“I didn’t know myself,” I admitted, my eyes flicking between the two of them.
I’d always been good at reading energy. At sensing the undercurrent of a room, the invisible signals people gave off when they interacted. I could do it now, just as easily. What surprised me wasn’t that I could read the moment. It was what I was reading. There was no awkwardness here. No tension. No stiffness or posturing. The two of them were completely at ease with each other. Austin was still smiling at me, the kind of smile that made me feel like I was oxygen. Like I was something he’d been looking for all day.
“I wanted to see you, Yellow,” he said simply.
“Yellow, huh?” my dad echoed, glancing between us with a knowing look. He looked entertained, not concerned. “Alright. I’ll leave you two to it. Have fun.”
“Have fun?” I repeated weakly, but he was already walking away, disappearing down the hall and leaving me alone with the boy who had said all the right things to me and then vanished for an entire week.
Austin stepped a little closer, his gaze softening as it traced my face. His smile faltered just slightly. Not enough to disappear, but enough to change the atmosphere.
“I was just telling your dad about my plans for today,” he said. Then he paused, watching me carefully. “If you want to come with me.” The question sat between us, heavier than it should have been.
“It depends,” I said with a small shrug, taking a second to check in with myself. Part of me buzzed with excitement at the sight of him standing in my house like he belonged there. The other part stayed cautious, arms crossed tight around my ribs.
“And I think I know what it depends on,” Austin said quickly. His smile slipped further, something more serious settling into his expression. “Trust me, Blair.” My head tilted at the sound of my name, spoken instead of the color he’d given me. “You haven’t left my mind since the last time I saw you,” he continued.
“Hm,” I hummed, even as a small flame sparked in my chest. “Funny, considering I haven’t heard from you.”
“I know,” he admitted, shaking his head. “I’ve been dealing with some stuff. I didn’t want to drag you into it before I handled it.”
The irritation I’d been holding onto loosened, replaced by concern before I could stop it. “Is everything okay?” I asked. “Are you okay?”
His smile returned then, warm and familiar, like it knew exactly where to settle in the room. “I’m okay, Yellow,” he said gently. “But I’d be a lot better if you said yes.”
“Yes to what?” I asked, my own smile betraying me. I could feel the shift happen inside me, the way forgiveness slid quietly into place without asking permission. Judging by the way his shoulders relaxed, he felt it too.
“That you’ll come with me,” Austin said, his voice dropping just low enough to send a shiver up my spine. “A second date. If you think I deserve it.”
“I don’t know,” I teased, even though we both knew I was already halfway there.
“It’ll be worth the risk,” he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender, palms pressed together like he was pleading. “Please, Yellow.”
“Okay,” I agreed finally, the word coming out softer than I intended.
“Yeah?” His grin widened instantly.
“Yeah,” I nodded, my body finally relaxing as we held each other’s gaze.
“Fuck yes,” he breathed, making me laugh. Then he glanced past me into the house, his voice lifting just enough to carry. “I’ll bring her back before dark,” he called. “It was nice meeting you, Sean. And you too, Jane!”
I shook my head, still smiling, as he looked back at me like he’d just won something precious. Austin moved closer as he spoke, his hand finding its natural place at the small of my back. He guided me toward the door with an ease that felt practiced, and I didn’t protest. I only shook my head, caught somewhere between disbelief and quiet happiness. Because as much as Cherry had known it while I’d been spiraling on the phone with her, I knew it too. I wasn’t ready for this to be over. Not yet.
“You’re already on a first-name basis with my parents?” I asked, trying not to think about how the sides of our bodies brushed together with every step.
“I like your parents,” he said easily. There was something else in his voice though. An edge I couldn’t quite name. “Most parents don’t like me. The second they get a look at me, they usually decide they don’t want me anywhere near their kids.”
I nodded as we reached his black car, the weight of his words settling quietly. He opened the passenger door for me and stepped back, watching as I climbed inside. My mind flickered briefly to the last time I’d been here. Back then, I’d noticed how new it was. How sleek. How expensive. But that had been nothing compared to now.
That night, my attention had been locked on Cherry’s drugged body slumped in the back seat. There hadn’t been room foranything else. Now, with no crisis stealing my focus, the car felt different. The leather. The dashboard. The quiet hum of luxury. I took a breath, pushing down the uncomfortable thought that this was probably the closest I’d ever come to something like this.
“Where are we going?” I asked once he slid into the driver’s seat.
He pressed a button on the dash, the engine roaring to life beneath us. He didn’t look at me as he reversed out of my driveway, only let out a small chuckle. I watched him drive, my gaze catching on something that made my stomach tighten just slightly. He hadn’t buckled his seatbelt. I had. Like I always did. Like he should have.
“Austin,” I muttered. The shift in my tone made him glance over at me immediately, his eyes scanning my face like he was bracing for bad news. Whatever he was looking for, he didn’t seem to find it. “You have to wear a seatbelt.”
“What?” He laughed. “Why?”
