A few days passed, Chloe strolled into their apartment smiling. She saw him sitting on the couch, furiously typing on his laptop.

"I have something to tell you" she squealed happily and sat down beside him.

He took her hand and placed a kiss on the back. "What?"

"I got a job!" She announced with enthusiasm.

His eyes widened and he smiled. "Really? What job?" He asked

Chloe sighed. "As a waitress, they pay isn't much but it's a start"

With a frown, Axel nodded. "That's great..."

"You're not happy?" She questioned skeptically.

"I am, Chloe" he smiled. "It's just--- I don't even know what kind of job should I apply for. There aren't any options for a high school dropout" he explained in a tired voice. "I wanted to be the one, who earns for you... Not the other way around." He sighed disappointedly. "I hated your dad... I will feel like shit if you work and I don't!"

"Axel," she said softly. "Look at me..." He glanced at her and immediately averted his gaze, ashamed. "You said we are in this together..."

"I know but---"

"No, buts. Don't worry, you'll find something. Let me help you." She picked up his laptop. "What are you interested in?" She asked

"I don't know" he kissed her cheek. "You and... You" he smiled against her cheek.

She smiled. "Tell me!"

He exhaled loudly. "Cars... And Chloe" he laughed

"Cars... Hm--- we could work with that" she typed something on his laptop and scrolled down while he continuously kissed her bare shoulder. "Axel..."

"Yes," he breathed against her shoulder.

"Stop making out with my shoulder" she smiled

"Then let me make out your lips" he laughed lightly.

She playfully pushed him back. "You never get tired of this, do you?" She asked keeping her attention on the laptop.

"No" he pulled away. "I never get tired of you"

She gasped like she came to some conclusion. "Without a college degree and a high school diploma, you can either be a car mechanic or a car salesperson," she told him.

His eyes widened a little. "Why hadn't I thought of that? You figured it out by a single search?"

"Well, unlike you I know how to look for jobs"

He nodded and smiled. "I could be a car salesperson and if not that I know how to fix sports cars. I mean, I know everything about them. I used to fix my cars on my own." He explained.

She noticed how his eyes shined while talking bout his cars. Her smile faltered a little but she covered it up. "You miss them..."

"Who?"

"Your family?" She questioned

"I do, don't you miss your dad?" He asked

Chloe shook her head. "No, he wasn't really there for me to miss him"

Axel pursed his lips. He held her hand and kissed it again. "I'm always here for you"

"I know, that's why I'm happy with you only..."

He pulled her in for a kiss and she set the laptop aside, she knew where this kiss was gonna go. From the day they finally gave themselves to each other. They couldn't keep their hand to themselves.

The next few days, Chloe made a professional resume for Axel. It was difficult because he has no prior experience. He applied for different jobs, gave tons of interviews. His age seemed to be a problem for him as a salesperson. That'd say that a seventeen-year-old boy won't be able to convince people. It made him depressed and took a toll on his health.

Chloe would work extra shifts at the restaurant. She worked for twelve hours straight and would come home tired but they still managed the time to make love to one another.

A few more days passed and Axel finally got a job as a car mechanic. It wasn't always sports cars, so, it was difficult for him. He messed up a few times and that almost got him fired. His boss wasn't an unpleasant man but he did take his work very seriously.

"Axel!" He called him with his gruff voice.

Jayden was a middle-aged man. He had male pattern baldness, a potbelly and he always had a cigarette between his lips, and when he wasn't smoking you'd find him drinking. He was quite jolly but hated tardiness in his employees.

"Yes, Jayden" Axel cleaned his hands with a dirty handkerchief and approached his boss with his shoulders dropped with resignation.

All the shine and luster were long gone from his hair. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hands were always covered in blotches of Mobil oil. He had lost some weight, his ripped body weakened, giving him a skinny fifteen-year-old boyish look. There were several cuts and scrapes on his hands and arms. The skin of his hands hardened from all the hard work. Every time they'd sleep together Chloe would flinch at the touch on his rough hands.

"You fucking forgot to put in the break oil in Mr. Smith's car?!" He yelled, droplets of his spit landed on Axel's face. "Do you have any idea what could've happened?! HE WOULD HAVE DIED!"

"I--- um--- I didn't know" he tried to reason.

"You didn't know! YOU ARE FIRED! Get the fuck out of my face!" He bellowed angrily.

All the color drained from Axel's face. "No, Jayden, please. I really need this..." He pleaded

Jayden sighed deeply as he noticed tears forming in Axel's eyes. To him, Axel was just a child. That is why ignored most of his mistakes. "You wanna stay here and do your job properly?" He asked

"Yes, yes, I will" he nodded eagerly.

"Fine! For the next whole week, I want you here working for eighteen hours. You will be here at six in the morning and you'll leave the next day at midnight." He ordered, hoping that he will back down and leave on his own. "You ready for that?!"

Axel thought for a while and then swallowed. "Yes... I will do it!"

"Are you crazy, kid?" He asked unbelievably.

"I need this, Jayden, please"

"Fine! Work on all the old cars in the back. Restore them for me. That will make you learn how to fix a car properly" he grumbled.

Jayden eyed him for a minute and shook his head. He turned and walked back to where he came from. Axel pulled out his cellphone and texted Chloe.

⊱⋅ ⋅⊰

Axel:

Baby, I will be late. Don't wait up for me, okay, and don't forget to eat something. I love you.

⊱⋅ ⋅⊰

Chloe's cellphone vibrated in her uniform's pocket. She placed the order on the table and ran back into the kitchen. She pulled out her cellphone and sighed disappointedly. They barely got the time to see each other and the thought of not seeing Axel at all made her wanna cry.

"USING CELLPHONES IN MY KITCHEN IS NOT ALLOWED!" A loud voice frightened Chloe.

She immediately put her cellphone back inside her pocket. She turned and her eyes met with the angry eyes of her employer.

"This is your second strike this month, one more mistake and you are out of here!" Kyle, Chloe's employer almost shouted.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"What is so important on your cellphone anyway?!" He questioned

"N-nothing..." Chloe shook her head.

He stepped forward and pulled the cellphone out of her pocket, he kept his hand in her pocket for a minute. He raised the cellphone. "This stays with me when your shift is over, come and collect it from my office." He ordered and Chloe nodded meekly.

Chloe looked around and all the other employees were trying hard not to laugh at her and the others were giving her sympathetic looks. Chloe got back to work. She worked some extra shifts as Axel wasn't gonna be home.

Around ten p.m. the restaurant finally closed. Chloe went over to her boss's office and meekly knocked.

"Come in" came a stern voice

She went inside and stood before his table. "I'm done with my shift, can I have my cellphone back, please," she asked respectfully.

He took out her cellphone from a drawer and placed it on his table. Chloe stepped forward to pick it up but he placed his hand over it. The screen lit up and Axel's call flashed over it. Kyle saw Axel's name and then he noticed their picture in the back. Axel was kissing her cheek while she smiled.

"So, this is why you can't keep your hands from your cellphone?" He taunted

"Um--- Can I please have it back," she asked

Kyle stood up. He was fairly young between twenty-five to twenty-seven. He had a slim body and was quite attractive.

"Is that your boyfriend?" He asked

"Y-yes..."

"Hm... You two make a good-looking couple" he smiled teasingly.

"T-thank you..."

"And here I was thinking about hitting on you" he laughed.

Chloe's eyes widened. "Can I have it back, please?"

"Yeah, sure" he handed it back to her and purposely grazed his fingers around her hand. She felt it and immediately withdrew her hand.

"Are you in a committed relationship with this guy?" He asked and Chloe nodded.

"We live together," she told him. She wanted him to know that they were inseparable.

He sighed. "Great, I'll see you tomorrow then"

"Yes..."

He sat on his desk. "You can go"

Chloe hastily turned on her feet and walked out of his office. Her whole body trembled. She was scared and breathless. She thought about telling Axel but then she remembered what he did to Theo. She needed this job, Axel will surely lose it, she thought. She slumped on her bed and tears prickled in her eyes. She was scared to go back to work tomorrow. The way Kyle was staring at her made her feel disgusted. She unlocked her cellphone and called Axel.

"Hello" came his tired voice.

"Axel... When will you come back home? Where are you? And why will you be late?" She asked in a single breath. She needed him right now. His presence calmed Chloe.

An exhausted sigh came from the other end. "I'm working late and I will be late for the whole next week."

"What? Why?"

"I almost got fired and this is the only way I could keep my job"

"Then quit! You'll tire yourself! Are you crazy?" She asked unbelievably.

Axel scoffed. "Well, I'm sorry for trying to provide us with a better life!" He said and hung up.

Stunned, Chloe stared at her cellphone for few minutes. She swallowed uneasily and put her cellphone aside.