I was going crazy," he muttered into my hair. "Do you know what it's like thinking Álvaro took you? Wondering if he's touched you, or worse, already pulling off your pants? Don't you know he's a FUCKING snake?!"
I scoffed. "He only has one snake, and it's in his pants."
Axel stiffened. "What?!"
"Not like that!" I laughed, pulling back, and wiping at my nose. "I meant—ugh, I meant he's gross, Axel. He tried to be charming and kept taunting me about my scars, pushing me and… unbuttoning his belt…"
His eye twitched. "I'm going to kill him."
I kissed his chest just above his heart.
He growled. "I'm still going to kill him."
And then we both laughed. Because this—this madness was our version of normal. Shouting, panicking, yanking each other out of hell and back, and somehow still laughing at the end of it all.
"You really scared me," he said softly, brushing a thumb over my temple where the bruise throbbed.
I didn't mean to. I really didn't.
