I supposed to do? He pushes his hair off his face and his lips tilt up in a half smile.
Why does he have to be so hot? I’m just a mere mortal woman, here.
“I’m glad I found you. I’ve been trying to reach you—” he begins.
“Yeah, I just—”
He wraps his hand around my arm, not hard or forcefully but as though he is asking me not to run away or leave before he can say what he needs to say. “I’m sorry that I came on so strong, kissing you out of nowhere like that. I bet I scared you shitless.”
I smile, grateful that he’s making this so easy for me. He could bring up the fact that I kissed him too, but he seems willing to take the blame.
I almost offer to shoulder some of the blame when Blair emerges behind him from the crowd and kisses the back of his neck as she lays a hand on his shoulder. It hurts like a punch to the stomach, even though I know I have no right to feel like Austin is mine.
I start to get up, but Austin pulls me back down onto the stool, putting his hands on my thighs. He holds them there the whole time he addresses Blair.
“Blair, don’t kiss me like we’re together. I’ve made it really clear several times now that we’re finished,” he says, talking a little louder when Blair doesn’t move. “It’s over.”
Blair glares at me openly and then storms off. I watch her walk away and then look at Austin. “When did you break up with Blair?”
14
Austin
I can see she’s surprised, and I know I can take the easy road and play it off, make excuses for that amazing kiss, but I don’t want to. We’ve always been truthful with each other, and I know that right now it’s more important than ever to be honest with her.
“I broke up with her right after you came back to town,” I confess to her. “Since you’ve come back, I’ve had all these feelings that I don’t know what to do with, and I like you and want to see where this goes.”
I can tell she’s shocked. She opens her mouth and closes it again. She doesn’t say a word, and I know I sort of dropped this on her like a bomb. Now I’m glad that I didn’t tell her that I love her and can’t imagine my life without her. She would definitely freak out. No, I have to take this slowly. I try not to get worried that she doesn’t seem to feel the same way I do. I know this is a lot, and she’s already been through so much with Keith.
In hopes of avoiding a kneejerk reaction, I suggest to her, “Let’s move to a booth in the back so we can talk and have fewer interruptions.”
Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and begin to lead her toward a booth in the back. I’m grateful she doesn’t pull away, and I’m very aware that this might be the only walk we take together hand in hand if she tells me she doesn’t want what I’m offering.
Laney
We no sooner sit down than I blurt out, “Are you talking about friends with benefits?”
He shakes his head and almost looks disgusted by the thought. “No, I know that wouldn’t work.”
“You’re saying you want to date me… to see where this goes?” I ask him, wanting him to clarify.
He nods his head.
“Austin, we made a pact we could never date each other.”
He reaches for my hand. “Laney, that was in the sixth grade. I kissed you Friday and you’re all I’ve thought about. I want to kiss you again.”
Already, I’m shaking my head at him. He forgets that I know him. He gets bored with women so easily. I wouldn’t last a week. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll make it two, but how will my heart be after that?
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him no, that we need to go back to what we were, but he’s offering me something that I’ve wanted for so long and thought I could never have. How can I tell him no?
He’s watching me, and I can tell he’s trying to figure out what I’m thinking. He has a worried look on his face, and I want to reach out to him and kiss that frown line on his forehead away.
I say the first thing I can think of. “I