Chapter 157
As expected, Austin claimed that his thought was bred Hy what had occured with the lock. According to him, it didn't make sense for me to go back there after I had clearly seen it wasn't safe. And I won't lie, it was a fair point. I mean, I was still trying to regain my composure because the whole thing had managed to freak me out completely. But then...
" Why are you so fidgety?" I asked, walking closer to him because I knew it would make him feel more pressured.
" What're you talking about? I'm not. "
" Yeah you are, what exactly is on your mind?"
" I've told you, I'm not gonna let you go back there. It's not safe. "
He went back to arranging the racks when I got to where he was. An attempt to get me to stop with all the questions. And I did, because my mind was busy thinking something through. And I was going to wait till the perfect moment to ask him. He was currently too worked up so if I confronted him about anything he was just going to turn defensive, and if our history had taught me something, it was that with Austin I had to always approach matters calmly. Yesterday when he had walked out and left me in his room I had once again felt lost. And I had just wanted to run after him and make things right.
Hurting him had and never will be my intention. And I had to start acknowledging the fact that he also had his opinions on issues. They might have been strange opinions that I didn't agree with, but they were still his and if I degraded them I'd just be a terrible partner to him. I could sense that he was momentarily ignoring my presence so I went back to work. I even changed the subject and started talking about what subject we were going to study that night. He'd agreed to study yesterday and that was an opportunity I wasn't gonna throw away.
He told me to pick anything I wanted, saying he was bad at everything so there wasn't really gonna be that much of a difference. But when I picked maths he shook his head and refused. Saying the word 'no' repeatedly because he wanted me to see how serious he was being. But I had already made my choice and wasn't planning on changing it. I sensed that he was mostly just scared of studying. He was also reckless and uncaring but fear definitely played a part in his choice to never study. Perhaps he had tried his best while he was young and had never gotten what he thought he would, so he had given up on trying completely. Being afraid of putting any effort since he didn't want it to end up being useless and wasted.
We finished up arranging everything, and he said he was hungry and couldn't study on an empty stomach. Then he told me he'd be right back before walking out and heading over to Trenny's. As he left, I watched as he took his phone out of his pocket, a clear sign that he wanted to make a phonecall but didn't want me to listen in on whatever would be discussed. Suspicious.
But I also couldn't so casually overlook the fact that he had literally just asked me to move in with them. That was something huge. I had no plans of doing so but it was really flattering that he had made such an offer. And the look in his eyes as he made it was proof that he had been very serious. But there's no way I was going to move to his house, where his dad and stepmom lived! I'd be so in edge if I ever did that. And I'm sure I'd just be walking over eggshells each time I was there. The two times we had eaten together I had been extremely nervous, no way I could handle it if that was a permanent situation.
And my mum had also paid rent so it would be a total waste.
I took out the laptop he had gifted me and started typing in an essay. The device was a great help,as well as a sign of how loving Austin was. He always tried to show me how much he cared, and even though sometimes he was a little excessive, j still valued him a great deal. When he returned, I didn't really look at him. I rather focused on my work, offering him a subtle smile when he told me that the joint had added pies to their menu and he had decided to buy one as dessert. Then he walked over and placed everything on the counter before sitting down.
" Is that the literature essay? Isn't it due in like a week?" he chuckled and tried to push the laptop away and clear out some space on the counter, "Eat first, you can finish that up later, " he instructed but I just held up my hand to stop him before I went on with my work. I was aggressively typing,as if it was an action aimed more at relieving my stress. He fell silent as well, and I could feel him just watching me.
" Aren't you hungry?"
I shook my head.
" So are you or aren't you? " He sounded confused, then he sighed and started to unpack the food that he had bought. The smell just hit me and I thanked my stomach for maintaining its decency and not growling because I was starving.
" I'm guessing you like your food cold and untasteful so I'll just leave this over here, "
He pushed my share aside and went ahead with his meal. But then after a few bites he stopped and turned to me entirely. I could sort of see him from the corner of my eye and he had in this intensely thoughtful look.
" What did I do?" He finally asked. Curiosity everywhere in the question. I finally stopped typing and looked at him. Though he was making me feel really shitty. His question suggested that I frequently always found fault in what he did, which I didn't think was entirely true. He raised his brows and waited for me to talk, and when I didn't he just scoffed and threw a fry into his mouth.
" Is it because I asked you to move in? I'm not gonna force you if you don't want to. It was just a suggestion. "
" You think it was him, don't you?" I asked and he paused whatever he was doing and looked at me. Slowly chewing his food before he swallowed and hung his head. He knew damn well who I was referring to. His little pal from back home. It's not like it was unlikely for him to do such a thing, but for him to go that far meant that he either really hated me or he really loved Austin. And I preferred it if it was the first option. I could deal with that, but knowing that there was an unpredictable guy out there who was so in love with my boyfriend that he broke into my house was just unsettling. Austin had told me that whatever they used to have had been nothing, and I had believed him, but clearly that wasn't the truth.
" I may or may not have considered the possibility, "
" Fucking hell!" I muttered to myself as I saved my literature content and buried my face in my hands.
" We could be wrong, perhaps it's not -"
" Of course it is. Who else could it be?"
His silence was a clear sign that he thought the same thing.
" How'd he even know where I live?"
" He found out where I lived as well, and I sure hadn't told him. "
" Oh God! "
The worst part about it all was that I couldn't even call the cops. Not unless I wanted to get Austin into trouble for helping out a wanted person. There were just very high chances of things coming back around to bite us if I made such a rash decision.
" Did he pick up when you called?"
He looked up at me with a little shock, but it wore down and he shook his head.
" I was thinking of going over to the motel later on, but I'm not gonna leave you alone. "
" Well I'm not letting you go there either. Do you understand the concept of danger? Your crazy ex is basically trying to get back at me for being with you. "
" He's not my ex-"
" I hardly believe that's important in this matter. "
Chris had probably thought that the feelings between them were mutual, only for Austin to break his hurt. And I knew better than anyone how skilled he was at doing that. With a straight face that too. He might have just been in it for the moment but he failed to remember that people have feelings. Had he been as attentive to Chris as he was with me?
" What went on between you two anyway? Did you date? "
" Hell no! I told you it was nothing. "
" I beg to differ, people don't stalk their exes over nothing. "
" We just used to mess around. "
" So sex?"
When he looked away I got my answer.
" That's not nothing Austin. " It was actually Avery huge something. Perhaps Chris felt used?