cigarette ends | ✎

xxii.

"August?" He took the water and took a drink from it.

"I meant Augustus," I said quickly. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" He gave me a grin.

"I know how much you hate nicknames." I was practically drunk and rambling. Not a good combination.

He handed me back my water. "It's not that I hate nicknames. I just don't like 'Augie'."

"Why?"

He sighed, laying his head down on his pillow. I turned on my side and faced him, laying my head on my arm, awaiting his response.

"My brother used to call me Augie. But he used it in a derogatory manner, and I'd always associated the name with him."

"I understand that." The same thing happened to me. Sometimes, when people called me Emilia, I'd get reminded of my parents. 

"August is nice though," he said.

"Really?" I let out a giggle. A fucking giggle.

He was smiling at me. "What should I call you, then?"

"'Winner'? 'The-person-that's-always-better-than-me'?"

"Ha-ha, no. I'm thinking... Lia."

"Lia?" My voice caught in my throat.

"I like it," he whispered. "Lia. Lia, Lia, Lia."

The rolling of my stomach had to have been the tequila. The flutter in my chest was totally a result of the drinking. So was the tingling in my head, I told myself.

But as I heard him repeat the nickname, I knew I was lying.

Fuck.

✦✧✦✧ 

The next day was our last internship day. We all packed onto the small bus and headed toward the hospital.

The nearness of Augustus' body to mine was making my head spin. I still couldn't forget last night, even though I had been drunk.

August.

Lia.

When he handed me his shirt, silently knowing that I'd want to cover the scars on my back.

I told myself to forget what had happened and instead read the new book I was in the middle of.

I didn't notice Augustus was reading over my shoulder until I felt his breath on my ear.

I quickly brought my book to my chest, hiding the pages. "What are you doing?" I hissed to him.

He just shrugged. "The book looked interesting." Then he grinned. "It was."

"You're horrible," I muttered, opening the book back up. The characters had been making some sexual jokes in a bar together, and now they were heading home.

And kissing.

And peeling off their clothes.

And for the sake of Augustus, a small victory smirk on my face, I kept reading.

I read as the characters very thoroughly detailed their foreplay and sex, glancing over at Augustus a few times while doing so.

He seemed... concentrated. His eyes were dark as they scanned the page.

"I didn't know you read this shit, Lia. Fuck." His voice was deep and gravelly, and it did something to my stomach.

And so did the nickname. Lia. I'd figured that he would drop it by now, but he continued to call me it.

"I thought you'd be a fan of it," I said in response to his comment, turning the page.

"Is their sex twenty pages long? Why do they keep going at it?" He shifted in the seat next to me, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You have an issue over there?" I gave him a pointed look.

"Shut up," he mumbled. "And put that book away."

"You can't tell me what to do."

Then he was in my face, his dilated pupils inches from mine. "Put that book away, Emilia, or nothing will be able to stop me from dragging you back to the hotel, locking us in our room all day, and acting out this scene in real life until you're begging for me to stop."

My breath caught in my throat. "I liked when you called me Lia."

"And I liked when you didn't read porn in front of me. I guess we both didn't get want we wanted, hm?"

Then he was gone, off the bus, leaving me to scramble after him.

HI EVERYONE!

yes, this chapter could've been longer, and i do apologize. for some reason, i've had a hard time getting the motivation to write, and i just wanted to get something out for you guys.

BUT, this has to be one of my favorite chapters yet. the banter, the nicknames, THOSE LAST COUPLE COMMENTS MADE BY AUGUST? this is definitely my favorite work yet.

my roman empire? augustlia. i love their nicknames for each other and they fit so so well together.

anyway, thank you for reading, and i'll see you at the end of chapter 23 <3