Road trip

15- new orleans

I'll be quite frank, never in my whole life have I ever wanted to come to New Orleans. It's not that there is anything wrong with it, more there just isn't really anything here I want to see or do, well except eat the food.

With a change of pace from Florida, once we had crossed lake pontchartrain and buildings began to appear against the vast landscape of water, the city itself didn't look too bad.

It was close to dinner time and I knew we only had tomorrow here and then we would sleep before heading to my favorite part of Molly's list, Austin. Still Austin insisted that we take our bags to our room and then walk down Bourbon st.

We were staying in the French quarter at a quaint little hotel named the Bourgoyne guest house right off Bourbon st. We dropped our things off in our room and together headed out down bourbon st in search for something to eat.

I was relieved when we managed to slide into a small place, get a table and order some of the best gumbo I had ever tasted. Okay it was the only time I had tasted gumbo, but it was still great.

"What do you think so far?" He asked smiling at me across the table.

"It's not bad. I mean we can't drink and this is really a party city, maybe we can drive down to the bottom of Louisiana, you know explore something most don't think to do?"

"Sounds like a plan captain Anna!" He mock saluted me before he continued to eat his food.

We walked through Jackson square once we were done. It was dark and there wasn't many artists still out now that people were beginning to party, but the streets were still vastly alive and humming with excitement as street performers busked down the cobbled road.

I leaned into Austin's side, letting his arm wrap around my waist as we walked, it was warming, having him here. It was only as I glanced around that I noticed when some of the presumably homeless males began paying too much attention to me.

"Can we go back to the hotel?" I asked feeling more and more uncomfortable as we slowly walked past the unrelenting number of drunk people.

"Yeah, don't let go of me okay?" He whispered obviously noticing the attention we were getting being two young people alone in a city.

I held his waist firmly and let my other hand clutch his fingers around my waist. "I won't."

"Hey," he muttered quietly, "you're fine, we are going to be fine." I just shook my head and kept walking as he spoke softly to me.

Honestly it was kind of nerve wracking knowing that there wasn't anyone else here to protect us. I mean obviously we had gone on trips before, but our parents were with us or not too far away. Now they were eight hours away and not close enough to do anything.

When we got back to the hotel I was still firmly clutched onto him, I didn't let go until we were in our room and the door locked behind us.

"Damn I think you actually crushed my hand." He joked as he turned around and noticed the look of shock on my face. "Damn Anna, it's okay." He walked towards me and pulled me into his chest as I stood motionless.

"This was a bad idea. This trip... I mean what if something happens and we don't know what to do, or what if .." I began rambling all the reasons we should probably go home.

"Anna stop." He said calmly as his hand cupped my face as his thumb brushed my cheek. "You're okay, we are okay. Listen there are a lot of scary things in the world and trust me when I tell you that I will never let anything happen to you okay?"

I stole a glance at his eyes and immediately wished I hadn't because as soon as my eyes stopped on his they froze, fixated on the mixture or colors and patterns within them.

I could feel his thumb  still brushing my cheek and for just a moment I allowed myself to remember what his lips felt like on mine, and how easy it would be to slip back into that feeling.

I couldn't do it though, no matter how badly it hurt, or how disappointed he looked when I pulled out of his arms to get changed I couldn't.

He slept facing away from me this time and as we drove to Cyprus Grill in Venice Louisiana the next morning, the tension between us was obvious.

He didn't hold my hand, or kiss my head, or do any of the things he usually did and I knew it was because I was hurting him.

It wasn't until we were eating alligator ball bites and some other southern food that it hit me that I needed to find peace with Molly being gone.

It may have even been jealousy that sparked the thought, especially when the cute waitress who was probably around our age began flirting with Austin.

It was strange, you know, seeing him flirt back. I could feel the pang of hurt, or heartache in my chest as it hit me that I was doing this to myself. I told him we couldn't be more than friends and as a result I couldn't expect him not to move on with someone else?

I think the final blow was when we got up to leave after a tense and strained lunch of minimal conversation. We were heading to Austin after this, but the check with the handwritten phone number and pink hearts drawn onto it sparked an inferno inside of me that I vowed not to ignore.

I didn't want to betray Molly, but I couldn't stand to see him moving on with someone else, someone who didn't know just how special he was.

Maybe seven hours would be enough time to patch up the awkwardness between us, or at least I had hoped. Austin Texas was going to be a big change and one that would tear my inner self to pieces.

I just hoped the outcome would work in my favor.