Page 28 of Forever & Always You
We turn to look at each other, and I hate that he makes me laugh. It shouldn’t be a surprise to me that we get along so well, because wewerebest friends. We may have grown up, we may have changed, but the foundation is still there. It feels so natural being around Austin.
“Teddy, did you hear that?” I ask, bending forward so I can lower my voice and say into his ear, “I think that was Austin being mean to me.”
Austin mimics me, drawing his mouth in close to Teddy’s other ear, his gaze smoldering back at me over the dog’s head. “Teddy, did you hear that? I think that was Gabby realizing she enjoys me being mean to her.”
I sit upright, defiantly crossing my arms. “I do not.”
“Yes, you do,” Austin counters. “You blush.”
“What?”
“You blush,” he repeats. He lifts his hand and delicatelybrushes his thumb over my cheek, and my breath hitches in my throat. “Your cheeks turn a shade of pink. Spreads under your freckles. Softens your eyes.” He drops his hand. “So if it’s okay with you, I’m going to keep being mean, because I love it when you blush.”
The field spins around me and I manually force myself to breathe. Growing up, I don’t remember ever feeling like there was even the slightest possibility that Austin saw me in any other way than just his best friend. That’s all we were back then, but now it is impossible to ignore just how different things feel. Terrifyingly different. Different enough to make my heart hammer in my chest in a way I’m yet to understand.
“Okay,” I finally respond, searching for breath. “Amendment to our agreement of being nice to one another: we get to be mean, but only if it’splayfulmean. Notnastymean.Funmean. Agreed?”
“Perfect,” Austin says with a smile so gorgeous it’s wicked. “For what’s it worth, I didn’t enjoy beingnastymean to you yesterday. It didn’t feel right, because you were always my favorite person, Gabby.”
My heart pounds even harder, painful in my chest. “I thought you don’t pick favorites.”
Austin’s gaze holds mine and he allows a beat of silence to fill the air between us before he says quietly, “I don’t unless it’s you.”
9
I don’t know if it’s the concussion or the way Austin stroked my cheek, but my head is a mess of jumbled thoughts and I have a severe lack of concentration. I can’t think straight. Every time Austin opens his mouth, he needs to repeat himself because I’m zoned out and staring off into the distance.
We said goodbye to all of the dogs at the shelter, which made me emotional because I’ll probably never see any of them again, and on our way back to Austin’s house, we stopped by the mall to pick out some clothes to tide me over for a few days. Nothing expensive, just some basics. When I started browsing for underwear, Austin decided that was the right moment for him to duck off to the running store, giving me some privacy.
And then he found me again at the checkout and swiped his credit card before I could put up a fight. When I promised to pay him back, he laughed.Laughed.
But I’m not a charity case. I can stand on my own two feet, even if they may be a little wobbly at times, so the second I find a new job and start bringing in some cash again, I’ll pay him back the hundred odd dollars I now owe him. We were best friends when he had nothing, and I don’t want him thinking I’ve come crawling back into his life now that he’s loaded. I didn’t evenknowhe was rich when I decided to find him.
Back at the house, he needed a few hours to himself to work, so he disappeared into his home office while I tried my best to relax in the huge living room. Part of me wanted to steal this chance to sneak around and explore, to find out more about the Austin he is now, but prying doesn’t align with my new goals of being a better, more respectful person. So I stayed put in the living room, flicking through streaming services on the monstrous TV screen and looking up Lily’s profile on the Saving Paws Animal Rescue’s website. No wonder she hasn’t been adopted—her photos are terrible.
I also texted my mother, something I rarely, if ever, do. I told her I made it back to Durham safe and sound, because what else can I do but lie? If she knew I was shacking up with Austin Pierce for the weekend, that would send her fully over the edge and into a nervous breakdown.
I’m deep into my second movie, fighting off the nap my body craves after an afternoon of being far too comfortable in the corner of this couch, when Austin emerges from his office. I’m so tired, I don’t even sit up. I peek over the edge of the blanket I’m cocooned under and smile.
“You’re finished?”
“For today,” Austin says, collapsing onto the other end of the couch by my feet. He glances at that expensive watch on his wrist. “I’m sorry that took so long.”
“Hey, you’re doing me a favor letting me stay here. Don’t worry about keeping me company,” I reassure him. Whatever Austin’s plans are this weekend, I’ll fit myself around them and keep out of his way if required. I don’t want him to regret his extremely generous offer of hospitality.
My body stiffens when Austin rests his hand on my leg over the blanket. He doesn’t seem to notice, because he nods curiously at the TV. “What are you watching?”
“Um,” I say, brain scrambling as I reel in my focus. “I’ve been working my way through all of the Marvel movies recently. This isCaptain Marvel.”
Austin gives me a pensive sidelong look.
“What?”
“I never thought I’d ever see Gabrielle McKinley again,” he says, “let alone see her wrapped up inmyblanket watching Marvel movies onmycouch. My brain’s bugging out here.”
I pointedly pull the blanket tighter around me. “Your AC is too high. I’m freezing.”
“Hypothermia wasn’t exactly the method of death I had in mind for you, but it’ll do,” he quips, then grins as he moves from the couch to the AC dials on the wall. He turns the temperature up a few notches. “Better?”
