Chapter 4
FOUR
VIX - PRESENT
We could hear the music from the pub before we reached the doors; it’s low and pulsing. The kind of beat that vibrates through your veins, making you feel like you’re one and the same with the song.
Walking into Booths, I inhale a deep breath and take in my surroundings. “Welcome to the greatest place at HHU.” Kash smirks, nodding his head to people in greeting. Fresh citrus, stale beer, and a hint of wood mingle in the space.
The air buzzes with laughter and music, and the back of the bar comes alive with the heat of bodies moving and colliding, dancing without a care.
Everyone is dressed in red and white, really bringing out the big guns for tonight’s theme.
I just had to be different, though. Kash hasn’t been able to peel his eyes away from me since we left the dorms.
“Well fuck me, I’m not going to NOT shoot my shot, look at her, Austin!
” he shouts dramatically, almost pleading for Austin’s permission.
Aus, on the other hand, has been avoiding looking at me since they came to meet us.
I’m dressed in a skin-tight black silk mini dress that hugs my curves just right.
Paired with my black fishnets and eyeliner so sharp it could cut somebody. I look like an angel of death.
We find a table near the back side of the room, close to the dance floor, and move through the sea of people to grab it before it’s gone.
Leah slides in and pats the seat beside her, inviting me to sit.
Austin squeezes between a stranger and I, his hand lingering at the small of my back.
It was less than a second, but enough time to feel as if his skin left an imprint on mine.
I shake my head to remove the intrusive thoughts.
“I’m going to go get us some beers,” Austin shouts over the music. “Leah, vodka cranberry? And Vix?” he asks, barely looking in my direction.
“I’ll come with you.” I stand to smooth out my black mini dress. I give Aussy a smile and head to the bar.
He stalks behind me and flags the bartender down. The bartender holds up a finger, signalling us to wait a minute, before turning back to serve the busy crowd.
“So, are you going to tell me why you’ve been so weird with me tonight?” I give Austin’s arm a pinch. “Ow! What the hell was that for?” he yelps, rubbing his arm to soothe the sting.
“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” I tell him, and he smirks.
“Good to know you haven’t grown out of being a menace,” he teases, leaning on the bar next to me. He’s so close, and his familiar scent wraps around me.
“Answer the question,” I demand, raising my eyebrows. “What’s your problem tonight? Why won’t you look at me?” I ask, crossing my arms.
“I’m not the one being weird, Vix. You are,” he says, and I watch his eyes flick up and down my body. “You’re all dressed up, with that black shit on your face, and you just don’t look the same as I remember.”
I laugh, howl actually. This guy has been acting so weird towards me all evening because I wore a pretty dress and some makeup?
“Well, a lot can change in five years, Austin. I’ve grown up.
I have boobs, big ones too.” I grab them in two handfuls.
“I like to get dolled up and wear revealing clothing. I’m sorry if how I look offends you.
” I shift on my feet, avoiding his eye contact, searching for the bartender. Austin lets out a low sigh next to me.
“Offends me?” He chuckles, but it’s tight, dangerous. My eyes flicker back to his, and he’s still staring at me. “The problem is, if I keep looking at you, I won’t be able to look away.” His eyes soften—my pulse quickens.
He reaches up and moves a loose strand of hair out of my face, sliding his fingers down my cheek. The touch is so soft and so foreign. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. We stand there looking at each other, his blue eyes drawing me in like a magnetic pull.
“Did you two forget about us, or were you just planning on drinking all of our drinks yourselves?” Kash cuts in. I break eye contact with Austin, only to remember where we are and all of the people around us.
“Oh! I love this song!” Leah exclaims, shoving her way past her brother to grab my hand.
I laugh and let her drag me to the dance floor, letting the guys deal with the drinks.
We let loose and sing as we dance to a remix of Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner, the lights surrounding us as we get lost in the ocean of people. The energy in the crowd is electric.
I’m out of breath, and the song changes.
My eyes make their way to our table, where Austin is staring at me with a lazy smile on his face, an expression I’ve never seen on him before.
His eyes are dark, hungry almost, and it does something to my insides.
My chest is rising and falling at such a rapid pace that I’m trying to steady my breathing.
How can I do that, though, when it feels as if he’s stealing all of my oxygen by just his stare?
The song slows, and the crowd begins to break off into pairs.
We make our way back to the table, where Kash is deep in a rant about a YouTube video he saw, in which he swears aliens have been seen at a site near campus.
Leah rolls her eyes and downs another shot, not entertaining her brother’s nonsense.
Austin’s gaze never leaves me. It feels as if it is seeping through my clothes, leaving me feeling completely naked.
“Dance with me,” he says, holding my stare.
“Wh-what?” I’m taken off guard.
“Dance with me,” he repeats and holds out his hand for me to take. My stomach is in knots. Why am I so nervous? I glance over at Leah, who nods her head in encouragement.
I take Austin’s hand and let him lead me to the dance floor.
I stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to do with myself, but then my eyes meet his.
He smiles and closes the distance between us.
Slipping his hand so casually around my waist, he pulls me against his body, his other hand clasping mine close to his chest. We’ve hugged each other before, we would playfight constantly, and I’ve fallen asleep on his shoulder.
We’ve had physical contact several times over the span of our lives, but not like this.
This feels like something new, something so incredibly different yet comfortable and just… right.
We dance for a moment without speaking. The words to K.
by Cigarettes After Sex guide us in a slow, intimate embrace.
I pull back, looking up into his eyes. He’s so handsome.
I’ve always thought so. I see so many versions of him while looking at his face.
But this one, this one is the most unfamiliar to me.
My heart feels so many mixed emotions as I’m swaying in his arms. Sadness for the boy I loved and lost, but so happy to be here with him again after thinking he was gone forever.
“Why did you leave?” I ask him point-blank. He shakes his head, holding me tighter against him.
“Not here, Vix, I promise I’ll give you answers, I promise I’ll tell you everything you want to know, everything you deserve to know. Just give me tonight, please,” he pleads.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I tell him, hugging him a little tighter while resting my head on his chest. He squeezes me back and dips his head close to my ear,
“You have no idea, Vixen,” he whispers. The nickname and the heat of his breath on my neck send goosebumps down my spine.
Vixen.