Road trip

32- i love you more

Getting Austin into the apartment was no easy task and I found myself being relieved for the elevator. I didn't even make it to his room and instead deposited him on the couch, taking his shoes off and putting a blanket over him. Then I went and climbed into my own bed letting the exhaustion consume me.

I could think about everything in the morning, but one thing was certain, if this was the new side of Austin, I didn't want to be associated with it. Drinking was one thing, something I could get over, but letting girls hang over him right in front of me didn't sit right.

The next morning I padded into the kitchen more annoyed than I had been last night. Austin was surprisingly already up and didn't have a trace of looking hungover at all.

"Morning." He sounded chipper, too happy for someone who blatantly embarrassed his girlfriend.

I ignored him and grabbed a soda and a bag of granola bites before I brushed past him to go back to my room. For some reason him acting as if nothing happened irritated me beyond belief.

"Whoa, Anna, hold up. What's wrong?" He grabbed my arm gently but firm enough to stop me from walking further away.

"I don't know Austin, maybe it's because you got beyond drunk last night ..." I began.

"Anna, come on. It's not the biggest crime in the world." He argued.

"No, it's not. But did you ever stop to think of how I felt when that Savannah girl was hanging off you flirting and you just stood there and let her? Maybe I should go find some guy to touch me and flirt in front of you?"

"That didn't, Anna it wasn't like that?"

"Wasn't it? Because even her friends that I was sitting with said that she was too close and that they would have to keep an eye on her!" I pulled my arm away, feeling over emotional about the whole thing and stormed into my room.

"I thought you trusted me A?" He sounded hurt as he followed me into my room.

"I did, but the difference is, drunk or not, I would have never done that to you!" I shot back. "I knew we should have just stayed friends." I muttered to myself as the hot tears spilled down my face.

"Fuck, Anna don't cry. I don't want us to be just friends. I won't talk to her again, I won't even look at her if that's what you want?" He sat beside me on my bed and gently pulled me into his side. "I love you so much and no amount of bimbo barbies will change that."

"You were standing in front of us the whole time Austin. You didn't even think of my feelings."

"I know, I'm sorry. Just don't cry okay? Chances are I won't even see them again. We don't play the same sport and the school is so big I doubt we will even have classes together." He reasoned as he turned my face to look at him. "Don't ever doubt that I love you Anna, you're the only thing that matters to me, I would give everything else up in a heartbeat for you."

I was still upset, but I figured he was probably right. Chances were, he probably wouldn't see them again and I had no intentions of letting Savannah be the thing that split us up.

"I love you Austin.." he let out a relieved breath and tried to kiss me as I put my hand against his mouth to stop him. "But this is your first strike. I won't be that girl that lets their boyfriend do whatever." I knew the baseball analogy would make sense to him.

"I love you more, and I promise it won't happen again. Heck if I even go to another party I'm not leaving you alone for a second." He reassured me as I made the subconscious decision to forgive him and let it go.

Austin didn't let it end there though, instead he decided to make our last Sunday before school all about us. Starting with an impromptu movie date on the couch.

I curled into him as he rubbed my back, watching the comedy movie with Kevin hart. I laughed at something on the movie as Austin chuckled beside me.

"I'm going to run to the store really quick, do you need anything?" He asked randomly as he shifted from beside me.

"No, don't you want to wait for the movie to finish?"

"I figured we needed some ice cream to go with this movie date. I'll be thirty minutes tops, and that's if traffic is bad." He smiled and while I found it suspicious I didn't question him.

He left after that and I paused the movie, wanting us to finish it together. I scanned my phone and noticed I had a new friend request from Olivia on my Facebook. She seemed nice enough so I accepted, not that I wanted to ever be around her brother or his Barbie friend again.

I decided to clean up the kitchen from breakfast and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. It had been about forty five minutes when Austin walked back into the apartment with a bag full of different ice creams.

"Traffic here sucks, but I found so many types of chocolate ice cream." I smiled as he set the bag on the counter.

He wasn't kidding. He had white chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate chip as well as chocolate syrup and sprinkles.

"Go sit A, I'll bring you a bowl of everything." He began unloading the containers as I made my way back to the couch.

Soon enough he rejoined me on the couch and as I began eating the ice cream I moved to play the movie, only to see Austin kneeling in front of me.

"Austin, what are you..?" I began as took my bowl away and he handed me the small box.

"It's a promise ring Anna. I never want you to ever doubt how I feel about you okay? I love you more than anything else in the world and I mean it. College, life, none of it means a thing to me without you. You're my best friend, my happy place. I promise that I will prove it to you and keep proving it to you."

I opened the box and stared wide eyed at the delicate eternity wound band and small blue sapphire.

"Austin it's beautiful." I smiled unsure of whether my face could stretch anymore.

He took the box from me slowly and took the ring out, placing it on my finger where one day I would place an engagement ring and wedding band. My heart was full of emotion and love. He was trying to make amends and I knew that he meant what he was saying.

"Our ice cream is melting." I pointed out.

"I don't care." He leaned up to kiss me. "Let it melt, after the movie I can find other ways for us to enjoy it."

I knew the meaning of his words and the promise it contained and as we cuddled back up on the couch, I couldn't focus on anything else.