Page 8 of Haven Bound
I laugh as I toss back, “Just be happy I’m not in sweatpants. Hailey made me change.”
For the first time in what feels like forever, I don’t feel riddled with anxiety. I feel like I can actually take a deep breath and enjoy being out with friends. Despite how long it’s been, it feels all too natural to slip back into the way things used to be between the four of us. Ethan, Hailey, and I hang out pretty frequently, but it hasn’t felt the same without Austin.
“Hailey did what?” She practically falls into the booth beside Ethan, across from Austin and me, with her drink in hand. Typical Hails, she must’ve been right behind me. As independent and lighthearted as she is, she’s always been fiercely protective of me. I’m sure my anxiety was painted as clear as day across my face earlier. I should have known she wouldn’t stay out on the dance floor for too long without me.
“Oh you know, Chels was just complaining about you,” Ethan teases, draping his arm across the back of the booth behind Hailey. Her eyes meet mine as she takes a sip of the drink in her hands. Her cheeks are a little pink, but whether it’s from dancing or Ethan’s arm nearly across her shoulders, I’m not sure.
“I was not!” I laugh, snagging a napkin off the tabletop and crumbling it into a ball before tossing it at him. Next to me, Austin shifts to sit up a little straighter causing his leg to brush against mine and goosebumps to pebble my skin.
Hailey laughs as Ethan pretends to be injured by the crumpled napkin, rubbing his chest with the hand that’s not currently resting near her shoulder and pushing his bottom lip into a pout. “I thought we were friends, Chels! How could you hurt me like this?” I smile and shake my head at him before turning my attention to Austin who’s being way too quiet.
“So, how long are you in town?” I ask him, sitting back against the cushioned black faux leather seat. I don’t know which answer I’d rather hear; he’s only back for a short visit or he’s here to stay. Austin clenches his jaw and turns his body towards mine, his arm coming up to rest behind me across the seat, mirroring Ethan’s posture.
Before he can answer, Hailey damn near jumps out of the booth as “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls starts to fill the space. “This is our song! We have to go dance. C’mon, Chels!” She’s practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waits for me to get up and join her.
Back in high school, Hailey and I used to say that this was our anthem. We would play it on repeat while creating our own choreography in her bedroom, but that was…before.
Before Jason.
Before he made it his mission to completely tear me down until there was nothing left.
“I don’t know, Hails. I’m not really in the mood.” I can see the disappointment written across her face. All she had wanted was for us to get out and have fun, and I’m ruining it.
“I’ll dance if you do,” Austin says, the deep rumble of his voice sending electric shockwaves through my body, goosebumps suddenly covering my skin. He taps my hips to encourage me to scoot out of the booth. Little does he know, that when he touches me, all I want to do is stay rooted in place and sink into him. Ethan’s already up and standing beside Hailey, waiting for us to slide out of the booth and join them.
“C’mon, Chels, we’ve got you,” Ethan says, offering me a sympathetic smile. He knows as well as Hailey does how much I struggle with crowds.
My therapist’s words play in my mind as my gaze meets Austin’s.
Do something that you know will cause an anxious reaction but in a controlled environment where you know you’re safe.
Okay, I can do this. The idea of being stuck among a mass of strangers makes me feel sick to my stomach, but I also know that no matter how long it’s been or how things have changed, I’m safe with them.
Before I can change my mind, I’m sliding out of the booth and following Hailey to the dance floor with Austin and Ethan trailing close behind. The chorus hits, and she turns to face me. Her smile matches mine as we both start to sway our hips and sing along. Ethan moves in behind Hailey. He’s not touching her, but he’s dancing close enough that nobody else has room to try and move in on her. The way he watches her has jealousy snaking through me, wishing that somebody would look at me the way he looks at her.
The song ends, and “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship and Leighton Meester starts up. I throw my head back, hands in the air as my hips sway to the beat, for once allowing myself to not worry about my surroundings.
I’m safe.
Large hands cover my hips as Austin moves in closer to me, pulling my back to his chest. There’s a part of me that knows I should pull away and not let him get this close, but his touch sends heat coursing through me straight to my core. I can’t resist pressing against him. The lyrics fall from my lips as I sway my hips back and forth.
Nerves accompany the heat as I look at Hailey, hoping to gauge her reaction to her brother and I dancing so close together, but she’s not paying us any attention. Her focus is entirely on Ethan, her hands placed on his shoulders with his on her hips.
A deep groan hits my ears, and I can feel Austin’s heated breath against my neck, his head dipping down towards me as I grind againsthim. He’s been away for so long, and I know that I should demand answers from him before I get swept away, but I can’t help the pull I feel towards him. His hands on my hips grip tighter as he pulls my ass against him, and I can feel his hard length behind the denim.
The song changes again to “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris, and I find myself turning in Austin’s arms, moving one hand to his shoulder as the other comes up to brush my loosely curled waves away from my face. He doesn’t miss a beat, his hands falling to my hips to pull me as close as possible while still maintaining eye contact.
It’s always been this way between us. Even before we started sneaking around together, the magnetic heat between us was always unavoidable.
Entirely focused on one another, I can’t help but let my gaze slip down to his full lips. I run my tongue over my bottom lip and then tug it between my teeth ever so slightly before my eyes lock back on his. He mimics the movement, his gaze lingering on my mouth for a few seconds longer as he reaches up with one hand to cup my jaw. His thumb grazes against my bottom lip, and I swear my heart is ready to break free from my chest.
Fuck, this is so wrong. I can’t afford to fall into old habits with him.
Austin takes a step forward, our hips nearly touching now, my breasts mere inches from being pressed against his chest. “Chelsea…” His rasp of a voice is barely audible over the loud music, but I don’t have to hear him to remember the way my name looks on his lips. His face slowly lowers to mine, and just as I think he might kiss me, my gaze snags on a nightmare.
Jason.
His blond hair is shaved down on the sides and unnecessarily long on top, hanging down over his pierced eyebrow. His dark eyes are filled withanger, maybe even disgust, and locked on me. He’s leaning against the bar counter, a short glass of amber liquid in his hand. A smirk crosses his lips as he takes a sip of the drink.
