Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Based on the sun blazing in, it’s late. And yet not late enough. I groan and bury my face into my pillow.
“Morning, sunshine,” Mia says, writing at her desk.
“I had the craziest dream that I kissed Austin,” I mutter. “And he climbed with me up a water tower.” I mash on my achy eyes. Why did I tell her that?
“Girl.” A laugh hovers in her voice.
I huff.
With I-told-you-so eyes, she points. She told me what? A glass vase of flowers waits on my desk, flowers like the ones I saw at the grocery store with Kit. What? …
“Ki-it,” Mia calls. “Freakout on aisle one.”
Kit swings through the doorway and studies me, eyes rimmed with exhaustion.
I jolt up in my tangle of blankets.
“Do you regret it?” She studies me, then turns to Mia. “Maybe we should have stayed so she could bail if she wanted.”
Mia holds a hand up. “Let it cook.”
I scramble off the bed and snatch the note from the bouquet. No one’s ever bought me flowers before. Austin’s scraggly handwriting stares back at me.
something pretty to look at since you don’t look in the mirror all day
My head spins. I collapse onto my desk chair, squashing four days of clothes.
“He thinks you’re gorgeous,” Mia croons, channeling Miss Congeniality. “He wants to kiss you.”
Kit giggles. I gape.
“This is good, right?” Kit asks me.
It’s too good.
He’s too good.
It’s only a matter of time before I screw this up or he moves on.
This is crazy. Help?
I got myself into this. Is this something I should even be asking Jesus for help with? I flit between amused Mia and hopeful Kit.
Leo and Austin …
I wouldn’t bother Leo with it, but I can talk to Austin about anything. And Jesus is way more “Austin” than Austin. I want his help.
Okay. You care, right? About all the things? I have no idea what I’m doing. I have no idea what’s happening or how long it’s going to happen.
Just another step and another step.
I sit up straighter and comb hair out of my face.
“Have you checked your phone?” Kit asks. “I bet they’re at lunch if you want to—”
I leap up and dig through the clothes under me. “Ready in five! No, fifteen! Ah! Thirty.” Check my hair in the mirror. “Fifteen!”
More than fifteen minutes later, I plow through Saga’s doors. There he is, wedged between some Flooders, chowing away. He jerks up like he senses my gaze.
I wave, like Hey, whatever. This is cool and super-duper normal.
I think we’re together now, but I dunno, it was late and maybe you changed your mind.
My limp wrist is weird. What am I doing?
I head for the trays. I should have a salad after all that fried food last night.
Probably won’t. Is that Pad Thai? Odd. Maybe it’s a previewers’ weekend.
Without warning, blurry flannel buries me in a bear hug. Whoever this is smells like Austin, but actual Austin would never do this.
“Get some sleep?” Almost Austin murmurs against my hair, fingers threading through it.
Not almost. Real-life Austin.
My jaw is gone. Floor, probably. I blink, too stunned to answer.
He frowns. “Do—”
I cut him off with another hug, nearly tackling him. With a rumbly laugh I feel more than hear, he squeezes me tighter. I’m in a blender with a pine tree and a bar of soap. A hug for the record books.
Mia shoves us out of the food line.
“And you thought Levi and I were bad,” Kit says.
“Like he just returned from war,” Mia says. “Get a room, you two. Or … don’t, on second thought.”
People stream past us, grabbing trays.
Austin pulls back but doesn’t let go. “Soph. No other girls for me. I hope that was obvious. And, I wanna be your boyfriend. The only guy taking you out. Can I?”
My heart flips. “Yes, please.”
He presses his lips to my forehead. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”
No one pinch me. No one talk any sense into him. Everyone remain calm and leave me be. This is the best dream of my life.
That night, I get a text. Another song link.
Austin
Song of the day
“Goldest” by Walker Hayes