Summer Strangers

Chapter Sixteen

"If you can't get someone off your mind, they are probably meant to be there."

Austin's POV.

I knew that if I turned around to look at her once more, I wouldn't be able to keep my distance.

I've been trying to get ahold of Blair for 2 hours now, but she's determined to shut me out.

I knew that I had done the right thing, but at the same time I might've lost her. It doesn't hurt as much as it could've before I met Amelia, but I still feel like I'm a terrible person.

Blair and I have a whole history together, and we were planning for a future too. But the problem is, I've never felt like this about anyone. This string that seems to keep pulling me towards Amelia is something stronger.

I can't get that image out of my mind. The one where she was so vulnerable and alone. I had this urge to protect her and be cautious of everyone around her. I was never like that with Blair. I was always so chill and calm, and I didn't give a rat's ass if a guy touched her.

The fire coming from the campfire burns my sensitive eyes that haven't taken a peak of sleep. I tried my best to look alive today, pretending like everything is alright... but the thing is, nothing's alright.

My 3-year-long girlfriend just broke up with me because I admitted to her my feelings for another girl. In this case, I don't know what she's capable of doing, but right now I have other things to worry about.

My mother is acting like she's happy and cooks every day now that the Donovans are living with us. When my father left us 2 months ago, everything corrupted around here. The only thing from keeping me stable was Blair. I don't know if I should be glad that I'm free and liberated, or devastated that I have lost one of the most important people in my life.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

My legs are shaking from the anxiety and stress that has suddenly hit my tired body. I slowly look down to my phone, gripping it tightly so it doesn't fall on the soft sand.

You better stay away from me, asshole.

The message reads. I blink rapidly, trying to process her cruel words. It's over.

"Hey man, what's bothering you?" Josh asks me worryingly because of how tight I'm holding my phone and clenching my jaw.

"Nothing. Just not in the mood." I answer back to Josh, as my fingers hover over the keyboard of my phone, in deep thought of what I'm gonna respond... I've never been in this situation before and its fucking confusing. Is this how it's supposed to be? Not being able to know if I truly want her or if I'm just happy we're over?

"O - Ow!" I hear a low squeak in the distance, a voice of someone that has not been leaving my mind lately. The slow hum of hippie songs and the loud noise of voices all around, have somehow not stopped me from being able to hear her little squeak.

My eyes snap to Amelia, and I spot a manly figure holding and twisting her arm. Her eyes are full of fear and I immediately can't stop myself before I jolt up and run towards that bastard.

Before I know it, I'm holding him by the collar, my cheeks flushed in anger and rage.

No one fucking touches or hurts her!

Everything else is just a blur. My knuckles have now turned white from how tight I'm holding him, and when I'm ready to punch this jackass right in the face again, with my blood-stained hand, a small hand is placed over me.

My knuckles are quivering from the rage, and when my gaze meets her beautiful, alluring, seductive eyes, goosebumps rise at the back of my neck. She looks so stunning today. And a bit better than the last time I saw her. I can't resist staring at her until she lures me away with her appealing, soft voice near a tall palm tree where we can't be spotted.

"God, what's wrong with you?" She asks. She looks disappointed, yet relieved. I swear, if she didn't take me away from him, I would've broken every bone in that guy's body. And I don't give a fuck if I go to jail.

But I disappointed her. Fuck, what am I doing wrong? She's seriously getting in my head. It wasn't like this with Blair, and I'm starting to think, this is something else. Probably just an obsession? I don't think I like her because usually liking someone, doesn't offer so much pain, stress, cautiousness... That's it. She's just been around for too long, and I'm not used to being this close to someone. Maybe it'll go away if I get back with Blair.

"I - I don't know, what happened..." I finally say. I don't want to admit anything to her. She'll just laugh in my face, and embarrass me more. She definitely doesn't have the same feelings after she even let Josh kiss her. God, the thought makes me seriously want to hurl.

"That's the problem, you never do!" She snaps at me, and I'm left there stunned. Do I annoy her that much? Since when do I care what a girl thinks of me? Fuck this! I'm getting back with Blair, this is just boredom kicking in again. I'm going to get over this whether it means killing myself to stay away from her... I have to stay away from her.

********

I couldn't fucking help myself again!

As I saw her gently rolling away into a deep sleep after she told me those five words, I knew that it was true.

"That's the problem, I can't seem to stay away from you..." I whisper to her, and I gently stroke her hair as she drifts off to sleep.

She looked so lost at the party after our encounter near the palm tree. I saw the look in her eye, the one where she was vulnerable and lonely again. I had this need to help her, protect her. And so I took her home, and that's when I realized... I can't stay away from her. Maybe because she's always around? Or maybe I'm starting to get a weird obsession with this girl, like a weird psychopath. What the fuck is wrong with me?

During the time Amelia was drinking her ass off, with her friends at the party, I finally talked with Blair. Told her nothing was going on with Amelia and me, and she agreed to make it work again.

What scared me the most, was the fact that she announced she would be coming tomorrow. She just came back from Paris, her hometown, and she just decided that she will be coming to visit me for 2 weeks. After multiple tries of determination to make our long-distance relationship work, she finally decides to come when she finds out there's a threat - Amelia. She demanded to stay with me at my house, and all I thought about was Amelia... not even my mother's reaction about having my longtime girlfriend over for 2 weeks.

There's a fear inside me. A fear of facing tomorrow. I don't know what's scaring me the most, the fact that Amelia will eventually find out I have had a girlfriend all this time, or the fact that I might lose one of them. Deep inside I know which one owns my heart, but I can't face reality. Having another girl in my life is foreign to me.

All these thoughts and questions pervade my mind, and before I know it I'm drifting into sleep next to the stranger that has somehow entered my heart.

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So, here it is! Austin's POV, finally <3 I mean, seriously, get a grip... guys seriously don't know how they feel until they're sure about it. Now, because Austin, has been with his girlfriend for years, (since he was 16 - a normal gf in this case) he's new to having feelings, and maybe stronger ones, for another girl.