Page 7 of The Bane of a Sinner
The next morning, I woke to the soft glow of sunrise filtering through my window. The events of the previous encounter played out in my mind like a dream, and I felt a flutter of excitement at the memory of August’s kiss on my cheek. As I dressed, I found myself reaching for my favorite dress, a soft, flowy fabric that made me feel both elegant and comfortable. I wanted to appear effortless, as if I hadn’t spent the better part of the morning debating what to wear.
When I arrived at the café, August was already there, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he rose to greet me. Hiseyes held a warmth that mirrored the sun’s rays, and I felt a sense of peace in his presence. We fell into easy conversation, picking up where we had left off the last time we were together. As we spoke, I noticed the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed, and the gentle way he reached for his coffee cup, his fingers long and slender.
The café clock ticked, a blur against the deepening gold that flooded the windows. One minute, the sun was high; the next, a fiery slash painted the glass, turning the interior to amber. He walked me back, his hand brushing mine, the chill air a phantom against the warmth blooming in my chest. The dorm steps seemed to melt beneath my feet.
In the doorway, words evaporated, leaving only a heavy, expectant silence, thick as the late-evening fog rolling in off the distant hills. His fingers tightened around mine. I held my breath; the night stretched before us like an endless canvas.
“I’m free all weekend,” he said, his voice low, a rumble in the gathering twilight. “Want to spend it with me? There’s... a family thing. Just a quick hello, then we’re off to do whatever we want.”
My eyebrows arched. I tilted my head back, studying his face in the fading light. “August,” I breathed, the question hanging between us, sharp and sweet. “Are you... asking me to meet your family?”
A slow grin spread across his lips, with a playful glint in his eyes. He shrugged, the motion casual, yet charged with a boldness that stole the breath from my lungs. “What if I am?”
Chapter Four
August
“And you’re still coming?” Her sweet, gentle voice chimed, dripping with honey laced with something sharper, as her kind voice melted through the phone.
A knowing smile teased the edges of my mouth, the taste of excitement on my tongue as I leaned back in my worn leather chair and it creaked a counterpoint to the frantic thrumming in my chest. “Yes, Barb. I’ll be there. On time. And... with a plus one.”
Her shriek, raw and untamed, ripped through the line, shattering my fragile calm. “Plus one?” Barbara—my parents’ longtime companion, a woman whose smile could light up the darkness around her and whose eyes held life’s mysteries of joy and love—was unleashed. “Oh, spill it, Auggie. Name? Pretty? Don’t answer that, of course she’s breathtaking. Where’s she from? Doctor? Sisters? Brothers? Auggie! Why the hell aren’t you answering me?” Her voice, a torrent of breathless questions, tickled me to no end, leaving me breathless, exposed, and strangely exhilarated.
My head snapped back, my laugh ripping from my throat, raw and unrestrained. God, I loved Barb. It wasn’t just love; it was a primal, visceral thing, a fierce loyalty etched into the marrow of my bones. She was the goddamn mortar holding my unique family together, a mosaic of eccentrics and outcasts glued by her incandescent spirit. The warmth that radiated from her wasn’t just a feeling; it was a tangible force, a sun against the perpetual twilight of my life.
Gentle? She was a goddamn saint, a whisper of peace in a hurricane of corporate sharks, social climbers with their diamond-encrusted smiles, and the rough-and-tumble, leather-clad wolves of the biker world that gnawed at the edges of my existence. Each of them a predator circling, waiting for weakness. But Barb? She was the one who kept me from becoming prey.
“Because you won’t let me get a word in edgewise, woman!”
“Auggie, you scoundrel, you know I can’t resist a mystery. Now, spill the beans!” Barbara’s playful tone belied the sharp curiosity that lurked beneath her words. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself grinning like a fool, relishing the moment.
“Her name is... actually, I’ll let that be a surprise. Let’s just say she’s a rare gem. She’s so smart. Quiet, yet she sees everything, and she has a heart as big as yours.” I paused, savoring the anticipation that hung between us. “And she has this way of making me feel... alive, Barb. It’s like she ignites something within me that I didn’t know existed.” My voice softened as I confessed, “I think she might be the one.” My words hung in the air, heavy with significance.
Barbara’s response was immediate and effusive. “Oh, Auggie, my dear, sweet Auggie! I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to meet her. Bring her to the party, and we’ll show her a damn good time. She’ll be family before she knows it!” Her enthusiasm was a tidal wave, threatening to sweep me off my feet. But it was a feeling I welcomed, a feeling of belonging and joy that Barbara had a talent for invoking.
“I will, Barb. I can’t wait to see you too.” My voice caught slightly as I realized how much I meant it. Barbara was more than just a friend or a companion; she was the heart and soul of my unconventional family, the glue that held us all together. Andin that moment, I knew that whatever the future held, as long as we had Barbara, we’d always be okay.
After hanging up with Barb, I quickly showered and dressed. Grabbing my coat and keys, I headed out to pick up Diana, and for the life of me, I couldn’t stop smiling.
The drive from my small apartment to the NYU campus took damn near an hour, not that I was counting down the minutes. Pulling into a parking spot, I cut the engine and got out before heading into her dorm building. Racing up the stairs, I soon found myself standing before her door, my hands sweaty as my heart beat a mile a minute. I didn’t know what it was about Diana, but just thinking about her got my blood pumping and my heart racing.
Knocking on the door, I didn’t have to wait long before it swung open, and there she stood, a vision of beauty and intelligence.
My Diana.
My woman.
My future with her golden blonde hair falling in soft waves around her face, and her eyes, deep pools of mystery, sparkling with a mischievous light. My heart, which had been thrumming wildly, stilled for a moment as I drank in the sight of her.
“August,” she breathed, her voice a soft caress that sent a shiver down my spine. “You’re here.”
I stepped forward, my eyes never leaving hers, and took her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips for a gentle kiss. “I am,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. “And I can’t wait for you to meet my family. They are going to love you.”
Diana’s smile, full of warmth and a hint of something mischievous, lit up her entire face. “I can’t wait either,” she said, stepping aside to let me in. “But first, I have something for you.”
Intrigue laced through me as I followed her into the cozy confines of her dorm room. The scent of her, a mixture of booksand something uniquely hers, enveloped me, and I felt that familiar spark ignite within.
She handed me a small package, her eyes shining with excitement. “It’s just a little something the men in my family wear,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of uncertainty. “I wanted to give you something of myself before we left.”
