Chapter 19 Austin – Confrontation
Chapter 19
Austin – Confrontation
A t 30,000 feet, Sydney decided to interrogate me. “I should play dumb, but that’s not how I roll. Who was your friend yesterday morning?”
I knew trouble was coming my way the minute I saw her shocked face in the doorway at breakfast. That didn’t mean I planned on making it easy for her. When I kept quiet, she tried again.
“Where did you find your friend?” She drummed her fingers on the tray table.
“I went to a club the concierge recommended.”
“Hooters? Ah, I see. That’s why she was wearing a t-shirt and a thong.”
“No, it wasn’t Hooters. And it wasn’t like that.”
“Let me guess. Her friends ditched her, and she needed a ride.”
I clamped my jaw shut. Man, she could be self-righteous and annoying.
“No? She lost her purse and needed cab fare. I can do this. All. Day. Long.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
I remained stoic.
“It’s up to you, Austin. You can tell me what you were doing with this woman, or I can share my wildly inaccurate assumptions with Renee. That is who you’ve been seeing. Delta Zeta, right?” She waited for me to respond .
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter how you threaten me. I know I did a terrible thing. I had a few drinks and I got cattywampus. You can’t make me feel worse than I already do. I care about Renee.”
Sydney gently placed her hand on my arm. “I know. This is upsetting. And I don’t have any helpful advice for you. I wish I did. What are you going to do?”
“I guess I should tell Renee. It will break her heart. I don’t want to be this guy.” A lump formed in my throat, and I couldn’t get out any more words.
“I know you don’t want to hurt her. You’ve been together for a while.”
“Two years. I like her a lot.” I focused my eyes across the aisle, away from Sydney.
“It is a long time to be with someone at our age.”
“That’s why I feel awful. She’s the last person I ever want to hurt. Especially like this.”
In a moment of intoxicated weakness, I put myself in an impossible situation. I needed a time machine to go back and make a different decision. But that only happens in the movies.
Sydney sighed. “Listen, it’s not my job to tell on you. And I don’t plan on it. But I won’t lie for you. Nod if you understand.”
I bobbed my head. That made me feel a little better. It gave me time to think about what I would say.
Renee came over to see me at the frat house when I got home. She asked me all about my trip. I told her everything except the one thing that mattered the most. We ended up in my bedroom. We had sex, but I went through the motions. I felt slimy, and not worthy of her trusting affections. You’re an asshole, Austin, kept repeating in my head as I worshipped her body.
After snuggling briefly on my tiny twin bed, I walked her out to her car. We stood there for a few moments, kissing goodbye. Her grape-flavored lip gloss mixed with her salty juices on my tongue. Could this be the last time she kissed me? I wanted to be the man she deserved, instead of the imposter I had become overnight. She waved out of her car window as she drove down the hill, and I waved back until she drove out of sight. I made it back to my room, flopped onto my bed, and cried for the first time in at least a decade.