Chance Encounters

nineteen

Sorry this is entirely unedited. 

Chapter 19

I heaved a deep sigh and let my hand drop to my lap, still clutching onto my great aunt's phone.

"Still no answer?" Austin asked me.

With a disheartened nod, I said, "None whatsoever."

I had been trying to call my phone for the past few minutes but it was either Tori was deliberately trying not to answer it or she was too busy to notice the call. The phone vibrated in my hand and for a second, my heart leapt at the thought that the Idiots might have texted or something, but when I checked the screen, it was only a warning that the battery was nearly empty.

That ought to teach me not to get my hopes up.

"Hey," Austin said. "We'll find them. It's not like Rivermount's that big of a town anyway."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're trying to cheer me up," I pointed out. It was true that I was feeling down, but just the thought of Austin consoling me was enough to make me fight a smile simply because he never struck me as that kind of person.

"No one likes to deal with a snarky Reed," he replied easily.

"According to you, I'm always snarky."

"Exactly."

I reached for some Skittles from the console between us and chucked one at him. "You ass."

He ducked, but the candy still hit him on the side of his head. "Hey, now, don't waste our food," he said, but he didn't look particularly mad either.

A few hours ago, this would not have been the case. I could picture him growling something about being a bitch at me, scowling and muttering curses under his breath or something similar to that. Now, though, he simply kept his eyes on the road. In fact, he even looked amused.

I thought back to the game of truth or dare earlier, inevitably remembering that he kind of admitted that I was his "type." I wasn't sure, exactly, how I should feel about that, even as he made it clear that it didn't necessarily mean he was into me.

What really worried me, to be honest, was that it got me thinking if he would have also been my type (if I had one).

I never really thought about it, knowing there was no need for me to have a list. It wasn't like I brought a checklist and pen with me when I slept with guys. I've slept with four guys so far and while I hadn't been pissed drunk at all of them, I'd never been completely sober either, so it never really mattered to me as long as I knew the guy was decent.

If I tried to think about it, however, I've only ever had feelings for one person so far. Sean was smart, but he wasn't like those smart people who liked to constantly flaunt their intelligence. He was sweet, thoughtful, and I admit I liked the way his giddiness showed when he was talking about something he was passionate about.

Austin wasn't anything like Sean, so thinking about this gave me at least a little comfort. There was simply no way Austin could be anything close to my "type," whatever it is, and I liked it that way.

"I'm getting a little bored," he said after a while. "Let's play a game."

"No," I immediately replied.

"Come on," he insisted. "I'm getting sleepy. I really need the distraction."

"It's only a few minutes until we get to Tyler's anyway."

"Reed."

"Austin."

"Fine. I'll just continue driving in this awkward silence until I accidentally fall asleep on the wheel and hit a tree and kill us both, since clearly, that's what you want to—"