I See Red

Chapter Two

Axel had spent the night unboxing, organizing, writing down things and before he realized the time the sun was coming up. To his surprise, there wasn’t a lot of his past buried in the boxes but more of his stuff that he thought he had left behind. There were a few things that made him sit and cry for a little bit, but he figured it was best to leave them buried in the boxes and put them away. He looked at the list he had created and frowned. The list was two pages front and back and it almost made him sound more greedy than needy. He leaned over the kitchen counter looking down at his list, trying to figure out how to sort this out into things that Rachel could ask for and things he could buy himself. Furniture was the top priority for all of this over the little things. He could buy paper plates and bowls rather than ask for them, as well as buy plastic silverware. The more he tried to sort the list, the more frustrated he became. He looked at the time on his watch, it was just after seven in the morning. He doubted the fact that Rachel would be awake and so he hesitated to even text her, afraid that he would wake her. He drug himself to his room and threw himself down on the bed. He closed his eyes as he buried his face into the pillow. He didn't like to ask for help, he had been able to do this before without help. However, he also wasn't doing this alone, despite his ex not working and him being the only source of income. Somehow, they made it work in the past. Now he had nothing and he had no idea how he ended up with nothing. Maybe because she claimed everything was hers and he was too nice. The more he thought about it, the more he became depressed. He knew the break up and separation was a good thing, but it didn't mean the pain was any easier. It was ten years of his life gone in such a quick moment. He rolled over and grabbed his phone and opened up a text to send to Rachel.

I have a list of things, but I think I need help figuring it out. I might go to bed here shortly. I've been awake all night. Make sure to text me first to see if I am awake? We can meet up then to see what you can help me with if you don't mind.

He sent the text and then stared at the ceiling. He kept thinking about how he could just take that text back like he never sent it and just tell her that he needed furniture. He felt stupid and ashamed about sending the text. His phone buzzed and he just laid there afraid to even look at it. It could be her, it could be a notification. But what if it was her? She was so nice and friendly about it, so there was no way she would send a text back being mean about him asking for help. She offered, so she shouldn't be mean, right? Granted, his ex was like that. Offered to help and then turn around and blame him or be mean about it. He sat up to that thought. Was he really going to compare every single person he met now to his ex? Was the trauma and the abuse so bad that now he has to question every single thing someone does? He grabbed his phone and saw there was a text, and he felt his stomach crawl up to his throat. He unlocked his phone, saw her name, and took a deep breath before opening it.

Of course, I would love to help! Are you still awake?

I am, would you like to come over? He hit send and stared at the phone waiting for her response. She said she would love to help, but people can misread texts. What if she is sitting there complaining about the fact that the list is long? Axel groaned at his thoughts that kept creeping in and he closed his eyes. "I can't be like this, or I won't be able to function. She's okay with helping me, and I need to accept that. Until she proves me wrong, Rachel is a kind person who is willing to help me without any repercussions." There was a knock at the door and he jumped up and hurried out to the front door. He quickly took a peep out the peephole to make sure it was Rachel and there she stood with that smile. He opened the door and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Axel!"

"Good morning, Rachel." He smiled and stepped back, allowing her to come in. She walked in and looked around.

"How would you like to go grab breakfast and coffee? My one friend said she would meet us today, and could even get you some of the stuff you may need." She turned to look at Axel. He wasn't sure if it was just dark last night, or if he was so confused by everything suddenly happening, or maybe it was the lack of curtains he had that let the sunlight in; whatever the case may be, he realized how pretty Rachel really was.

He stood at 5'7, and she had to be no more than 5'3. She had gorgeous red hair that was long and wavy, and her eyes were the most gorgeous hazel color that sparkled when the sunlight in his apartment hit them. He didn't see this last night when looking at her. Axel began to fear though that the thoughts of how gorgeous she was, was just him doing a rebound after his previous relationship. He had heard about men and women doing that and then the other, if not both, getting hurt in the end. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt someone else, or himself, all because he just wanted to be in a relationship.

"Are you okay, Axel?" Rachel touched his arm gently.

"Yeah, um... I'm sorry. I've been awake all night so I just... you know, that sounds great. I could use some coffee."

'Way to sound like an idiot.' He thought as he realized he had just been staring at her. "Let me just throw on something different quick?" Rachel nodded to him with a smile and he walked to his room and shut the door and started to shuffle around his clothes. He grabbed a pair of joggers and a shirt and got dressed before running a brush quickly through his hair before grabbing his keys and going back to Rachel in the kitchen.

"How does Denny's sound?" She asked, looking up from her phone.

"That sounds wonderful. I haven't been to Denny's in a while." He opened his door for her, and then exited behind her, shutting the door.

They walked down the hall to the elevator. "I'll drive us there, how does that sound?"

"I don't mind driving myself, Rachel."

"No need to take two different vehicles. We're going to the same place." She smiled as they rode down the elevator and he nodded to her. He momentarily panicked, thinking he had left the list in his apartment. Rachel must have seen the look of fear on his face and she held up the papers. "I grabbed his, I hope you don't mind. I saw it sitting on the counter and I knew it was the list you made as you clearly wrote on the top, 'List for Rachel.'"

"That's okay, because I would have felt like an i***t if we made it there and I realized I had forgotten it." They exited the elevator and he followed her to her truck. She unlocked the doors and they climbed in, buckled, and headed their way to Denny's.