Page 40 of Forever & Always You
Austin pushes his hands back through his hair and groans in frustration. “I can’t tell you,” he says, “becauseof your dad.”
I scrunch up my face, even more perplexed than I was half a second ago. “What? That makes no sense.”
“Can you please forget my dad said anything?”
“Forget your dad said anything?” I repeat. Now I’m at the point where I’m that pissed, I could laugh. “I’m walking back to the shop to get my car, and then I’m going home to my apartment because my plumbing is fixed. It’s up to you whether or not you tell me the truth between now and then. And if you don’t .?.?.” I release a shaky breath. “Then yeah, I don’t think we can be friends again, after all.”
Austin’s face falls, and I can’t bear to look at his sad blue eyes.
I set off down the street and don’t look back, not even once.
13
I’m not sure how long I’m prepared to wait it out on Austin’s drive outside his house.
Turns out my car wasn’t on its deathbed, after all. It just had some dirty-ass air filters that needed replaced, and once I settled my debts with the mechanic, I reclaimed my keys and drove back to Austin’s place. I wanted to quickly gather my stuff and head home to my apartment, but my plan was halted by Austin’s locked front door.
And I know—I could totally just ditch my stuff, because I don’t havethatmuch with me in the first place, but I’ll be damned if I leave behind my favorite hair mask. It’s expensive and just about the only moisturizer that keeps the frizz out of my curls, so no way. I’ll face Austin one final time if it means retrieving my hair products.
So I wait in my car outside, my feet up on dash and the AC blasting pitifully. It’s a risky game to play, because Austin could be hours at his parents’ house while they convince him of a thousand more reasons why I’m a bad idea.
However, my phone vibrates after an hour.
Austin:Where are you?
Me:Outside your house because you’re holding my stuffhostage.
Austin:I’m at the office. Come here.
Me:You have to say please.
Austin:Please, Gabrielle.
Austin:*Gabby.
With a disgruntled sigh, I swing my legs down from the center console and reverse out of the drive. I’m sick of waiting, so I’ll drive downtown to the office even if it’s only for the purpose of tackling him to the ground and wrestling his keys out of his pocket myself. When it comes to my hair mask, I take no prisoners.
I head down to the office and this time, I don’t make the same mistake of parking in the fire lane. It’s Sunday and the office is closed on the weekends, so I park up in the staff parking lot behind the building instead. Only Austin’s car is here, and he’s inside the office waiting for me, and that makes me really fucking nervous for a reason I can’t quite put my finger on.
I make my way around the front and head inside.
The office feels eerie when it’s closed. There’s no Helen behind the front desk to greet me, no quiet music playing from an invisible speaker. Only a very sad-looking cactus named Carly Buck. I hope Helen will remember to water it.
All of the lights are off, so sunlight streams in through the windows and casts shadows through the dim building as I head down the hall. The door to Austin’s office is shut, so I warily open it.
He’s staring out of the window, his back to me, arms folded. He doesn’t even flinch at my arrival and it takes me only a split second to read the room—the atmosphere is tense; Austin’s body tenser.
“Why does this feel so cryptic?” I ask, but my question doesn’t lighten the mood.
“I needed space to think,” he says quietly, “and I do most ofmy thinking in here.”
“Unless you’re going to tell me why my dad became the topic of conversation back at your parents’ house, then please just give me your keys,” I demand, holding out my hand and expecting him to turn to face me, but he doesn’t. “I’m not playing this weird game. We’re either friends or we aren’t, and if you can’t be honest with me, then I’m sorry, but I’m out. So keys,now, please. I’ll get my stuff and be gone.”
“Just sit down, Gabby,” Austin says.
“No.”
“Sit. Down,” he instructs more firmly, and I roll my eyes behind his back.
