No way back - Crossing the line of friendship

Chapter 15

- Austin -

Austin lay stretched out, with his hands behind his head on the blanket, listening to the girls chatting away about some tv show they both were watching, and enjoying the sunshine. He could get used to this. He had always liked hanging out with Molly, but the added sex, and not just any kind of sex, mind-blowingly hot sex. It was perfect. He just had to convince her of that. When she had woken him that morning to tell him she wanted to be fuckbuddies, he had agreed just to get her to climb into bed with him. He never had a real relationship before, but was it so different from what they were doing now? They hung out all the time, and they had sex. What more was a relationship? It wasn't as if he would go out and find someone else to fuck. Would she?

His stomach growled and he reached for Molly, giving her thigh a light squeeze. "Any updates from Jimmy? I'm starving."

Coralee answered him and he could hear the smile in her voice. "He should be here any minute."

"Good." Austin let his hand rest on Molly's thigh, rubbing gently with his thumb. Jimmy had pulled the short straw and was dealt the task of picking up food. They had discussed if they should make something at home before they left but ultimately decided to buy the food so that they could get there faster.

The scent of greasy burgers reached Austin's nose at the same time he heard footsteps getting closer. Finally. He pushed himself to a sitting position and tossed his sunglasses on the blanket. It wasn't until he looked up at Jimmy, who was grinning, his eyes darting between Austin and his hand that he realized he was still stroking Molly's thigh. Austin narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly, hoping Jimmy would drop it. She had told him that she wanted them to be a secret. But it was obvious that Jimmy already figured it out. His thoughts went back to this morning and he almost cringed. They hadn't exactly been quiet. What a way to find out your two besties is fucking. Jimmy just shrugged and began handing out the food. Clearly, he knew that there was something they hadn't told him about but was in no hurry to get it out of them. And for that, Austin was grateful, but he also knew that Jimmy would ask as soon as the girls weren't around.

It didn't take more than thirty minutes for Austin to be proven right. The girls disappeared in a hunt for a toilet and they had barely disappeared behind a bush when he could feel Jimmy's eyes on him. "What the fuck dude? What's going on?"

Austin sighed. "I'm not sure-"

"Not sure? You better have a better answer than that when you're risking our stooges vibes."

"I'm not sure what to tell you." Austin glared. "it's not nice to interrupt people."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, but stayed quiet, waiting for Austin to continue.

"We're... something. Molly wants to be secret fuckbuddies."

"Wait. By the bitter tone I'm hearing, I'm guessing that you don't?"

Austin picked at some crumbs, tossing them off the blanket. "I don't know..."

"Austin? Do you have a crush on Molly?"

"You know what? If you had asked me that, two weeks ago, I would have laughed at you. But I guess, that's what this is."

"You guess?" Jimmy glanced over his shoulder, making sure the girls were still gone. "Dude, you need to think about this. This thing going on between the two of you can really fuck things up if it goes sideways. Let's say that Molly really doesn't want anything serious. Can you deal with her hooking up with anyone else?"

Austin glared at Jimmy. He wouldn't be happy if that happened.

"And what if you end up in a legit relationship with her? Are you in it for the long run? Getting married? Having kids? If not... The friendship will most likely end when your relationship does."

Covering his face with his hands, Austin fell back onto the blanket. He knew Jimmy was right, but he couldn't regret what they had done either. Filling Molly, watching her eyes flutter shut as sweet moans escaped her. It had been perfect as if she was made to fit him, and only him. But marriage? Babies? "I don't know what to do." He groaned.

"Do about what?" Coralee's chirpy voice startled him, and he stiffened.

Fuck. Without removing his hands from his face, he made up a bullshit lie. "I accidentally double booked two clients tomorrow, and we can't get a hold of any of them to reschedule."

Coralee giggled, "That's it? It sounded as if the world was going under."

"Hey," Austin sat up, "I happen to take my job very seriously." Filling his voice with mock resignation. Meeting Molly's eyes, his stomach did a little flip flop, but in a good way, and he smiled. She rolled her eyes at him, but he could see that the corner of her mouth tried to turn up, and she was holding it back. He was struck by the urge to kiss it.

"We think it's time to take a little stroll," Coralee said as she wrapped her arms around Jimmy's waist, and he leaned down to leave a kiss on the top of her head.

"Sounds good," Austin said and got to his feet, taking the blanket with him, and folding it neatly. "Lead the way." He bowed and gestured with one arm.

This time Molly really smiled and shook her head at him. "You are ridiculous."

Austin hooked his arm in hers, mirroring Jimmy and Coralee as they walked on ahead, and leaned close. "But you love it."

She shoved him with her shoulder but didn't remove her arm. A sense of calm filled him as they went down one of the paths in silence. Bird song surrounded them, and sunlight streamed through the branches, giving everything a golden glow. He glanced at Molly, who was focused on the surroundings. She really was pretty. Had he ever truly looked at her before? He couldn't have. How could he have missed when the little girl with bushy wild hair and freckles on her nose turned into a gorgeous woman?

"Do you guys have any plans next weekend?" Jimmy asked.

"Not me." Molly smiled.

Austin shook his head. "Got any suggestions?"

"Coralee wants to come here again-"

"They are setting up a light show in the park. I think it will look magical!" Coralee interrupted.

"Oh, it does sound like it would look beautiful." Molly beamed.

"Yeah, why not."

"I almost forgot to ask, Molly. How's it going with your apartment?" Coralee changed the subject.

"It's getting there. It will probably be another week or so before I can move back in. But at least all my clothes and most of my furniture were solvable."

Austin didn't want to think about Molly leaving. But he couldn't come up with anything else to talk about.

"Well, that's good! My nana had a water leak a few years ago. In a house, not apartment. But everything got ruined. She had to move in with my mother until the insurance company sorted everything out. It was horrible."

"Oh no-"

"Yeah, my mom and nana argued all the time. My dad ended up sleeping on my couch just to get away!"

Molly laughed at Coralee's story.

Austin loved her laugh. Yeah, he was most definitely having a crush on Molly. It didn't make any sense. Not that she wasn't amazing, but why now? Shouldn't this crush have come when he was in his teens? A memory flashed in his mind. They had been hanging out down by the river, he, Jimmy, and Molly, during summer break. Molly was sitting on a fallen tree, leaning against a branch, basking in the sunlight. She was laughing at something Jimmy had said, her freckled-covered nose scrunched up as she snorted. Her messy curls had been wilder then, strands of hair gleaming in the sun. She had been beautiful even back then. How had he not seen it?