Chapter 11 #2
“You’re beautiful,” Austin said as he stepped closer, his hand already moving toward my waist. I sucked in a quiet breath through my nose, fighting the instinct to turn my head away.
To hide whatever reaction I knew was written all over my face.
But I remembered his words at the waterfall.
About not shutting down. About letting him see me.
So I didn’t move. His hand settled at my waist. And just like that, his smile disappeared.
“So,” he said slowly, his gaze dropping to my shirt. His voice had changed. It was no longer warm or sweet. It was low. Tight. “This outfit isn’t just a one time thing, huh?”
“Nope,” I shrugged, glancing down at the tiny red top myself. “It’s the uniform for the wait staff.”
“I see,” he said, nodding once. His jaw tightened. I could see it clearly now.
“What?” I tilted my head at him. “You don’t like it?”
Before he could answer, Levi’s voice cut in from behind him. “Oh, he likes it.”
I tore my eyes away from Austin, finally noticing Cherry and Levi standing a few feet back. It struck me then just how completely I’d zeroed in on Austin. I hadn’t heard them come in. Hadn’t heard Cherry speak. Hadn’t even registered Levi’s presence at all.
“So then?” I laughed, shaking my head like I could reset the moment.
“He knows it makes all our pervy customers think about fucking you,” Cherry said casually, like she was commenting on the weather. And now that I think about it, she probably wasn’t wrong.
Austin let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating through his chest as he shook his head. His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me into his space without hesitation. I went willingly. “She’s not wrong,” he said.
“If it makes you feel any better,” I shrugged, “the men who come here are so gross they’d probably think the same thing even if I wore a snowsuit.”
“It doesn’t,” Austin replied immediately.
His mouth stayed in a frown for only a second longer before his smile returned, but the tension beneath it didn’t disappear entirely.
“I didn’t think I’d see you tonight,” he said quietly, the words brushing my skin like a secret.
“I can’t thank Cherry enough for the call. ”
“You could’ve called yourself,” I reminded him.
“I’m trying not to seem too desperate for you, Yellow,” he murmured, his voice slipping straight into my ear.
“I don’t know if that’s working,” I teased, hoping he knew I was joking. Austin didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who was ever desperate for anyone.
“Do you want us to leave you two here,” Levi called from behind us, “or are you coming?” Cherry’s giggle followed immediately.
“I wouldn’t mind having you all to myself,” Austin said, never taking his eyes off me.
“Oh, we’re not alone,” I replied. “Greg’s here.”
“Who’s Greg?” Austin asked, his brows pulling together.
“The guy who makes her wear that uniform,” Cherry chimed in helpfully, because of course she did.
Austin’s eyes narrowed as the words landed. I felt him straighten beside me, his gaze finally leaving my face as he scanned the restaurant behind me. “Makes you?” he asked.
I let out an amused sigh and reached for the hand still resting on my waist, lacing my fingers through his instead. “Come on.”
I followed Cherry and Levi out into the night, watching them from the corner of my eye.
They weren’t touching. They weren’t even standing close.
And yet something unmistakable stretched between them, tugging them together with shared glances and smiles that came from the same place.
Austin’s car waited at the curb. He didn’t hesitate before opening the passenger door for me, smiling like he was holding onto a secret as I climbed inside.
Behind us, Cherry and Levi spoke in hushed voices as they slid into the back seat.
I thought about how different this was from the last time we’d all been together.
Back then, Levi had carried Cherry in while she was barely conscious.
Now she was giggling at him like he was the funniest person alive.
“So,” Austin said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Since we came to the rescue tonight, do you have anything in mind?”
“Oh, you didn’t rescue anyone except Cherry and her delusional ideas,” I said lightly. But Austin was already smiling at me like he knew the truth. And maybe he did. “I actually know a place,” I said.
Austin looked surprised. He cocked his head, his smile pulling wide as the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Oh, you know a place?” he repeated, like the idea amused him more than it should have.
“Yeah,” I laughed, unable to help myself. His energy was contagious. “I know a place.”
“Well, if Yellow knows a place, then Yellow knows a place,” Austin said decisively, already shifting the car into drive. “And that’s where we’re going.”
The sudden movement startled me, and I reached instinctively for my seatbelt, snapping it into place.
As the memory of the last time I’d been in his car surfaced, I glanced over at him.
I didn’t get the chance to say anything.
Austin was already pulling his own seatbelt across his chest with one hand, the other steady on the wheel.
Once it clicked into place, he caught me watching.
He met my eyes and gave me a quick wink.
My stomach lifted like it had forgotten gravity existed.
In the backseat, Cherry and Levi were entirely in their own world.
Their voices were low, threaded with laughter I could barely make out, and the smile on my face only grew wider because of it.
The energy in the car washed over me. It felt like the first night of summer break when you were a kid.
That kind of warmth. That kind of buzzing excitement that settled into your bones and made everything feel possible.
Only this didn’t stop at my skin. It sank straight into my soul.
There was happiness in this car, and it was building, swelling, like it might never reach a peak because it didn’t need one.
Austin didn’t talk as we drove. He just followed my directions with small nods, trusting them without question. Still, I caught the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. Like he was memorizing something.
“Here,” I said finally, gesturing toward the side of the road.
Austin’s confusion was immediate and completely justified. We were well outside the city now, surrounded by nothing but open fields stretching into the dark. “Here?” he asked, doubt written plainly across his face.
And as if Cherry had been mentally absent the entire drive until that exact second, her voice suddenly cut in. “Here?” she echoed. “Oh, Blair. Not here. Not again. Seriously?”
“What?” I asked honestly, turning toward her. I couldn’t understand the problem. This place was my favorite.
“There are bugs here,” Cherry pouted.
“It’s worth it,” I said calmly, my eyes flicking back to Austin. He was still studying the road, clearly leaning toward Cherry’s side of the argument. “It’s worth it,” I repeated, this time just for him.
His gaze shifted to my face. Whatever he saw there made his hesitation disappear almost instantly.
I opened the car door before he had time to respond.
I didn’t look back as I headed toward the field to our right.
Even with only the moon and stars lighting the way, I could picture the bright green grass in my mind.
I’d been here so many times that I could probably paint it from memory if I tried.
“Yellow,” Austin called, and I heard him jog to catch up with me.
My steps were quick, fueled by anticipation.
I wanted him to see it. I wanted to give him something that was mine.
His hand slid over mine, fully covering my skin, blocking out the warm summer air.
“What about this field is worth it?” he asked.
“You showed me the waterfall,” I said, fighting the way my stomach fluttered as his fingers tightened gently around my hand. “It’s only fair if I show you something just as beautiful.”
“You already have,” he replied easily, matching my pace. His stride was longer than mine. I could tell he was holding himself back.
“What?” I asked, genuinely confused. I ran through every moment we’d spent together, coming up empty. “No I haven’t.” I glanced at him, searching his face for some kind of explanation. Instead, he laughed softly, shaking his head.
“You, Yellow,” he said. “You showed me you.”
“Oh,” I breathed, every clever response abandoning me at once. “Thank you.”
His mouth curved in a way that told me he was remembering something. Something he’d said before. “You’re welcome.”
If I hadn’t known the ground ahead was clear, I might have felt nervous walking like this.
Neither of us were watching where we stepped.
Our attention stayed locked on each other, like the rest of the world had quietly stepped aside.
After what felt like minutes but was really only seconds, the earth shifted beneath my feet.
The flat grass gave way to uneven ground, and I knew we were close.
I pulled my gaze from him and tugged his hand, guiding us up the gentle incline.
He followed without question, still watching me like I was leading him somewhere sacred.
“Here,” I said once we reached the top. My body relaxed instantly. The sky stretched endlessly before us, black and vast, scattered with millions of stars. No buildings. No streetlights. Just open darkness filled with glittering points of light, waiting to be seen.
“Wow,” Austin said when he finally looked away from me. “Fuck. That’s beautiful.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, letting the sight sink into me. The same feeling stirred in my chest, the one I’d tried to explain when I told him about the mountains. Looking up at something so enormous made me feel impossibly small.