The lady stopped talking frantically as I ran a hand down my skirt. Austin’s mom looked up and finally noticed I was standing behind Austin by the car. Her eyes went wide.
“Oh,” she whispered, then turned to the house. “Ledger,” she shouted.
“Stop. He doesn’t need to . . . fuck.”
I looked past them, and an extremely tall man came walking out the front door. I could only imagine what the neighbors thought. This was not a conversation my family would be having outside.
“What is it?” the very tall man boomed as Evie skirted past him and waved to me.
“Bye, Ms. Astor.”
I smiled politely and waved.
“Oh. You’re a teacher?”
“Mom,” Austin repeated.
The tall man was now standing next to Austin’s mom.
He looked at Austin, then at me. “Hi. My name is Ledger. I’m Evie’s dad and Austin’s...”
“Stepdad,” Austin finished for him.
Austin’s mom looked between both of them and shoved her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock.
“Mom,” Austin repeated yet again, but this time his tone was softer. “This is Charlie. She’s a teacher at Evie’s school.”
I stuck my hand out. “Hi, Mrs. Cole. It’s so nice to meet you.” I then turned to Ledger and shook his hand. “You too, Mr. Cole.”
“Oh, you’re Southern,” his mom squealed. “Also, please don’t call me Mrs. Cole, that’s my mother-in-law’s name. It’s just Auburn and Ledger.”
“Auburn and Ledger,” I repeated. It was so strange to call them by their first names.
“You guys know each other . . . how?”
“Auburn. Let’s go inside. I’m sure Evie wants us to order the pizza and they want to go out.” Ledger grabbed his wife’s hand. “It was so nice to meet you, Charlie.”
“Thank you. You as well.”
His mom laughed and then leaned into her husband. “Come visit us whenever. You know, as long as you guys don’t randomly decide to get married tonight... like last time.”
“Oh my fucking god. Mom. We’re leaving now.”
“Auburn. Seriously?” Ledger said as he shook his head.
Austin turned toward me and gently placed his hand on my lower back, guiding me toward the car.
I glanced over my shoulder with a smile. “It was lovely to meet y’all.”
As I slid into the passenger seat, his hand lingered in the same spot he’d touched when we were in the water, back when I had far less on. Fully clothed, his touch more intimate. Maybe it was because I’d just met his family, or maybe it was something else, but that spot on my back tingled with each movement. The moment he pulled away, it stopped.
Austin walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and started pulling out of the driveway. We drove a block in silence, the tension thick between us.
“I am sofuckingsorry,” he finally said, his voice filled with frustration.
“Why?”
“You weren’t supposed to meet my mom and her husband. We... just... fuck. You weren’t supposed to know I was married before. I wanted to be the one to tell you.”
