AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I need a drink.”
“You’ve come to the right person. How strong do you want it?”
“Anything to erase the thought, Ava,” I mumbled beneath my breath.
It started with one drink, then over-eating on the delicious lunch served. Uncle Rocky stripped off to only a pair of leopard print speedos which Eric dared him to wear. Surprisingly, Nikki found it amusing courtesy of the extra-strong drinks Ava poured. When it comes to handling the bar, Ava is notorious for potent servings of liquor.
The rest of the afternoon became a hazy blur. Between Ava’s drinks and the intense sun, I found myself in a drunken stupor. I don’t even remember docking, nor how I got back home.
There was a moment when Austin placed me in bed, and Mom was standing beside him, insisting I had heatstroke because apparently—my skin was all red. Either way, I wanted to be alone and sleep.
Sometime in the late afternoon, I open my eyes to see Austin sitting beside me in bed. I let out an involuntary groan before sitting up, only for the room to spin and my stomach recoil.
“Austin?” I barely mumble, my throat incredibly dry. “What time is it?”
“Almost dinner time.”
“I slept that long?”
He nods, but notably, his stare is fixated directly in front of him, avoiding me.
“Tell me I’m crazy, Millie?”
I rub my eyes in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Tell me I have nothing to worry about. That you love me, and someday, we’ll get married.”
“I said yes to marrying you.” I keep my voice low, wanting to avoid an argument but also because my head is throbbing. How much did I drink? Too much because I feel like absolute trash.
“Months ago,” he deadpans. “But now Will is back in the picture…”
“Will is not back in the picture,” I state, trying to control my frustration. “He is back in Manhattan along with the other millio
ns of people there. And in case you didn’t notice today, he was busy with someone else.”
Austin turns to face me, his stare anything but inviting. “I did, notice. And it’s clear you did too. Why else did you get blind drunk?”
“Because Ava poured? You know, as well as I do, she is notorious for her imbalance ratio of gin to tonic water. Plus, the heat today was ridiculous.”
“That’s what your mom said,” he mumbles, lowering his head.
I place my hand on his. “You have nothing to worry about except for getting changed because it’s our final dinner, and they’re bringing out some expensive cake made just for Rocky.”
He nods, but deep inside, his vulnerability is still eating away at him.
I hop off the bed a little too fast as my head begins to spin. Hanging on my wardrobe is a silk ivory dress Ava insists I wear. According to her, it will look fantastic for the photos she plans to use on her social media account.
“You use the bathroom here,” I suggest, grabbing my dress and shoes. “I’m going to use Ava’s. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes.”
“Sure.” He nods quietly. “See you soon.”
I linger at the door, then turn to face him. “Austin, are you okay?”
He releases a breath, rubbing his face in his hands. It wasn’t just us he worried about. There was the pressure of his medical degree looming over his head.
“As long as we are okay,” he tells me softly, “I will be just fine.”
16
