“Things change, Rebecca. People change, and they’re not always meant to stay where they were born. I’d love for my family to join me and see more of them. I really would. I won’t apologize for my wealth, though. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I worked for every penny, and I still am, unlike some of the people that I’ve met.”
My initial anger turned to sadness as I watched him. He was only here to please his parents and nothing more. Austin made it clear that he’d move them out of town if they agreed, but since they didn’t, he’d made a life for himself elsewhere.
A part of me wanted to ask if he missed me at all. I longed to know if Austin ever thought about me. I remained silent, though, since there was no reason to ask him any of this.
I knew about the beautiful women he dated there in New York, particularly the latest one. They were all over the magazines during the months they were together and even after. There was a lot of speculation if they were going to get back together, or if she could forgive him for the things that Austin supposedly did while they were together. I knew Austin. I had been his girlfriend, too, and he was a good man. He didn’t always see reality properly, but he’d always been kind. He would never hurt a woman.
I started to wonder how many of them wanted his money and not Austin. I never cared about what he was going to make once we both went to college. I just wanted to be with him.
“I have to go, Rebecca. My mom is expecting me for dinner.” Austin turned to walk away with the umbrella, closing it and sliding it into his car. He got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He pulled away from the shoulder and flew down the road.
I closed my eyes. The rain had stopped, but I was soaked now. I looked around to make sure that I didn’t need to pick anything up, feeling drained as I trudged to my car.
I turned the key and cranked my engine, flipping on the heater. There were so many other ways that I would have preferred that conversation to go. I wiped my hands on the dry towel that was in the car and sent my sister a text. I needed to talk to someone, and even though I knew what she’d tell me, it was always Kim I went running to.
She told me she had a fire going and dry clothes. I drove down the now-empty road feeling a void inside of me. I shivered. “Thank you,” I whispered as if Austin was here to hear me. I never said that and instead, gave him a lot of crap for leaving North Reed. Why did he bring that out in me?
I made it to Kim’s and changed. I nestled in on her couch, and she handed me a glass of wine. Then, she sat beside me. I was in dry flannel pajamas with a blanket wrapped around me. I smiled at her gratefully.
“Feeling better?” she asked.
“I think so. He was just so angry.” I lifted the glass to my lips.
“Men are strange when it comes to their pride. You remember how Dad got sometimes with Mom.” She gave me a look, and I nodded.
“I do. I guess I just want to understand Austin. I don’t know what he’s holding in, and today gave me fewer answers than I had before. But he helped me, like I knew he would. Austin made sure my car was safe before he drove away.” I shrugged. “There is that.”
“He did,” Kim agreed as she dropped her head back against the comfortable cushion. “Terry is going to kill you. When are you going down there?”
“Tomorrow,” I replied. “That spare is tiny.”
She turned on one of our favorite shows. “He’s going to be so mad.”
Terry was a good friend of Dad’s and took on the job of watching over us when my parents moved. I daydreamed for a moment of living somewhere else, in some other city. Would Kim come with me, or would I have to go alone?
I thought for a moment about how Austin felt when he left. Was he scared or relieved? I suppose now I’d never know the truth about that because we ended our conversation, if you could call it that, so badly. He wasn’t here forever, and I didn’t think he’d want to see me again anytime soon.
“I think I want to go just to watch and then be around when Dad calls you, since you know Terry will let him know.”
I sighed heavily. “You’re so right, sis.” I rested my head against her shoulder. “I love you.”
“I love you, Rebecca.”
Chapter Seven
Austin
I watched a football game with Dad on television a couple of days after my run in with Rebecca. Mom was making pulled pork sandwiches for lunch.
My meeting with Rebecca still bothered me. I fidgeted with my soda and thought about seeing her there on the side of the road. That girl always made me worry, and seeing her there in the dark, alone and
cold on the road, reminded me of when we used to be together.
“Everything is ready,” Mom said from the dining room. “Come on in.” Dad stretched and stood up. He hadn’t said much to me while we watched the game, but I could feel his eyes on me several times over the last couple of hours. The way I’d acted the first time we ate dinner together cast a cloud over things. Dad was probably worried this would end up in another argument, but Mom didn’t let that stop us from doing everything as planned.
“Coming, Austin?” Dad asked.
I blinked at him for a moment. Fuck, but I was distracted today. This wasn’t good. “Yeah. I spaced out for a second there. Just tired, I guess.”