Summer Strangers

Chapter Fifteen

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

A huge headache pervades my senses, as my brain tries to organize my thoughts and memories from last night. Instead, it serves everything mashed up and messy, and I can't register how I ended up back here.

I groan as I feel something heavy around my waist and my eyelids slowly open.

"Aa!" I shout in fear. What the fuck! Why is Austin on my bed with his arm wrapped around me? Oh my god, please don't tell me we...

"Austin! What are you doing here?" I push him off of me and his eyes slowly flutter open as he processes where he is.

He jolts off the bed and his eyes widen when he notices my clothing state.

"Oh no!" I squeak and attempt to cover myself up with the duvet. My cardigan is on the floor, which I probably threw down in my sleep, and my swimsuit is now the only thing covering me up.

His hair is more ruffled than usual, and it somehow makes him look sexier. His dark brown eyes are dilated, probably embarrassed too. Why the hell is he in my room and cuddling in my bed with me?!

"I - I fell asleep. I'm sorry." He runs his hand through his hair and quickly grabs his shoes. If he fell asleep, then how come his shoes are off?

"What happened last night? Did we-" I ask and my eyes widen, waiting in fear of hearing the worst case scenario. Did anything happen? Did we do anything? Oh, God.

I suddenly feel dizzy from all the confusion stringing from the blinding hangover and frustrated that I can't remember anything from the moment I told Austin off for his violent behavior.

"What? No, of course not! I just... you needed some company, and I decided to stay for a while until you fell asleep, but it seems like I did too." He scratches the back of his neck, not meeting my eyes and immediately rushes out of my room, after adding,

"I gotta go."

As I hear my bedroom door slam shut, my eyes widen. Did he really stay with me?

A smile couldn't help itself but curve across my lips and I struggle to remember anything from last night. The only thing that stands out is how he wanted to tell me something before the party, and that he kicked a guy's ass... for me. That perv touched me, and there's Austin again for the damn rescue. God, doesn't he get it?

I can protect my own self, I'm not a useless, weak girl.

I release a loud sigh and finally decide to stand up from the bed and take a long, hot shower to get rid of this damn headache and clear my mind a bit.

As soon as I get out of the shower, my phone buzzes annoyingly on the counter and I rush to get it.

"Hello?"

"Hey sleepy head! How's my party girl?" I groan and touch my forehead as a desperate attempt to relieve my headache.

"Awful." I yawn and quickly open the bathroom door, rushing to my room so that no one catches me in the towel.

"Oh, by the way, you have some explaining to do! What happened with Austin last night?" I close the door behind me and let myself lean my back to it.

"Uh, what do you mean what happened?" I try to sound as casual as possible.

"The fact that he punched a guy for no reason while you were dancing, and then when he saved you like Superman and took you home... I mean jeez, for a guy that has a girlfriend he really flirts with you a lot."