Chapter 35

Chelsea finally left. I know she had wanted to make a comment or two, maybe ask a couple of questions, but she didn't because we weren't friends and it would have just been awkward. But her leaving meant that Austin and I were officially alone. I walked around the counter, then I scoffed when he did the same. 

" Don't you have other things to do?" I feigned boredom, placing my backpack next to me and taking out my books since I hadn't had time to do any of my assignments at school. But the moment I set the books on the counter he pushed them away. We were on the same eye level despite the fact that I was seated and he was standing. 

" Don't!" I seriously warned,then I threw him a look and pulled my books back. 

" Go do your homework, you've gotten into enough trouble because of it. "

It's as if he had taken a personal vow to never do any of the assignments handed to us. And if he kept that up it wouldn't be long before he was sent to the principal's office. 

" I already did it. "

" Sure you did, " I rolled my eyes. Flipping through the pages before I realized I had picked the wrong book from my locker. Meaning I had left the other at school and I'd have to wait till the following day before I could do it. 

" Shit!" I cursed, burying my head in my hands and wondering how I could have made such a mistake. 

" What's wrong?" 

It was the fact that he sounded genuinely concerned that got to me. Shaking my head, I told him what I had done. 

" Can't you just write somewhere else? it's no big deal. "

" I can't remember the questions, "

" What subject? "

" Geography. "

" Then call someone and ask for them, you must know someone in class. If not I could always go get your book for you, it's not that far. "

I narrowed my gaze at him. He would do that, it wasn't just a light comment. And he wasn't joking either, if I asked him to do so he would definitely be willing to go back to school and get the book for me. It's not the type of person Austin generally was, but rather the type of person he was whenever he was with me. For some reason he put me first. 

" Actually, I do know some people in class. Why didn't I think of that?" 

" That's why you have me. "

I smiled despite trying not to. Then I took out my phone and dialed my classmates number. Neither Kira not Max took Geo, they had claimed it was too difficult and most of the words in the subject were too hard to pronounce let alone remember. I texted two classmates just to make sure at least one of them replied. Then I put my phone aside and decided to do something else first. I only had two assignments luckily, and the other was just a few calculus questions that wouldn't take much time. And as I was getting ready to work them out, I suddenly shuddered, looking down with wide eyes and watching as Austin wrapped his hands around me from behind. 

" Hey! What do you think you're doing?" I asked in pure shock. And the number of times I had asked him that same question since he showed up was shocking. He kept doing things that managed to freak me out. 

We weren't little kids anymore. Back then, such a thing would have felt natural and playful, but now it was just strange. 

" Holding you, what does it look like I'm doing?"

He leaned into my neck, the tip of his nose felt cold against my skin. And for some reason I liked it. It served as a sort of proof that his skin was against my own. 

" You want me to stop?" 

I didn't respond.

I didn't want him to step away, there was this feeling of comfort I got from being held by him. Especially like that. It was the same case the last time we had hugged. I felt comforted, and all I wanted to do was lean back. 

But if I did that it would be a silent admission. So instead I went back to my books, and I secretly rejoiced when he tightened his hold and inched even closer. His chin resting on my shoulder. 

" Just find a sport, focus on school...get yourself a girlfriend. "

I spoke just loud enough for him to hear. He chuckled and shook his head. Then I called out his name in harsh warning when he once again slipped his hand into my shirt and rested it on my stomach.

" You're getting too comfortable, " I harshly told him,my eyes on the hand I couldn't even see because it was being concealed by the material of my shirt. 

" I already have a sport, " he told me into my ear. I didn't believe him because I had never seen him play anything. 

" School can go fuck itself, " I would have looked at him had the angle allowed me to. But there was no way to turn without things getting even more uncomfortable. Twenty minutes hadn't even passed yet things had escalated to that level. What would happen if he was really going to be there for two hours?

I felt him as he leaned into my hair and took a deep breath, then he went back to my ear and whispered..

" And I'm not really into girls. "

This time I did turn to face him. I parted my lips and a shocked gasp escaped. 

Had he really just admitted to that?

He was smiling with his eyes, enjoying my reaction. And I knew he wanted me to say something,a comment on what he'd just confessed,but I couldn't think of anything to say so I just maintained my silence and looked at him as if I were seeing him for the very first time.

I didn't know anyone else who would make such serious confessions as if they were no big deal. And I had also never thought that Austin would ever been hay he claimed he was. I had thought our cases were similar. And he definitely looked like the type that was into girls. I suddenly regretted having ever said anything in the first place.

" You look shocked. Did I shock you?" 

I didn't reply and he chuckled, then he grew serious, that heated intensity settling back into his features. 

His eyes once again fell to my lips and I immediately looked away, and when held my chin to make me look at him once more I held his hand and stopped him. 

" That's enough, " I informed him. I felt like it really WAS enough. There was no way I'd have any more of that. The hand he had on my stomach moved, upwards this time. Until I felt it on my chest. 

I wanted to ask him what he was doing and why he was doing it. But I suspected his reply wouldn't be of any help and would actually just make me regret having asked. 

His palm lay on my heart, he just wanted proof of his effect in me and he definitely got it. That cursed organ couldn't be trusted. 

" Why'd you freak out earlier?" he suddenly asked. I had no use what he was referring to, and before I could respond he grazed my love and I froze. Not moving an inch because my mind was too conflicted about how it ought to react. I wanted a customer to walk in so that he'd be forced to step away, but I also wanted to walk over to the door and officially lock it so that no one could walk in on us and disrupt the moment. 

A moment he further heightened by sucking my lobe into the warmth of his mouth. And suddenly I was thinking about things that I normally wouldn't be thinking of. 

" In the storage room, what made you freak out like that?" 

He knew! That manipulative bastard knew,and he was doing all that in an attempt to let me know that he was well aware. 

And because I was weak, I was falling for all of it and my body was reacting exactly the same way it had that morning. 

Getting turned on by my childhood best friend wasn't something I had ever predicted to happen in my future. And the fact that he was a 'HE' wasn't helping the situation either. And because that said best friend had no filters when it came to words, he went ahead and asked the obvious with the aim of making me even more uncomfortable.

" Do I turn you on Stevens?" 

I swallowed hard, my face was burning up and I couldn't have prevented my hand from touching my ear unless someone chopped it off. He caught the movement, his eyes settling on my hand until I brought it down and used it to grip the edge of the counter. 

Where were those customers when you needed them? 

" I do, don't I?" 

It was the satisfied pride in his tone. I should have found it appealing, but I did. I thought it was sexy that he knew himself so well and wasn't scared to speak his mind. 

I cleared my throat and tried to get his hand off me. Asking him to quit it even though I knew he wouldn't. 

" I'll stop, but under one condition,"

I didn't even want to hear the end of that statement. And I wasn't going to ask him anything. But he didn't need me to ask because he was planning in telling me either way.

" You have to admit that it's true. "

" What is?"

" That I turn you on. "

I very seriously asked him to just fuck off.