'Til There Was You - Jerry Cole Page 0,81

and looked back down.

“No, you don’t.”

Finn clenched his jaw and nodded his head. “I do... I... I don’t think... we shouldn’t...” He couldn’t even say it.

Was this what Finn wanted? To break up? Probably not. Austin was the best thing to ever happen to him, and he knew it. But he also knew he was weak, a coward and a wimp. If breaking up with Austin mean avoiding ever feeling hurt again, than maybe it was for the best.

“You should go,” Austin said suddenly.

“Huh?”

“Go.” Austin pointed toward the door. “It’s late. And what you’re saying, I don’t believe you.”

“Believe it,” Finn said through his teeth. He was trying to stop himself from crying. It wasn’t working.

“Go,” Austin said again. He then turned around and started heading for his bedroom. “And come back when you know what you actually want – when you grow some fucking balls.”

“Austin.” Finn took a half step forward, but then stopped. Austin turned around, half facing Finn, half facing his bedroom. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.”

And that was it. Finn wasn’t sure if the two had broken up, or had just had a fight. But he didn’t want to argue when Austin asked him to leave, and that was because he wanted to get the heck out of there. So, he offered a half-smile, turned on his heel and just about fled that apartment like his life depended on it.

The drive from Austin’s place to his was a little less than fifteen, minutes, and every single second of them was used to break down that argument. By the time Finn pulled up at his apartment and turned the car off, he realized he was no closer to figuring out who had won, who had lost and what the result was. They had fought, Finn had kind of said that he wanted it to end, but Austin hadn’t really believed him.

The only resounding conclusion that Finn could come up with, and indeed there was no denying this, was that he was a coward. And as for what happened next? As far as Finn was now concerned, it was up to Austin. Austin was more man than he could ever be. Really, Austin was just too good for him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I love it! Oh boy, do I.... oh!” Cassidy clapped his hands together as if doing so might stop him from exploding on the spot. “It is lovely,” he finished with a little more control.

“You think so?” Austin sucked through his teeth as he took another look around. Hands on hips, head tilted to the side. He liked it, but he wasn’t sure that he loved it just yet. “It’s not too open?”

“Is that even a thing? Find me one straight man that has ever complain about a woman’s legs being too—”

“Lucky then that I’m gay.”

“The point still stands,” Cassidy continued rightly. “Too open isn’t a thing, honey. Just imagined with the summer sun coming through here, curtains open. Oh!” He balled his fists up and started to shake. “We’re going to be having a lot of parties here.”

“We?” Austin raised an eyebrow at Cassidy.

“Oh, honey, just because you’ve moved out, doesn’t mean that I’m not taking full advantage of you... and this place.” He held his arms wide and indicated to everything in sight. “So yes, we’re going to be having a lot of parties here. There’s going to be more dick flying around then a brothel in Newtown.”

“Charming,” Austin grimaced at the thought. “Now come on. Enough gushing, and more unpacking. Chop, chop.” He clapped his hands together as if to kick Cassidy into gear. Cassidy rolled his eyes, but ultimately complied, and together, the two men got about what they had come here for in the first place.

It was Austin’s brand-new apartment, to which the two men were referring, and currently unpacking what appeared to be every cardboard box available in Sydney into. Austin had signed the lease agreement just two days ago, and had managed to convince Cassidy to help him move in... helped along by the drinks they were going to be having right after, of course.

The apartment itself was a nice little one-bedder located in the middle of Surry Hills, with hard-wooden floors, an open-layout, and a beautiful big balcony with view of the city. It was the perfect bachelor pad—as Cassidy called it—and a definite step up in Austin’s life.

“Honestly, I don’t know why you didn’t do this months ago!” Cassidy cooed as he picked up the smallest box among the dozens