Page 68 of Loving Violet
“Of what?” he asks gently.
“Of making the wrong choice. Of bringing someone into Adrian’s life and having it fall apart again.” My voice wavers as I let out a shaky breath. “He’s already been through so much. I don’t want to hurt him, Austin.”
Austin reaches for my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Violet, I can’t promise I’ll be perfect or that I’ll never make mistakes. But I can promise you this, I’ll never take the privilege of being in your lives lightly. I want to earn this, earn you.”
I look up at him, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. His sincerity is almost overwhelming, and for a moment, I feel like the weight on my chest lightens just a little.
“I’m scared,” I admit again, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” he says, squeezing my hand gently. “And that’s okay. We’ll take this at whatever pace feels right for you and Adrian. I’m not going anywhere.”
His words settle something deep inside me, and though the fear doesn’t completely fade, it’s joined by a small flicker of hope.
“Fishing, huh?” I say, forcing a smile as I blink away the tears.
Austin grins, the tension easing just a little. “Yeah. There’s so much more that can teach him. He still doesn’t know how to catch the big ones.”
I nod, letting out a soft laugh despite myself. “Okay. Maybe fishing could be a good start later.”
And as Austin smiles down at me, I feel a tentative reassurance that maybe I can take this leap.
We finish our meal, and Austin drives us to my house. Austin places his hand on my lap and intertwines our fingers. His hand is warm and reassuring around mine. “Today was perfect,” I say, looking up at him.
“Yes, it was,” he replies, leaning in to kiss me gently.
When we get to my apartment, Austin walks me to my door and gives me a passionate kiss. If Adrian wasn’t coming soon, I would take him inside. But instead, I kiss him back, savoring these last few minutes together.
“Drive safe, and I’ll see you soon,” I say to Austin. But he doesn’t let me go.
“I can’t leave you. I want to be with you. This is torture,” he murmurs.
I laugh at his words just as my phone buzzes again in my pocket. I take it out and read the text.
Taylor: We’re about ten minutes away.
Me: Thanks, I’ll be outside.
Austin reads the message and says in my ear, “I guess I have less than ten minutes to kiss you senseless.”
And that he does. He kisses me and leaves me breathless. The cool night air can’t cool off my desire. I step back and look into Austin’s eyes. I bite my lower lip and give him a little peck.
Austin embraces me and leans his forehead against mine, and we just breathe together. Here under the light of the moon, I feel so happy. As Austin takes a step back, a car pulls up. We both turn and see Adrian and Taylor getting out of the car.
Adrian comes running with Max in his hands and gives me a big hug.
“Mom!” he holler, throwing his arms around me.
“Hey, buddy!” I say, hugging him tightly. “Did you have fun with your Dad?”
“Yeah, we went to the park and played all day!”
Adrian turns and fist bumps Austin. “Hey, dude. That’s a pretty dog. Let me see him.”Adrian pulls Max closer so Austin can pet and admire him. “His fur is so soft. What did you name him?”
“His name is Max. We got him at the animal shelter. I told you that Mom was going to buy me a puppy.”
“You sure did.” When Austin looks up, Taylor approaches, giving us a nod.
“Thanks for being flexible, Violet. I’ll call when I get back into town.” Taylor turns to Austin.
