Page 22

“Aw, you’re a kid. Kid, I can tell you really like Austin,” he says, and I try not to choke on the lemonade.
“I am not a child, and he doesn’t like me back,” I say after a few seconds, sighing.
“Lyra, he’s been through a lot. He’s just scared,” Hayden says before taking a sip of his drink. It looks really good.
“But he can’t do this to me. He can’t leave me hanging like this,” I say angrily.
Hayden nods and says, “I agree.”
“Whoa,” he says when I take the drink from his hand and drink it all. I regret it right away. My throat hurts when I feel it.
Hayden sighs and says, “Lyra, you have to understand.”
“What do you mean? Tell me,” I say with a glare.
He says with a sad smile, “It’s not my place to say, Lyra.” Hayden is cool.
“Please, please, please, tell me something.”
Hayden seems to be torn.
“Please,” I say slowly. The drink makes me feel strange.
He finally gives in.
“He lost his twin sister, which was very hard on him. He hasn’t been the same since. Until today, when I saw him with you, he finally looked happy. I haven’t seen him smile in years.”
I asked the barman for another drink of the same alcohol, whatever it was, even though I knew I didn’t have any money on me. I knew Hayden would pay for it. Was I being a jerk?
I see that he is looking at me with concern.
“What happened to his twin sister?”
“Lyra.”
“Hayden,” I say with a pout.
He sighs before he tells me.
“A few robbers broke in. They were alone. Austin somehow found out about them and hid, but he didn’t get to tell Miranda. When she said she’d call the police, they shot her dead.”
I take a drink of alcohol after swallowing the lump in my throat.
Austin blames himself for Miranda’s death. Things got worse when Mom and Dad got divorced and even worse when Dad remarried. Mom left us in anger, and Dad did too after a few days. I went to college and had to leave Austin alone, which made him even more depressed and stuff’, Hayden says. My heart hurts for Austin.
“Austin doesn’t like me that much, Hayden. He looked comfortable with Daisy. I think he likes Daisy more,” I say with a sad smile. I ask for another glass.
“He’s just trying to make you mad—”
I laugh as I lean on Hayden. I feel like I need some rest. He keeps me going.
A voice I know says, “That’s too much,” but I don’t turn around. I don’t want to see his face.
The barman gives me another glass anyway, and I drink it down again, but someone takes the glass from my hand. I get up and look the devil in the eye.
“Give it to me,” I say in a cold voice as I get up from my chair. His eyes get big for a second, but then he calms down and glares at me. I try to grab it from him, but the alcohol I drank makes me dizzy and I trip, spilling the drink all over Austin.
When I see his clenched jaws, my heart skips a beat.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly to him. The berry red drink has soaked his tuxedo, and I can’t help but feel worse.
“I am so sorry,” I say again, and my voice breaks.
“Hey, it’s okay. Bunny, please don’t cry,” Austin says as he rushes in front of me and wipes away some tears. I didn’t realise I was crying. And I didn’t even know why I was sad. I bit my lips to keep from crying. Is it booze?
Austin sighs, “Let’s get you home.” I laugh for no reason at all. I remember that I was crying. I laugh again.
“You are drunk,” he says.
I glare at him and say, “No shit, Sherlock.” When he takes off the tuxedo, I can’t believe how amazing he looks. Now he is only wearing a white shirt. He looks good. I laugh at the thought.
He asks me, “What’s so funny?”
“I think you look yummy,” I say again, laughing. He shakes his head and smiles a little. He holds me by the waist and we walk to the car.
“Where is Hayden?” I slur my words a little. I can feel him getting stiff next to me.
“He left,” Austin says with a blank look and puts me in the car. I fall asleep on the way, happy to be in the dark.
Before I fall asleep, I say, “Austin,” and my eyes are about to close. He looks so pretty when I look at him. I wonder if I’m jealous because I’m falling for Austin.
“Yes, bunny?”
“I like Hayden.”
“Hm.”
“Austin?”
“Yes?”
I keep bringing things up about him.
He’s always there for me.
He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.
He hugs and kisses me like no one else.
He makes me feel like I’m loved.
And most importantly, he looks tasty.
“Hey, Austin?”
“Yes, honey?”
“I like you.”
“I like you too, bunny.”
“Austin?”
He laughs before saying yes again.
“I think I love you.” I close my eyes and let the dark take me.
I shut my eyes as soon as I open them. Is it just me, or does the world seem too bright sometimes?
I open them again after a short time. I know I shouldn’t have drunk that much because my head hurts a little. But it really did help.
At least I wasn’t sad then.
But I am now. It might have made me feel better for a night, but it doesn’t change the fact. He means a lot to me, but maybe I don’t mean as much to him. The fact that I am hopelessly falling for him and he might not be.
Or maybe I’ve already fallen for him. Well, at least he doesn’t know it.
I take a shower and get ready. I put on one of my favourite dresses, a floral one that came to my knees, and tied my hair back. I even put on some light make-up. And I didn’t do it to make anyone happy.
Today is a sunny day, and for once, I like it. It makes me happy, and maybe that’s because I’m about to do something crazy.
I’m going to ask Austin if he wants to go out with me.
He had me convinced that I was strong. He had helped me figure out who I was. He was there when no one else was. He deserves someone who will love him no matter what, after everything he went through. And I would do everything I could to give him what he needs.