Axel's POV

This was exactly the type of situation I tend to avoid. Max merely offered a reassuring smile that did absolutely nothing to ease the building and accumulating unease. I swallowed before turning the doorknob to enter the girls' apartment. Will Melia expect me to make a move? Does she even know about my sister's matchmaking plan? Do I even want to pursue her? The manic thoughts stomped around in my mind.

"Hello?" I called as we entered. The announcement was fairly pointless, as the entire open plan living space had a clear view of the front door.

"Hey, baby bro," Bex yelled from behind the kitchen counter with a smile, "Maxie," she emasculated poor Max with a cheeky wink.

I cringed at her loudness. "Geesh Rebecca, you don't have to yell," I mumbled.

"Oh shush, you're here less than a second and already you're a party pooper," she shot back, sticking her tongue out at me immaturely.

Max chuckled as he walked to take a seat on the sofa next to Landon, who was sprawled out comfortably. "Sup Max?" Landon greeted him with a fist bump, "Relax Axe, oh man that rhymed," he said to me with a chuckle.

I frowned staring at him, "Why are you here alone with my sister?" I asked looking accusingly between the two of them.

"Oh, we just had a meaningless roll in the hay," Bex said wiggling her eyebrows while sucking batter from her index finger.

I cringed at both the idea and the image before shooting Landon a dirty look. He held up both hands, "No, dude I just got here myself," he said defensively, straining to suppress his laughter.

"Catch," Bex yelled again. I managed to catch the beer she threw at me just in time, "Take it and chill, Melia ain't here," she said with a knowing look.

I huffed, blushing bright red. But yes, I did relax, before disappointment settled in the pit of my stomach. She's not here?

"Oh, where is she?" I asked with my best poker face. I threw the beer at Landon, who caught it with his keen athletic reactions. "Here you have it, poet," I teased him.

"Hmm, good question actually, I have no idea where she is," Bex said looking thoughtful for a second before she shrugged and continued.

Landon and Max were deep in conversation, so I settled on the barstool at the counter Bex was working behind. I took a second to take her in and to observe her handy work. She was wearing an apron with the caption –I am the naked chef- written on it. "What are you making?" I finally asked unable to find the logic behind the gooey pink batter.

"Cupcakes," she announced with pride.

"For dinner?" I asked puzzled, the concept not beyond her I supposed.

"No silly, dinner is in the oven," she said proudly.

I straightened my back to look at the oven, sighing as I recognized the contents. "You ordered pizza, what happened to making dinner?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She merely jutted her chin out at me and avoided eye contact. "You burned it, didn't you?" I said loudly.

She shot me a glare, "Shut up."

There was a knock at the door and Bex immediately used the opportunity to escape me and the kitchen. My heart skipped a beat, but then I realized Melia wouldn't knock.

"Well, hello, I can't believe it actually worked," I heard Bex say to whoever was at the door.

"What worked?" a deep male voice replied.

"A few days ago I ordered a Ken doll, and here you are," she yelled again overly excited.

Marcel, I concluded. It must be, he's the only Ken doll I know.

"Well, you must be the naked chef I asked for," he smoothly replied making my sister giggle like a nun on a carrot.

Definitely Marcel.

"Bex, please have some decency. Marcel, please just come in already," I yelled craning my neck to see him.

Marcel walked in like he owned the place stopping next to my sister again. "Bex I assume can only be short for Rebecca, my favourite name for a woman," he said, kissing her hand and reducing her to a puddle at his feet.

"Oh Ken," she giggled fluttering her lashes at him.

I cleared my throat. Marcel turned to me with a mischievous grin. "Okay relax Casanova, that's my sister," I said dutifully.

"Well, she is certainly much more pleasant than you," he said walking over to me, "How are you my friend?" he asked with a more genuine smile, he didn't touch me because he knew me well.

"He is having girl problems," Landon inconveniently informed him with a grin.

"Really?" The surprise was evident on his face when he looked back to me, "Do tell?" he said crossing his arms over his chest.

"There is nothing to tell because there is no girl trouble to begin with," I dismissed all allegations.

"He is unsure if his current girlfriend is still his girlfriend or not. Because my roommate spent the night at his place and they are the perfect couple," Bex chirped, from behind the kitchen counter again. She was making a scene out of sucking the batter from her finger again mesmerizing the three men in the room.

"Cut it out Bex, it's disgusting. And this fantasy world of yours where I woo Melia off her feet is ridiculous and not likely to happen," I said risking the chance to become the official party pooper.

"Melia? That's a coincidence," Marcel said, walking over to sit next to me at the counter. He looked my sister up and down with hungry eyes. "I think you missed a spot on that finger of yours, maybe you should try again," he said.

I was appalled. Bex leaned closer with a lazy grin, and it was at that moment I abruptly stood up and left to go sit on the sofa. "Why is that coincident?" I asked Marcel annoyed, knowing it's pointless to try and neutralize the radioactive chemistry between him and Bex.

"Oh, nothing really, it's just that Aims is out tonight with some girl named Melia, apparently some old fling of his," he said absentmindedly, still staring at Bex.

The room went deadly quiet, my heart dropped, and the 'oh shit' expressions around the room were confirmation enough. She was with him. Fuck.

Marcel, not your average idiot, immediately picked up on the weird vibe making its rounds. "Uh, was it something I said?" he asked looking around with a worried expression.

"Motherffff—" Bex released a string of profanities, startling as all, to be honest.

"Rebecca, please don't," I said with a stern voice, warning her to keep her shit together.

"Fine, it's not what I wanted, but it's also not always about me," she spoke calmly as she slowly started to stir her cupcake batter to calm herself.

"I find it odd that you're all such close friends, yet this Aims fella never mentioned her name to any of you?" Max asked.

"Aims likes his little secrets, says mystery is power. What am I missing here?" Marcel asked amused, looking between us.

"This Melia girl you are talking about is my roommate, and she was supposed to be flirting with my brother right now, just like we discussed this afternoon when she was still all for it," Bex breathed out with a strained voice.

Every head snapped to me, waiting for my reaction. I was stunned. She was all for it?

I sighed heavily then decided to ignore them all. I turned my head to look at the muted music videos playing on the television. "Right, who wants tequila?" Bex said trying to save the moment.

Cheers erupted, as they all gathered around the table to hog the tequila bottle with feverish salt licking and lime sucking. I frowned at Marcel texting on his phone, I was feeling paranoid beyond reason. Usually, I don't drink, at all, but maybe just one tequila...

Let me warn you now, tequila shots travel in packs and they go down with a vengeance.

Somewhere through my haze, unsure of how many time went by, and somewhere in between dodging a cupcake thrown at my head, I noticed the front door opening.

She was beautiful even though my drunken stupor.

Her jeans were so tight, you could fit a horse in that thigh gap...

Better yet, I could fit in that thigh gap.

The room went quiet and the intoxication lifted for a split second, just long enough to register the various expressions on all the faces looking at me.

"Care to rephrase that?" Gabriel asked with a frown from where he stood next to Melia, still by the door.

Shit, I said that out loud?

I searched for her face, she was blushing just as profusely as me.