“But does she deserve someone like me?” I asked. “Sometimes it feels like no one’s ever hurt her.”
“You won’t hurt her,” Seren said firmly. “The people you love, Austin—you never hurt.”
“I only love you,” I reminded her.
She laughed. “Then you’re one for one. Let’s make it two for two.” Her words settled into me, heavy and hopeful all at once.Would she say the same if she knew everything? If she knew the worst parts of me?
“She kissed me,” I said suddenly.
Seren’s face lit up instantly. She jumped to her feet and shoved my chest. “She kissed you? What about waiting?”
“I guess she couldn’t,” I said, my smile betraying me.
She laughed, shaking her head. “So? How was it? Was it perfect?”
I searched for the right words, then remembered what she’d said earlier. “It felt inevitable,” I told her.
“You can’t let her go,” Seren said softly. “Love isn’t easy. You have to fight for it. Sometimes you have to fight yourself.” I didn’t respond. I just let it sink in. “It doesn’t matter who you were,” she added. “It matters who you are and who you’re trying to be. She’s worth the fight. But don’t forget—you are too.”
She leaned back against me, finally relaxing. I thought about everything I’d buried. About what loving Blair would cost. About what it might expose. And then I thought about the way Seren talked about Zane. And maybe… maybe it was worth it.
“Austin?” she nudged me. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Put on Grey’s.” Seren curled closer, already half asleep, the room settling into something that almost felt normal.
I stared at the dark television screen between scenes and thought about fate, how easy it was to believe in when things were going right. I just didn’t know yet whether fate was leading me toward Blair… or warning me away from her.
11
“So, you’re going to sit there and… well.” Cherry’s words trailed off as her eyes ran slowly up and down my body. I stood in front of her with my elbow leaned against the empty bar at The Pitt. The restaurant had been dead all night, which left Cherry free to do what she did best. Harass me.
“You’re going to stand there, look me in the eyes, and tell me that Austin,” she began, already building momentum, “the same Austin who’s covered in black tattoos, who wears a leather jacket, who beat a guy up while you were standing ten feet away from him.” She paused, inhaling like she needed a reset. “Not that he didn’t deserve it,” she muttered.
I tilted my head as I watched her, an amused smile tugging at my lips. Okay, it wasn’t only her disbelief that was making me smile. That smile had been stuck on my face ever since I’d told her about the kiss.Thekiss.
“The guy you told me sells,” Cherry’s voice dropped to a whisper as she glanced around to make sure we were alone, “weed. That Austin. You’re going to tell me he brought you to a waterfall, shot golden fireworks over your head, took you home, and then left a yellow rose on your doorstep.”
“I know,” I said quietly. The words came out like a breath I’d been holding. “I know.”
“And then,” she continued, arching a perfectly shaped brow, “you’re going to tell me that you kissed him.” She stared at me like she was studying a stranger. “I think you’re not who you say you are. No, you’re not Blair Evanston. You’re something else. What are you?”
“Hey,” I said, tapping my fingers lightly against the wooden bar top, “I’ve made the first move before.” As I spoke, I noticed mynails. The color was new, one I’d never painted there before. Yellow. I was inspired, after all.
Cherry let out a snort, like my words weren’t even worth considering. “Yeah, sure,” she said. “You make the first move six months into a relationship, maybe.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Cherry’s laugh cut me off before anything useful could come out. We both knew what was funny. There was absolutely nothing I could say that would disprove her point. She was right.
“I must say, miss girl,” Cherry continued, slinging an arm around my shoulder, “bold looks good on you. I’m having a really hard time picturing Mr. Badass as Mr. Romance.”
I smiled again, the memory of his mouth still lingering like a ghost on my lips. “Maybe he’s just like that,” I said softly. “Maybe he’s just… I don’t know. Passionate.”
“Blair, baby,” Cherry sighed, “if he really is just like that, you better never let him go. I’ve kissed a thousand and one frogs, and none of them turned out to be princes like that.” She tilted her head at me. “So. When are you seeing him again?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “It’s only been a few days, Cherry.”
“Mhm,” she hummed, though something in her tone made me look at her more closely. Her eyes flicked toward the clock on the wall, her brows lifting just slightly, like she’d seen exactly what she’d been waiting for. “Greg!” she yelled, throwing her head over her shoulder. “We’re off. It’s eleven.”
Relief rushed through me as I checked the time myself. She was right. The restaurant had been painfully empty all night, which was yet another thing Cherry and I disagreed on. She loved nights like this. I hated them. When there were no customers,time stretched until it felt unbearable, every minute crawling by while we stared at the clock and waited for permission to leave.
“Do you want a ride home?” I asked as I pushed away from the bar, already heading toward the back room. My body was more than ready to escape this hellhole that, unfortunately, was the only thing keeping my bank account alive.
