AXEL’S POV:
For some reason, my room was hot. Stifling, almost. I liked my sleeping environment cold and dark—just like my heart and soul. I tossed and turned, shifting onto my side before sighing in frustration. It had to be the settings. Dragging myself up, I checked the thermostat. Default. The air-conditioning was fine. Then why did it feel like I was suffocating?
I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled. It wasn’t the temperature. It was her.
Avery.
Even now, as I stood shirtless in my navy-blue sweatpants, all I could think about was the way she’d looked tonight. The way her dress hugged her curves, the way her lips moved when she spoke. But it was all fake. A character I made her take on. A puppet performing for my amusement.
And yet, I couldn’t shake her from my mind.
