AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hi.”
The silence sits between us, but it’s overpowered by the loud music Maddox continues to play.
“Can we go outside to talk?” he asks.
“Sure.”
He turns, and I follow him toward the side of the club. We’re sitting on the top floor of the hotel, and almost all of the walls are lined with thick windows, giving everyone a skyline view of the Malibu city lights and the beach. There’s one opening that leads out to a wide balcony, complete with glowing lights that line the walls and multiple standing tables. A glass partition sits atop a cement wall so you can still see the beach and city lights.
Austin leans against the glass partition, resting his elbows atop the barrier, gazing out over the beach. Stepping closer to him, I lean my back against the wall, folding my arms. Glancing up at him, he keeps his eyes out toward the night sky.
I don’t know if he’s waiting for me to start, but I don’t want to wait and have these confused feelings lingering much longer. “I didn’t ask Maddox to call you.”
“I know,” he replies, nodding. Finally looking over at me, he sends me another smile. “He said he’s not sure what you’re thinking but that I should try again. That’s why he invited me here tonight.” I nod, unsure how to reply to that. “If I’m being honest, if he didn’t call me, I might not be here.”
“Wow, honesty? That must be a new feeling.” I can’t help the sarcastic reply.
He nods. “I deserve that.” Taking a deep breath, he locks his eyes on mine. “Other than that one thing, I never lied to you, Jade.”
“That’s a pretty big other thing, Austin. I trusted you.”
“I know.” His head drops. He’s quiet for a moment longer, and I think our time is up, when he starts up again, keeping his eyes to the floor. “When I was eight, I lied to my mom that I ate all of my Brussel sprouts one night when I really fed them to our dog, Oscar.”
He finally looks up at me with a weak smile. I quirk an eyebrow, confused. “What?”
“In seventh grade, me and my friend snuck out to go to a party where these two girls we liked were going. I snuck back in before my mom found out.”
“Um—”
“In ninth grade, I told Candice Walker that I liked her because I thought she would get me into a party of the girl I actually liked.”
“Okay, that one’s just low.”
“Junior year in high school, I snuck into my dad’s liquor cabinet and stole three bottles of alcohol for a party that I never replaced. I think the only reason he never caught me was that he never pays attention.”
That comment makes me giggle. A soft, warm smile crosses his lips.
“Aside from the lies I’ve told my father because I don’t care at all what he thinks of me or what I want to do with life, those other things I’ve felt bad about over the years. I don’t know why I remember them, but I do. But nothing hurt more than not telling you the truth. I was so close that day on the beach, Jade. I wanted to tell you then, but I was afraid of you reacting the way I knew you would. That day was perfect, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”
After keeping his distance, he finally steps closer, taking my hands. “I’ll never hide anything else from you. If you give me a chance, I won’t ever hurt you like that again.”
I believe him. I wanted to believe him when he first told me, and now I finally do. A smile slides over my lips, and I lift my arms, wrapping them around his neck. “You have to promise me one more thing.”
“Anything,” he replies, leaning his forehead against mine.
“Never stop telling me how amazing I am.”
Catching on to my joke, his grin grows wider. Leaning closer, I feel all of the nerves finally vanish, and his arms wrap around me. He kisses me, and the moment his lips meet mine, my heart warms, finally having him this close again. This is the Austin I was falling for, and I’m glad to finally have him back.
“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”
