Free Friday (Timeless Series #5) by E. L. Todd Page A

couldn’t see him.
    But he was there.
    Hawke told me about this but I didn’t believe him after I spotted Alexia at Axel’s apartment. But his truck was outside—right in front of my eyes. I grabbed a sweater before I walked down the path to his truck.
    Now that I was there I didn’t know what to do.
    I peeked through the passenger window and spotted him in the driver’s seat. He was fast asleep, wearing jeans and a sweater. His arms were crossed over his chest and he looked uncomfortable in the leather chair.
    I stared at him for a few moments before I gently rapped my knuckles against the window. The sound didn’t wake him so I kept knocking, lightly tapping my knuckles against the panel. I wanted to wake him but I didn’t want to startle him.
    Finally, his eyes opened and he turned his head toward the sound. When he saw me he flinched in terror, sitting up fast in reaction. His eyes narrowed on me, trying to determine if this was real or just a dream.
    He pressed the unlock button on the center console and the door unlocked.
    I got inside and shut the door behind me.
    Axel wouldn’t look at me, shame written all over his face. He adjusted the chair so he was sitting up. His hair was a mess and the sleep was in his eyes. Despite how tired he looked, it didn’t seem like he got any true rest. “I can explain…”
    I pulled my knees to my chest.
    “Actually, I can’t.”
    “Do you do this a lot…?”
    “What?” he whispered.
    “Sleep outside my house?”
    He nodded. “More than I care to admit.”
    “Why?”
    “Can’t sleep. When I’m this close to you…it comforts me.” He still wouldn’t look at me, the embarrassment still in his features.
    “I can’t sleep either. It’s been hard…”
    “It’s been six weeks since…you know. Why is this so difficult? Why do I still feel like this?” He rested his head against the glass. “Last night was the best night of sleep I’ve gotten in a long time. When I went to bed tonight I knew I wouldn’t shut my eyes for even a moment. I don’t get it.”
    “I know what you mean.”
    He took a deep breath and his vapor fogged the window. He closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his thoughts. Then he slowly turned to me, his face hardly visible in the limited light. “Can we be friends that sleep together? That’s a thing, right?”
    “Friends with benefits?”
    “I guess…but not the kind that fool around. You know, we can sleep together and do stuff together, go out to eat and watch movies. We can just be friends that like to spend time together.”
    On the surface that sounded great. “Wouldn’t we be right back where we were...?”
    His eyes fell in sadness. “But it would be different. We wouldn’t be in a relationship.”
    If we really did that then I would never get over him—not ever. Seeing him once in a while when he came to the house was tolerable. Even hanging out with him when he spent time with Francesca was okay. But anything more than that…was too difficult. “Axel, nothing has changed for me.” I didn’t want to say those words out loud but they were the truth. Six weeks had come and gone but my heart still felt the same way. I was still in love with this man, and now I feared I would always be in love with this man.
    Axel looked away.
    Deep in my heart, I hoped he would say the same thing. I hoped he would tell me he loved me and couldn’t live without me. I hoped he would say Alexia didn’t mean anything to him, that I was the only woman who ever mattered.
    But I knew he wouldn’t.
    “I’m sorry.” I knew what that really translated to. He didn’t feel the same way and he never would.
    Hearing that rejection twice in a row was crippling. To say you loved someone and to not hear it back was one of the worst feelings in the world. I kept misinterpreting his actions. When he held me I always assumed it meant something. Maybe it didn’t mean anything at all.
    “I care about you in a way I’ve never cared for anyone