played with his smooth hair. Kissing Axel was a true bless but what came before and after it was hell. She loved being this close to her. 

He loved this achieved closeness too. One of his hands cupped her cheek while the other massaged the small of her back. All his anger was suddenly vanishing. He felt as he was okay now, not just okay but happy. Hearing Sophia moaning his name made his kiss more demanding. This goody two shoes was driving him insane. One minute, he is yelling at her and the other he is kissing her. He forgot that he stopped his car in the middle of a road but when a car kept on honking them he grumpily let her go.

"I hate this." Sophia commented as she owned her voice again

"Hate what?" Axel asked still dazed 

"The angry nonsensical kisses. Your anger and mood swings." Sophia answered as they reached the mansion's gate

"You responded to all of the nonsensical kisses with the same passion." Axel blamed feeling a bit hurt for a reason

"I did but just ask yourself why are we kissing? We have no right to do so and I never started a kiss. It is always you and mostly they are unexpected. I don't even have time to agree or not." Sophia complained remembering all of the three kisses and how her heart seemed to melt each time. She clearly started to fall for Axel, for his possessive ways, for his teasing manners and heroic nature but to what cost? She will end up with a broken heart no more while he returns to his dear beloved Liza.

"We are married. You seem to forget that a lot." Axel argued back noticing Sophia's skin paling a bit and her eyes shined in a new acquired sadness.

"Only on papers, those were your words." Sophia reminded him of his words on their wedding day.

"Papers or not you have no right to play date Mitchell or any other man." Axel threatened again as Sophia made a move to open her car door

"You dated Liza and you were texting her earlier. I did notice the smug smile on your face. And as Aiden said why lose my life?" Sophia hushed as she stepped out leaving Axel alone to consider all the information that she handed him

"Liza is my first love." Axel yelled running after her

"Go back to her then." Sophia order trying to keep her newly forming tears at bay

"Maybe I will." He dared but seeing how Sophia stiffened for a bit he kind of regretted his words

"Good for you." Sophia finally replied as she reached the door and knocked three times on a row 

"Gem, I.." Axel was trying to say something to collect his words but soon enough the door flew open revealing a tensed Mitchell.

"Phia, Phia, please ,please, please." he begged like a kid ignoring Axel stern glare

"Okay, Mitchy but you owe me big time." Sophia answered trying to act playful but Axel noticed how broken her tone was.

"No." Axel again roared from behind 

"You are not the boss of her." Mitchell argued pulling Sophia's hand and dragging the girl inside triggering Axel's anger more.

"Axel, if you are afraid to miss the sleep of another night then relax I will lay with you when I come back. Other than that, I can do nothing to you. We still have few years into this marriage. We cannot continue on fighting. So go back to you Liza and I will just live my life as a friend of yours. You cannot boss me around anymore " Sophia said in a tone of finality as Mitchell stopped dragging her away and then only reaction she got made her flinch. Axel suddenly punched to wooden house door so hard that the voice echoed in every corner of every room. Was he acting like so? Both Sophia and Axel kept on asking but walked away from each other without finding a convincing reason.