AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter TWENTY-TWO
Austin
Austin stretched outhis arm, ready to pull Casey into the warmth of his body beneath the blankets, willing her to snuggle in beside him, her soft breath kissing his skin. His fingers searched, brushing up against a piece of paper where her head should have rested.
Opening his eyes, he pulled the note closer to his face, Casey’s childlike print blurring before his eyes. Swinging his hand out, he snagged his reading glasses on the nightstand and dropped the frames on his nose. He gripped her note as something black coated the tips of his fingers.
He frowned, rubbing his thumb and index finger together. “Is this... is this eyeliner?” he whispered, wrinkling his nose. Austin snorted, sinking back beneath the covers as his gaze flew across the makeup-adorned page, her words left in charcoal gray.
Austin,
Lauren picked me up. We had early hair and make-up appointments and I didn’t want to wake you. You tossed and turned all night.
I’m so proud of you! You’re going to make an incredible partner, even if it leaves you a Dodgers fan for life. I’ll never convert, but this Chicago fan wouldn’t mind seeing the stadium when the Cubs are in town.
Meet you at the altar. I’ll be the one in yellow.
XOXO,
Casey girl
“When the Cubs are in town,” he read aloud to the empty bedroom.
You think you’re gonna move here to be with me, Casey girl, don’t you?
Austin rubbed the back of his neck and frowned, swallowing the suspicion churning in his gut.
And what about school? And your new internship? You’re finally chasing your dream.
“I can’t let you do it, Case,” he muttered, tossing her note to the nightstand. He dragged his hands down his cheeks and smacked his palms on the blanket.
He sighed, allowing his heart to pick through the unease flooding his body. His career pulled him, dragging him to the thirteenth floor above City Hall in Los Angeles, just as he’d always dreamed and worked toward. But then a curly-haired Cubs fan reached across his lap for the remote control and the dream, the plan, all of it went to hell. New dreams and new plans burst forth from the rocky shores of Lake Michigan. They glistened in his mind, weighing heavy on his heart.
Austin groaned and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He yanked out the charger and cringed as the date reflected on the home screen.
July ninth.
With a glance at the time, he sat up and forced his body to move across the room to begin getting ready for the wedding. His toes met the cold tile of the bathroom, his hands gripping the nozzle in the shower. The hot water fell, filling the space with steam.
Dropping his clothes to the floor, Austin stepped inside. The water pelted his skin and roused his brain from the fog of confusion. He squirted shampoo into his palms and raked the goo through his hair. Soap bubbles dripped down his naked body, oozing along the floor toward the drain.
What the hell am I gonna do?
As he breathed out a heavy sigh, his fingers gripped the bottle of body wash—the wordsRugged Mountain Freshstilling the beat of his heart as the blue liquid spilled into his hands.
“I can’t let you uproot your life for me, Casey girl. It’s not fair.”
