“You should see them,” Deb says, dragging me out of my thoughts. “They’re amazing. Would be nice if I could keep it staffed. Daisy’s is basically a labor of love, not profit, these days, but I can’t part with her.”
“What do you need help with?” I ask, taking a bite from the corner of my roll.
Deb sighs. “Just can’t keep enough servers at the diner. I have Arlo. Real good kid and a hard worker, but he’s the only one I’ve got that’ll show up reliably.”
“I can come work for you,” I blurt out. Yeah. I’d like that a lot, I think. A job? Time out of the house? Being able to hang out in a place that feels like a second home? Win, win, win.
“Really?” Austin and Deb say at the same time. Austin’s voice holds curiosity, but Deb’s is full of relief.
I nod. “Yeah, I think it would be great. I’d be happy to.” I give her a big smile that she returns.
“That’d be great, Luc. When do you want to start?”
I shrug. “Anytime. Tomorrow.”
Austin chuckles. “Going stir-crazy at home all the time?”
Something like that. “Maybe. Plus, I get to help your ma out. That’s a win to me.”
Deb smiles at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Come in tomorrow if you want, and I’ll get you set up. I think you and Arlo will have a lot in common, actually. You’ll get along well.”
I have no idea what she means by that, but I’m always down for meeting new people. Or, at least, I used to be. I’m not sure how to be a person now. Not with all that Damien took from me. I’m willing to try, though. “Sounds good.”
Everyone goes back to eating, and I can’t help but feel good. It’s good that I have things happening for me. Good that I’m getting a job. Good that I’ll be able to stop relying so much on Austin. If there’s anything I want for myself post-Damien, it’s the ability to take care of myself.
I don’t ever want to be beholden to another person again. Not even Austin. It’s too hard to have it held over your head. Not that I think Austin would ever do that, but I’m also not too stupid to learn a damn lesson when it’s presented to me. I need to make sure I can stand on my own two feet. Even if I never have to. I need to know Ican.
Ican’tsleep.Idon’t know why. But it’s been a thing since the first time I slept with Austin. Other than the night I explored the woods, I haven’t had any issues sleeping here. And I’m not even worried, I don’t think. Especially now that Austin locks the door every night before he goes to bed.
But since that night, it’s like… I just can’t get comfortable. No matter how much I try.
After another twenty minutes of useless tossing and turning, I throw the blanket off myself and tiptoe across the living room to Austin’s bedroom. I peek in to find him dead asleep.
I tap on his door a couple of times, but he doesn’t stir. Dammit. I take a step into the room and then another, my heart pounding like crazy. I would never have dared wake Damien up. What am I even doing anyway? Creeping into Austin’s room in the middle of the night like some kind of baby? I should go back to the couch.
I pause right at the edge of his bed. He looks like he’s sleeping peacefully, his eyes moving back and forth quickly under his closed lids. His lips are parted, and there’s a couple of days’ worth of stubble lining his jaw. I’ve always been jealous of Austin’s ability to grow facial hair. I thought as I got older, I’d be able to grow it better, but older came and facial hair never did. A damn annoying shame.
I take a step backward, and the floor creaks under my foot. I freeze, eyes darting back to Austin, hoping I didn’t wake him. I’m thankful to find him still asleep, so I turn to leave the room. I make it a couple of steps, then trip. Over what? Who knows? My feet? The nonexistent obstacle on the floor? Doesn’t matter—I stumble, trying to catch myself, and end up falling forward and crashing to the ground. I flinch without meaning to. Damien used to get so mad if I woke him up in the middle of the night. Making any noise was wrong. Taking up any space was a crime.
“Fuck,” I whisper under my breath.
“Luc?” Austin says, his voice thick with sleep.
“Sorry,” I say, climbing to my feet so I can get the fuck out of here.
“Hey, wait,” Austin says, so I pause and turn back to him. He’s sitting up in bed, the blankets pooled around his waist, and the light from the moon is casting a glow on him. He’s shirtless. And… whoa, what the fuck? I haven’t seen Austin without a shirt since we were teens. Back then, he was still all long, skinny limbs. This is not that.
My throat goes dry as I stare at him. When did he get abs like that? Holy shit. Okay, wait.What?“What?” I say out loud, wondering where the fuck my thoughts just went. “What did you say?”
“I asked what you were doing.” He rubs at his face, then drops his hand to his lap, squinting at me in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. I shouldn’t be in here.
“I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Austin closes an eye, peering at me through the other, then he pats the spot next to him. “Come on, sleep in here.”
I shouldn’t, right? But who says?
“Are you sure?” I whisper. I’m not sure why I’m asking. He wouldn’t offer if he didn’t mean it, and really, isn’t that why I came in here in the first place? Maybe not consciously, but still.
