Page 17 of Unspoken Confessions
“Oh, fuck yeah,” Austin said causing us both to jump.
Fuck, I had let my guard down. Austin shouldn’t have been able to sneak up on me like that.
“I love this show,” Austin exclaimed with too much enthusiasm as he hopped over the back of the couch and settled on the other side. At leastsomeoneunderstood personal space. I couldn’t believe I was praising Austin for something which only made me hate Mr. Movie Star even more.
“Me too!” Nick said in Austin’s direction with a wide smile on his face.
I should have gotten up and gone back upstairs.
But for some un-fucking-known reason, I didn’t move.
I could have said something to Austin, or rather, shot him a look of displeasure. This was his shift after all and he needed to be doing his fucking job. But the truth was, so far this job was a joke. And the safest place for Nick was right here in the same room with both of us. Even if Austin was watching TV, he wouldn’t have dropped his guard. And no one was getting in without setting the security system off. So, in other words, I didn’t have any room to unhappily grunt at him.
“I bet he hasn’t laughed at all,” Austin said, looking at me but clearly talking to Nick.
“Nope, not once. He’s like an angry stone wall. Is that normal?”
“Oh yeah,” Austin replied back with a snort. “Miserable asshole who loves nothing more than to stare you down like you’re an idiot.”
I was two seconds away from opening my mouth to maybe say something.
But then he went on.
“Good guy to have watching your back though. I don’t trust anyone more than him.”
Stunned, I turned my head to look at him. I was waiting for the moment where he started barking out that loud laugh of his, but he didn’t. All he did was slightly tip his head in my direction as if to tell me that he meant what he’d said.
I both hated him a little less and a little more all at the same time.
Luckily, he broke contact and turned his gaze back to the TV.
The two of them chatted and laughed the entire show.
They seemed like they were getting all chummy and I couldn’t tell you why it grated on my last nerve. Or why I continued to torture myself by sitting there.
Eventually, Austin got up and walked the interior of the house. It was more of a precaution and force of habit than anything. The room became too silent.
“I should, uh, try to get a few hours of sleep so I can actually make it through that jog without falling over,” Nick said almost shyly and I felt a smile pulling at the corners of my lips.
He rose to his feet. I felt his eyes on me and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t resist looking up at him.
“Good night,” he said softly almost like he was scared that I’d literally bite his head off for saying those words. “Thanks for listening to me. I know you probably didn’t have much of a choice, but I appreciate you letting me ramble anyway.”
He looked like he was going to say something else but then snapped his mouth closed. Without another word, he headed off in the direction of the stairs.
And I sat there for a long time after wondering how the fuck I’d just gotten caught up in everything that had happened.
