Page 42 of Forever & Always You
Who knew riding out the storm with Mom would not only be tolerable, but kind of fun?
As the storm strengthened and the wind and rain battered the house, conversation became less stilted between the three of us.
There wasn’t much else to do but talk, and Mom was keen to hear the ins and outs of Austin’s career so far once I informed her of his big win at the business awards the previous evening.
It was nice watching them engage with one another without Mom firing him disdainful glances every time he opened his mouth, and she kept popping back and forth to the kitchen to fetch more snacks.
One thing about Priscilla McKinley is that she has a very fixed nightly routine and sleep schedule.
Even in the midst of a storm, that ten-sharp bedtime doesn’t budge.
So, she retreated off to her room with pleasant goodnights, leaving Austin and me alone in the ambient lighting of the living room until long after midnight, snuggled up close as the storm raged outside and talking in hushed tones.
We discussed our plans for the immediate future, like who will be responsible for the trash runs when we move in together? (Answer: him. Always him.)
We shared a tender kiss goodnight outside of my bedroom door before separating for the night, because I’m trying my best to be more respectful to my mother and riding Austin like a mechanical bull under her roof doesn’t quite align with that plan.
“See? I knew it wouldn’t be that bad,” Mom muses at breakfast as we listen intently to the weather report on TV. “Only a handful of flash floods and some battered trees.”
“Which means I have no excuse not to open the office today,” Austin says, disappointedly glancing at his watch.
There’s a pot of decaf coffee on the go, of course, and he pours himself a second cup and takes a swig as he meets my gaze over the rim.
“We’ll need to get going soon so I can get suited up. ”
“And I’m working the bar today, so I need to hit the road,” I say. Buck is kind enough not to make me work weekends, so I better not be late getting back to Durham today, especially when I need to break the news to him that I won’t be around for much longer.
Mom grimaces and says, “The sooner you resume classes and get out of that filthy bar, the better,” and I roll my eyes. Last night’s pleasantries were a glitch in the matrix—I should have known to expect her usual scathing remarks this morning.
Austin gives me a pointed, suggestive look, for Mom’s words are as good an opening as any. I give him a clipped nod and suck in a breath.
“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you,” I say with the slightest of tremors in my voice.
Mom snaps her neck toward me, looking utterly horrified at what’s about to come out of my mouth next, so I point a scolding finger at her across the table.
“And no, I’m not finally confessing to my drug addiction, because I don’t have one, so stop looking at me like that. ”
She makes the conscious effort to relax her features. “What is it, Gabrielle?”
“It’s good news. It’s exciting news.” I reach for Austin’s hand on the table and he immediately gives mine a reassuring squeeze, so I don’t drag it out any longer. I tell my mother, “I’m moving in with Austin.”
And I brace myself for the disapproval, for the argument that it’s far too soon to be moving in together, but it never comes. Mom is eerily silent as the gears in her mind process the bomb I’ve just dropped, and Austin squeezes my hand even tighter.
Finally, she asks, “How are you going to attend your classes? You can’t commute to school from here. ”
Oddly, she is more concerned about my Duke degree than she is about me moving in with Austin Pierce, but I’ll take it.
I’d rather she slander my education choices than my relationship.
“I’m going to look into transferring to UNC .
.?. the Wilmington campus. I’ll go to school here, and I’ll be right across town if you ever need me.
Being up there in Durham isn’t making me happy anymore. ”
Mom opens her mouth to speak, but she’s so flustered, no words are to be found.
“This is good, right? This is what you wanted,” I continue with a hopeful smile. “You wanted me to start making positive steps, to have a plan. And this is it, Mom. This is the plan. I really hope you can get on board with it, because I’m happy.”
“UNC isn’t Duke, Gabrielle,” Mom mumbles, as though I don’t already freakin’ know that, and then she drums her manicured fingernails against the table.
“But at this point, I’m just relieved you’re going back to school at all, no matter where.
Have you scheduled an appointment with admissions yet?
Are there any clauses for breaking the lease on that terrible apartment of yours?
And Austin, you’re aware she doesn’t tidy up after herself, aren’t you? ”
“ Mom. ”
Austin laughs and flashes me a dazzling grin as he says, “I guess I’ll just have to adjust to Gabrielle McKinley’s hair products cluttering my bathroom.”
The sound of the front door opening interrupts the conversation, and there’s the scratch of paws on the hardwood floor before Lily the poodle bursts into the kitchen with overflowing excitement.
She circles us at the table, jumping up on Mom’s legs, then Austin’s, then mine, unsure of who to greet first.
“Hi, Lily!” I say, sliding off my chair and crouching down to fuss her. “I didn’t know you were coming by!”
Zach and Claire enter the kitchen, and before Mom even says hello, she’s muttering, “You know I don’t like it when you bring that dog over here.”
“Oh, relax, Mom,” Zach says with a dismissive wave. “She’s super clean. Look how excited she is to see you! Be nice to her.”
I look up at my brother from my position on the floor. “Woah. Did you just—” I dramatically gasp “— defend Lily? Protective-dog-dad mode activated.”
“Shut up, Gabster,” Zach snarls, and Claire elbows him in the ribs and mouths an apology to me.
“What are you doing here?” Mom asks them, and I still find it so completely bizarre that our family dynamics are so twisted, our own mother is always so mystified when we visit her.
“Making sure you didn’t die in that wild, wild storm last night, obviously,” Zach says with a sarcastic smirk, then musters up enough maturity to be serious for once as he slides into an empty chair and plucks a croissant off the table.
“Gabby was worried about you last night, and we weren’t sure if she eventually got in touch with you or not because someone never updated us—” he glowers at me “—so here we are. Glad to see everyone is alive and well.” He looks across the table at Austin for the first time and asks, “Can I ask why you’re wearing my clothes? ”
“We spent the night,” I tell Zach. “Austin helped secure the house.”
Zach bites into his croissant and chews silently for a moment, then rises from the table. “Can we talk outside?” His gaze shifts to Austin. “Both of you.”
Austin and I exchange a look. None of us have addressed what happened at the beach and this is the first time the three of us have seen each other since then, so it’s not difficult to guess what Zach could possibly wish to talk about. Whether it’ll be an apology or further argument, I have no idea.
I kiss the mop of curls on top of Lily’s head and straighten up from the floor, following Zach and Austin outside into the backyard while Mom watches the three of us leave with a look of betrayal for being left alone with the soon-to-be daughter-in-law she’s not a fan of and the adopted poodle she can’t stand.
It’s a cool, breezy morning outside as the winds continue to die down and the skies are overcast. The patio furniture is still inside the garage, so Zach leans against the wall of the house instead, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I won’t tell Mom about the trust fund,” he says, albeit grudgingly, as he fastens his eyes on Austin.
“It won’t change the fact that that money is already yours, and there’s no point sending her into a tailspin, because she’s insufferable when she has a meltdown. What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.”
“Thank you, Zach—” I start, but he holds up a hand to cut me off.
“That doesn’t mean I agree with it. I still think you have no right to my father’s money, but at least you didn’t blow it on something stupid,” he grumbles. “I’ll learn to live with it, and I’m sorry for hitting you at the beach, I guess.”
“I’m also sorry for hitting you at the beach,” Austin says, managing a tentative smile to test the waters.
Zach rubs his jaw. “You have a pretty solid sucker punch for someone who was on the high school track team. I thought all your strength would be in your legs.”
“It is. That’s why you’re lucky I didn’t kick the shit out of you.”
Zach’s eyes widen in surprise at Austin’s confidence and when he looks at me, I laugh and say, “Yeah, not quite the shy kid from across the street anymore.”
“Alright, man,” Zach says, thumping Austin on the back of his shoulder, almost with a weird sense of appreciation. “Thanks for helping out my mom last night. Maybe you’ll win her over one day.”
“Here’s hoping,” Austin says, and Zach saunters off back inside. We don’t follow him, because we need a moment to process how surprisingly well things are turning out. I feel like I’ve entered a parallel universe.
Austin wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me in close, our gazes locked. “This weekend has been .?.?. full of milestones.”
“Right?” I say, my head tilted up to look at him as my arms rest around his waist. “Our parents are being reasonable, Zach has apologized, I’ve accepted your offer of moving in .?.?. Oh, and I love you.” I smile wide as the words ignite a fire inside my body.
“And I love you . Always have, Gabby,” Austin murmurs, cupping my cheeks in his hands and pressing his lips to my forehead. “Now get your ass up to Durham, quit that job, break your lease, and then come home to me.”