Chapter 47 Austin
austin
The night had been everything I could’ve hoped for, maybe more.
By the time everyone started heading out, it was close to midnight.
Scarlette was napping on the couch, her small frame curled up beneath a blanket.
I couldn’t stop watching her, the quiet rise and fall of her chest grounding me in a way I didn’t expect.
“I should head out,” Jacob was the first to stand up.
Charlie followed and wrapped him in a hug. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the downstairs guest room? There is space.”
I couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t offer up Scarlette’s room. That was her room.
“Nah. I’m going to stay at a hotel near the airport. I have to get on a flight in a couple hours.”
“Thank you for coming here. I know Mom will get upset,” Charlie whispered quietly so no one else could hear.
“Anytime, sister.” Jacob waved at everyone. “Nice meeting y’all.”
There was a chorus of goodbyes as we headed to the door.
“Thank you for coming,” I said and shook Jacob’s hand.
“I’ll be in town for the New Year. We should go out if you have the time.”
“I’d love that,” I replied.
Charlie and he embraced again before he headed down the steps to where his driver was already posted.
I turned back to the living room, and Ollie moved to Scarlette, scooping her up gently, his arms wrapping around her like she was the most precious thing in the world.
“Thank you for having us,” Ollie said, and I grabbed his arm.
“Thank you,” I repeated my sentiment from earlier.
Ollie nodded, and almost casually, he said, “Maybe you could show me the ice someday, teach me how to skate.”
It caught me off guard, but I agreed quickly. “Yeah, man. Anytime.” And I meant every word.
It wasn’t just small talk. It was a real offer, a step toward something that didn’t feel forced or impossible. An opening to start building something between us—not just for Scarlette, but for all of us.
Ollie turned to Nova. “I’m going to head out and start the car for Scar.”
“I’ll be out in a second,” Nova said as she grabbed her coat.
“Bye, other family. See y’all around,” Luna said, with Dirks at her shoulder.
Before she left, she turned and pulled me into a hug. “Good to see you healthy,” she said, her voice softer than usual, though still laced with her usual boldness. She held up the now empty bottle of wine, smirking. “Taking this home with me, boss.”
I chuckled. “It was nice to see you too, Luna.”
When I turned around, Nova was hugging Charlie. “Thank you so much, Charlie. Your home is lovely.”
She stopped and looked between us. “I know we have a lot to figure out, but, uh, Ollie got a new job and was wondering if you guys would like to take her for a few hours while we went out to dinner to celebrate?” She shook her head as if in disbelief. “If you’re free, and it can really be anytime—”
“I’d love that,” Charlie interrupted her. “We would love that.”
I walked over to Nova and nodded in agreement. “We would be overjoyed.”
Nova gave me a small smile, then stepped closer, wrapping her arms around me. I froze for a moment before hugging her back. We stayed like that, silent, until she finally pulled away, tears streaming down her face.
“I was so scared,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I was terrified that you were . . .”
“Still drinking?”
She nodded, her hands trembling slightly. “I worried that when this day came, it would be tragic. That Scarlette would end up hurt.”
I shook my head firmly. “I’m sober,” I said, the conviction in my voice stronger than anything else I’d said all night.
She nodded again, wiping at her cheeks. “I know. I can see that.” Her gaze shifted toward Charlie, who had quietly stepped back into the kitchen, giving us space as she busied herself cleaning up. Nova’s lips curved into a soft smile. “She’s perfect, Austin.”
We stood there for a moment, the elephant in the room looming large between us.
Finally, Nova broke the silence, her voice tentative but certain. “Sometimes, two people can fall in love, create something beautiful . . . but their ending looks different.”
I swallowed hard. “Are you happy?”
Her nod was immediate, her face lighting up. “Very.”
“Me too,” I said, my throat tightening. “I love Charlie, Nova. With everything I have.”
Her smile deepened, and she reached out to touch my arm lightly. “I’m so happy for you. For doing it for yourself.” She hesitated, her expression shifting into something regretful. “ I should have told you about Scar earlier. I should have tried harder—”
I shook my head. “You did what you had to do. Honestly, any earlier, and I don’t know if I could’ve been the dad I want to be for her today. You did the right thing for Scarlette. You protected her when I couldn’t, and I’ll never forget that.”
Her tears returned, but this time they came with a quiet relief. “Thank you.” She shifted on her feet. “I, uh, I want you to see Scarlette, but I’d like to avoid the courts. I just . . . I think maybe we could take it slow.”
She was scared. The words she didn’t say were louder than anything else. And she had every right to be. The last time we’d been in a room together, I was doing coke off another girl’s tits and throwing bottles at her. That kind of trauma didn’t disappear because of one good evening.
“I won’t fight for anything except a chance to show you what I can be.”
I glanced over at Charlie, who was wiping down the counter, her focus intent but calm.
Nova’s lips twitched into the faintest smile, and she half jokingly said, “Honestly, I trust her more than you.”
I sighed, shaking my head with a quiet chuckle. “Yeah. She’s pretty amazing,” I murmured, almost to myself, before looking back down at Nova. “Thank you again,” I said earnestly. “We’ll see you guys soon.”
“I’ll text you.” She waved at Charlie. “Bye, Charlie. If you want to get that coffee, I’ll spill the gossip.”
Charlie paused mid-wipe, setting the cloth down on the counter before walking toward us. She stepped up to Nova and wrapped her in a warm hug. “I don’t know what your schedule looks like, but I’ve got a couple weeks of break left, so anytime works for me.”
Nova’s grin widened. “Think you can sneak away for a few hours?”
“Absolutely,” Charlie said without hesitation, her smile matching Nova’s.
“Cool. Can’t wait.”
I held the door as Nova dashed to the car, where Ollie was waiting with it open.
Once they drove off, I closed the door and slowly turned around. Charlie was standing behind me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hug her for long. We were just talking about custody and you and—”
She pressed her warm, plush lips to mine.
I blinked, caught off guard. “What?” I asked, confused.
“Nothing,” she said softly, her lips curling into a small smile. “I just had the best night ever, Austin.”
“Me too, Char,” I whispered against her lips. “Me too.”
Her smile faltered slightly as she pulled back, her hands still gripping my shirt. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For ever doubting that you still had feelings for Nova,” she said, her eyes meeting mine. “I get it now. I really get it.”
I took a deep breath. “I still live with a lot of shame and guilt for what I did to her. But with Scarlette, it’s important to me to show her that I’m here, that I’m committed to being her dad.”
“She even calls you dad.” Charlie’s voice wavered, and I nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak.
“I never told her to,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “She just did.”
Charlie’s eyes shimmered as she looked up at me.
“Can you believe we’re here?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her waist as we turned to look at the house.
The living room was a mess of torn tissue paper and discarded boxes, remnants of the day’s chaos. The kitchen was half cleaned, counters still cluttered with dishes and half-drunk sodas. But it was ours. It was a home.
“All because of our shitty healthcare system.” Charlie joked.
I chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. “Worth every damn loophole,” I murmured, pulling her closer.