I have to tell him...
I need to tell Austin I'm leaving soon for Euphoria. Everything's set earlier than expected since the script was finished. I haven't told anyone. No one knew but me and I wanted it that way but I didn't expect Austin to be back. Now that he is though, I need to tell him.
The only thing I'm worried about is him being upset about it.
He shouldn't though right?
"Mm..." Austin said muffled into my neck pulling me closer. The curtains were a little bit closed letting only some morning light through. His bare chest pressed against my back under the sheets giving me extra warmth.
"You smell good." Austin said.
"Hey, you're up?" I said with a smile. "And I smell like sex." Turning over to face him. Austin moved back slightly to look at me.
"I love it." Pulling me closer again with a smile.
"Austin!" I laughed. "Good morning by the way."
"A good morning indeed." Austin kissed my forehead. I put some space between us and leaned on my elbow looking at him. I moved the pillow a bit so I could see his face better.
"I know that look... what's wrong?"
I looked away.
"Hey, hey. We're not doing this cmon, baby tell me what's on your mind."
"Euphoria Austin." I looked back at him. "The script was finished way earlier than expected and-"
"-And you need to go." He finished the sentence for me.
"Yeah..." I sighed. "I didn't tell anyone. Just you now."
"Nia if you thought I was going to be upset I'm not. I saw it in your eyes." Austin sat up.
"That's time apart Austin."
"I'll come with you. I have a spot." He placed his hand gently on the side my face. "This- " Austin pointed at himself then at me. "-what we have, is worth everything."
A smile slowly grew on my face. I leaned in to give him a kiss.
"I love you so much." I said.
"I love you more Nia." We kissed again. "Forever and always."
Austin got up from bed and grabbed some pants to cover his naked lower half. Moving the sheets back over my body, I watched him walk to the window. Grabbing the curtains he slung them open and turned to look at me.
"You ready?" He said as I crossed my arms.
"Shower and breakfast first." I giggled. "Then yes."
"Perfect." Austin smiled.
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"Nia! How was filming for Euphoria!?"
"Sources say you're one of the new main characters is that true!?"
"Since filming has wrapped is there anything you can tell us about this upcoming season!?"
I kept walking while putting my hand in front of my face. Paparazzi was swarming us and I felt Austin's arm wrap around me as we walked. We both didn't say a word. The California sun was beaming down on us and we just wanted to make it to the car to head out.
"Nia will you continue acting after Euphoria!?"
"Can we expect a movie between you two in the future!?"
Austin then grabbed my hand and led me to the car.
"Okay, alright. Thank you that's enough."
"Thank you." I said to him as the paparazzi kept pressing us. He closed the door and I heard them now asking him questions as he walked to the drivers side of the vehicle.
He got in with a sigh and started the car.
"Disguises did not work." Austin said looking over at me from atop of his sunglasses. He wore shorts, a tshirt with a baseball hat and so did I.
"We're not common even when we try, we knew that." I let out a chuckle. "These never work babe." I pointed at my hat.
Austin shrugged and he started to drive.
I finished with Euphoria a couple of months ago but the media is just now finding out that we wrapped up and now they're pressing Austin and I every time we go out. It's expected and yes we're used to it but there is just no distance between them and us. It's just constant pressure every time we go out. It wasn't as bad as it is now when I was just modeling and not acting on top of it.
Recently, there's been a bunch going on though as well just with life outside of Euphoria. Still modeling for brands, doing runways, traveling from here to New York and overseas to Italy here and there too for things. Oh and interviews... so many interviews. At one point I was doing them at least once a day for like two weeks.
This whole thing was so overwhelming for me but I loved it because of filming and meeting new people.
I kept in contact with Bella and besties of course throughout this whole experience but I've also noticed Zendaya and I getting a lot closer since I've been out here too. We've even been on a couple double dates where Zendaya, Tom, Austin and I would go to sports games and such together.
I couldn't be happier being out here and it makes it even better that now that Austin and I have been living in the new place that he was getting when I was still in New York City.
Life just seems so good, a little too good maybe... like I'm on top of the world. I wasn't prepared for how things changed so quickly but I would never take any of it back.
"Hey, you're pretty quiet. Everything's good?" Austin looked over.
I wasn't aware I was just staring out the window watching things go by.
Breaking my stare, I looked over at him with a smile.
"Yeah." I nodded. "Just zoned out. My brain is probably resetting from all the chaos these past weeks"
"It has been crazy but we got through it." Austin glanced over. "We just need to wind down now and be we I mean you. Busy woman."
Austin took his right hand and placed it on my thigh giving it a light squeeze.
"I haven't showed you where I'm from yet..." He began. "Anaheim isn't far from here, I want to bring you there so you can see where I grew up."
"I'd love to!"
"It'll be our spontaneous adventure." Austin said as we both smiled. "I already have a couple ideas in mind over there. Also haven't been back in years, so it'll be cool to see everything again."
"You haven't been back because of work?"
"Yeah, busy as always. I asked for it though."
"But now you'll be able to." I said, grabbing his hand and rubbing my thumb across his knuckles.
"You're right."
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"There! You see that school on the corner over there!" Austin pointed out a huge brick built school that was at the intersection. We were at the red light and I looked over.
"Yeah, it's huge. Looks a more like a college than a school." I said, looking at the building amazed at how big it was.
"Most of the kids here went there that's why. That's where I went to school until about seventh grade then I started to get homeschooled because of acting." He explained, driving again when the light turned green.
"Did you like homeschooling?"
"It was alright. Had its pros and cons but I didn't hate it."
"Did you ever start college after that?"
"No, I wanted to but I couldn't. It would've been too much."
"Oh, that makes sense." I nodded.
"Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I wasn't who I am now. If I was just-"
"Normal?" I said, looking at him.
"Yeah... normal. But what even is normal? Paparazzi up our ass is normal to us, you know?" He said and we both chuckled.
"You're right." I agreed.
"Everyone's 'normal' has different definitions." Austin pulled up to a woody area that had a beautiful lake in the distance. He parked on the dirt near the road and stopped the car.
He got out the car and went to my side, opening the door and helping me out. I looked around and it was a lot bigger park than imagined.
"C'mon, let me show you something." Austin held my hand and we walked together down a path.
"It's so beautiful here." I said still looking around.
"My sister and I used to ride our bikes down here to that lake over there and just hang out here for hours on end." He pointed out in the distance.
"What did you guys do?" I asked.
"Skip rocks, bike races, see if we can find some cool bugs or something." He smiled.
"Bugs!?" I exclaimed letting out a giggle.
"Here babe look." Austin stopped walking and bent down to pick up a rock from the ground. It was a medium sized flat rock that he held in his hand. "This is a great skipping rock! Here!"
Austin handed me the rock and I looked down at it in my hand.
"You know how to skip rocks?" He asked as we began to walk again.
"No, I've tried before and they don't go far. They sink the second I throw them in." I laughed.
"I'll teach you, c'mon." Austin led us to the lake and he stood behind me. He positioned himself behind me and placed his hand on my own.
"Okay, so you want to have the rock like this..." He explained, fixing the position of the rock in my hand. I nodded as he helped me. "When you have it like this it's more likely to skip, okay?"
"Hey, there's a flat rock there too so you can skip one!" I pointed towards the rock near my foot.
"Well, would you look at that."
Austin picked that rock up and placed it in his hands.
"See how I'm holding it, you want to kind of flick it with your wrist like that..." He started to slowly move his hand and wrist in a flick motion to teach me.
"Like this?" I copied his technique.
Austin's POV
I watched as she copied me, looking at her hand with intensity. I found it so adorable with how hard she was trying to focus on getting this right.
"Yeah like that, you got it!" I smiled. She looked back at me and smiled.
"I think I'm ready to skip it!" She exclaimed.
"Go for it!"
"Can you go first though, I want to see how it should look." Nia said shyly. Almost as if she was afraid to mess up.
"Watch the form baby." I winked at her. I took a step forward and skipped the rock across the water. It went about 4 skips down and sank. "See like that. It's easy, you got it."
"Okay..." She stepped up closer to the lake and I watched her from behind. Nia did a couple practice wrist moved before she let it go. When she threw it, her rock went to about 6 skips.
"Oh my god I did it! You see that!?" She said turning back to me. She looked so happy. "Ah, that was so cool!" She put her hand out for a high five. I gave her one and then pulls her in to kiss her on the forehead.
"You did it, see I knew you could!"
"I want to skip a couple more, I'll find you some rocks too." She smiled, getting away from the lake to find some more rocks for us to skip.
Nia was everything I could've asked for. There's no one on this earth that makes me this happy. Loving her, being here for her and supporting her every step of the way is the only thing I see myself doing. There's never been doubt, ever.
I can see us getting a house together one day, taking big steps.
The big step I'm ready for is to marry her but I think I need to wait a little longer for her. There was a lot going on for Nia recently and she just needs a break, just to regroup.
"Found one!" Nia exclaimed as I saw her bending down to pick a rock up.
I want her to be in the right headspace.
If I can even wait that long but I'm sure I can try and hold out.