Until She Was Gone

Chapter 11 | the date

" Where are we going?" I asked for the 605th time. Austin shook his head. He refused to tell me and we'd been in the car for about 20  minutes now. I scowled at him. He winked and turned the steering wheel to the right. I sighed. I really couldn't make him say anything he didn't want to. 

I hadn't dressed up much. Only A cute yellow crop top and black jeans. I really hoped we weren't going to a fancy restaurant. Rebecca insisted I take one of her expensive dresses. However, I really didn't want to seem like the dressy girl. Because I wasn't. And, I was too lazy. 

My hair was loose and fluttered as the wind entered from the open window.

" You'll see. Don't worry, not a very fancy place." he said. I scoffed. He knew me better than I thought.

" You've never been to Los Angeles have you?" he asked.

" Nope. It's my first time." I said, " Though my stepmom came from here." He nodded and I could see something on his face when I said stepmom. He knew better than to ask me about it, so we were silent for another moment.

" Where does your dad come from?" he asked. He was great in communication skills. I had to give it to him.

" Boston itself." I said,

" And... Your mom?" he said. My smile disappeared and my body tensed. I knew he could feel the atmosphere changing. He looked at me,

" Oh, shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to hit on a sensitive topic." he said, concern written all over his face. I tried to keep my face neutral,

" It's fine. She's not here anymore." I said, I couldn't tell if he thought she was dead or just... not with me. He didn't push it.

The car stopped in front of a beach.

" A beach? Again?" I asked. Not that I had a problem with beaches. He grinned at me. He always grins at me.

" Not just a beach. Santa Monica Pier. I suppose you've heard of it?" he said.

I had. It was one of the most famous places in LA. I planned to come here sometime, but I guess my dream was fulfilled anyway. I smiled at him. This was going to be a great day. I could tell.

As we approached closer to the pier, I could see the rides and the lights. The sun was now starting to set, and the effect it had on the water was beautiful. As we walked in the gate, Austin stopped me with his hand.

" I'll give you a thorough tour of this place. Memorised the whole thing." he said. I raised my eyebrow and gestured for him to lead on,

" How long have you been in LA?"

" Just a few months, maybe six or seven? We came here just for the college.  We were in Chicago for about 4 years. I didn't like it much there though. It was Brady's place. He loved it." he paused, " But then fell and broke."

I wanted to ask what that meant, but the seriousness on Austin's face advised me not to do so. His face changed quickly and that cocky smile took its place once more.

" So, have you ever had someone? A boyfriend?" he asked, but then added, " Or girlfriend?"

" There is you," I said. His eyes widened, and he put his hands on his chest dramatically,

" My life has now been successful. I seduced the seductress." I scowled playfully at him.

" You did not seduce me." I said,

" Yet" he added. I burst out laughing and he grinned even wider. He looks damn good in that grin, I thought. But the fire in my core wasn't sparking. The flutters in my stomach when Brady was close didn't show a trace of themselves. 

My mood darkened a bit. I shouldn't be thinking about him. Yet I can never stop. I shake those thoughts out of my head. I was lucky enough to be on a date with his brother. It was all I needed. Just a bit of fun.

The fact that Santa Monica Pier was huge made me want to stay here all night long. The sky had finally darkened and the lights all around stood out even more. I knew that from afar, this place would look splendid. Even from the inside it did.

There were small snack booths along the way, so we sat down and chatted. Austin was a flirt through and through. I liked it though.

He didn't touch me yet. We didn't even hold hands. It was only both of us close, and communicating.

I sometimes looked at him, as we walked side by side, and caught him gazing at me. His green eyes seemed to be on me the entire time. Even when I wouldn't be looking. When I did, I stared back at his. They always had that mischievous glint in them. That playfulness. These eyes assured me. They calmed me.

Unlike Brady's eyes, that shot shivers down my spine, in the desirable way. I didn't know if that was good or bad. Even if I did feel a certain passion about Austin, it would have no use. It wasn't like I was going to be that one girl he committed to. I scoffed on my insides. It was better to not have strong feelings about him. After all, excitement was all that I was looking for.

The last ride we went to was the ferris wheel. We saved the best for last. 

As we stood in the line, suddenly, someone grabbed my hand. Thinking it was Austin, I twirled towards him. But he was just eagerly looking at the ferris wheel. His hands were nowhere close to me. 

A sudden jolt of fear shot through me. It felt like I had felt 5 years ago. On my thirteenth birthday. The birthday after which I stopped celebrating it. When the man broke into our house.

  No. I was just being a stupid paranoid. My breathing slowed down to a normal rate. My heart, though, was still speeding.

" Oh, this is going to be so fun," Austin chirped. I nodded, I couldn't really say anything. The bad feeling I had in my stomach was killing me. It probably was just my brain, who wanted to torture me, I told myself over and over again.

But the dark pit of fear remained.