tired yet? ||cashby||

Chapter 22

45k, nerds.
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I was waiting outside on the patio when Austin came to pick me up. His headlights sparked a fire in my stomach, and I immediately began reeling for his hands on me. It was as if I'd almost forgotten how much I liked being around him. Things had settled down a little bit between us, and I had grown quite comfortable around him. Sort of like...family. He came down half the driveway, goading me to meet him there; so I did. Running, I held tight to my bag, trying to absorb any harm that might come to my camera. It was bulky, and maybe it got in the way a bit, but I knew I had to bring it with me. It was part of us. I still thought about the first time we used it, standing alone in my bedroom. How he held my hand. The laughter. It didn't take much to decide that I'd bring it with me.

"Hey," he said as I pulled the car door open.

"My love," I said cheekily, sliding in and buckling up. His eyes lingered on me, seemingly in contemplation, before leaning in lightly and kissing my eyebrow.

"You smell really good," he said, something creeping into his voice that I didn't quite recognize.

"Thanks," I smiled, feeling accomplished that all my hard work paid off. "It's at the expense of any dignity I had left, but thank you."

"What does that mean?" he chuckled, backing out of the driveway and slowly getting on the road. Driving away made me feel safer. If I was honest with myself, every time we left, I imagined my dad running out and seeing us. It was nerve wrecking.

"It doesn't matter."

"Weirdo," he chuckled, searching for my hand with his own in the darkness.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" I asked, holding his hand tighter and feeling my stomach jump a little.

"Oh, I've got some plans," he replied, looking at me with a twinkle in his eye. A literal twinkle. I clamped my lips together.

"Mind sharing them?"

"I do, actually, thanks for asking," he said with a little smirk. I liked when he messed with me; it made everything seem so light.

"Okay," I mumbled in reply, kissing the back of his hand and letting it return to the steering wheel.

"So, how was the rest of your day?" he asked politely.

"Meh," I replied, shrugging. "It was okay. How was yours?"

"I found $20 in my couch." Lifting my hand up, I high-fived him, smiling.

"So it was a good day."

"Very much."

The conversation drifted away, and I rested my elbow on the center console, leaning my head on his shoulder. Quiet sighs animated the car, and he hummed contentedly. Austin was wearing a light grey Nirvana shirt, and a pair of jeans with rips in them. But they looked like real rips, not the kind that come on the jeans when you buy them, made in a factory. The little things like this made me love him. At a stop light, he craned his neck and kissed me straight on the forehead, letting warm lips linger at my skin. The heart in my chest sped right up, and deep rose shades covered my ears.

"I feel so calm around you," he spoke quietly, driving on. My eyes scanned our surroundings, for we'd been driving a while, and I was unsure of where we really were. I wanted to ask, but I knew it was supposed to be some secret.

"Yeah," I murmured, rubbing his arm soothingly. His skin heated up at my touch, and I felt everything inside me blossom. It was perfect. 20 minutes ticked by of me just cuddling him while he drove. Sometimes he even drove with one hand, which I loved. My oh-so-adult boyfriend, who drove with one hand and kissed me whenever I wanted. But I'd begun to be curious as to where we were going. It was nice and relaxed in the dark car at about 1:35 AM, the sound of the engine keeping us company.