Page 182 of Game Night: Truth or Dare

Austin appears lost in thought as he gazes out over the gently moving water of the bay, but the silence is comfortable. I don’t feel the need to fill the void with small talk like I usually do. It’s always been this way with Austin—no need for performances and putting on a happy, go-lucky face.

We head towards a vacant bench across from the dock and take a seat facing the bay. The boats bob on the water, and a lone guy on a stand-up paddleboard makes his way to shore. He nearly loses his balance, performing a comical dance as he tries to right himself.

Austin laughs, the sound rich and warm.

“Did you see that?” He nods towards the paddleboarder.

“Y’know, I’ve done that before. It’s not as easy as it looks,” I say.

“Really? Now that’s something I’d pay to see,” Austin teases.

I playfully shove his shoulder. “Don’t get too cocky. It turns out I’m a fast learner. I bet I could beat you across the bay. And…” I pause for dramatic effect, then lower my voice, “It’s an excellent activity for strengthening your core. I have an amazing core.”

I wink and take a long last lick of my melting ice cream and pop the end of my cone into my mouth.

His mouth drops open and I know I’ve achieved the effect I intended. I can see it in his darkening eyes, and in the way he bites his bottom lip, a lip I very much want to kiss.

“Oi. Austin.”

Both our heads snap up as we jump apart.

Austin recovers quickly. “Joe. Hey, how are you? Catch anything good today?”

The old man chuckles and holds up his bucket. “Dinner sorted for the next few days.”

“Joe, I swear you were born with a fishing rod in your hand. You’ve sure got the gift,” Austin says.

“You might be right there,” Joe agrees, his eyes creasing with amusement. “I’ve got plenty. Do you boys want a couple of bream for your tea?”

“No thanks, Joe,” Austin says, “but thanks for the offer.”

“I’ll leave you to it then,” he says and gives a parting nod.

As the sky turns a deeper shade of indigo, fairy lights strung along the pier flicker to life. The distant chatter of people grows quieter and less frequent, the water laps against the shore.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Austin murmurs, his eyes reflecting the shimmering lights.

“Absolutely,” I agree, my gaze lingering on him for a moment before shifting back to the bay.

Austin moves slightly on the bench so that our arms brush as we sit side by side. My heart races at the small bit of contact and I tell myself that it’s intentional, that he wants to be as close to me as I want to be to him.

“Hey, Henry?” Austin’s voice is soft, hesitant even.

I turn to look at him. “Hmm?”

“I was wondering, where do you see yourself in five years?”

“Five years? I’m not sure.”

“Oh.” He looks disappointed.

“You see, only a couple of years ago, if you’d asked me what I wanted out of life, I’d have said I wanted the glitz and glamour and fast pace of city life. Never in a million years did I think I’d end up in someplace like Blue Point… at least not for the long term.”

His brows draw together. “Is it weird that I haven’t asked before now? So why did you set up a business here then?”

I shrug. “Archie needed to get away and Blue Point seemed as good a place as any.”

His eyes are like saucers. “Seriously? You both chose a random place.”

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