𝐒𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄? 𝔄𝔲𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔫 𝔅𝔲𝔱𝔩𝔢𝔯

꧁𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍꧂

*Just to let you know this is a mini-time skip from where the last chapter

As I wave goodbye to Austin, a wave of sorrow fills my body. In just a day we had shared such intimate moments together. I wish it lasted forever. As I close the door, I feel my phone vibrate, and a ding sounds from it. message- from coral, my notification bar reads.

I smile at our conversation, thinking about the talk we are bound to have. I have to tell her about our night. how it went. she was out early this morning, which means she didn't know about the moment Austin and I had shared earlier that day. as I walk into the kitchen to clean up our dishes, the magical moment still lingering in the air. the moment replayed in my head like a broken video tape. I smiled to myself as the memory repeated itself.

~*~

my makeup bag clattered around as I placed it on the counter. I had just gotten out of the shower and finished drying out my hair. I checked the time and noticed a notification on my phone. message-Coral, You coming? Shit, she was already there. SHIT, SHE WAS ALREADY THERE. I quickly grab my concealer and messily put it under my eyes. I use the tip of my finger to blend it out, grabbing my mascara, and eyelash curler. I curl, and apply, then grab my blush and highlighter, putting both of them swiftly on my face. I run out of my room, and quickly fill fortes water bowl and food bowl. I darted out of the door shortly after that.

~*~

Catching up with Cora was nice. which is a weird thing to say because we were literally living together. Turns out she had a good hookup last night, but he was kind of a buzzkill. "He was very vanilla, which is okay!" She defended. "But he didn't really say anything after, so I blocked his number.." She trailed off. The song Love Me, by Elvis started playing from the restaurant's speakers. it brought me back to earlier that day. how surreal it felt. how perfect it was. "Stella? Hello?" I hear Cora's voice say, a snapping sound coming from her fingers to try and snap me out of the trance that I had been locked inside of. "What the hell are you thinking about?" She questioned me, noticing my longing stare into nothingness as my mind thought about that morning. "well, earlier today, Austin and I had another 'moment." I answered, my mind once again finding its way back to our sweet memory we shared. "tell me." She says, demanding a story out of me.

"Well, I was making him breakfast, with my oldies playlist." I had started to explain. "Austin had apparently woken up, and smelling food he wandered toward the smell, which led to me cooking in the kitchen." I described, earning an understanding nod from Cora. "He had sat down on the island as I explained what I was making, but soon after he had, Love Me by Elvis started to play, so he got up as I was washing my hands," I said, getting deeper into detail. "He grabbed my waist and started to sway me, earning a laugh on my part. Then we just started to slow dance in the middle of the kitchen." I said, finishing my story up.

"Well, just be safe," Cora said, deep meaning behind it, but I just couldn't decipher her words. I tilt my head in confusion. "you have to have me spell it out?" She asks. I nod for confirmation. "You like him! A lot. I know that lovesick look in your eyes, and I haven't seen it in so long. he makes you happy, and that is all that matters. but if he manages to break you in any way, that ill have to step into this "relationship' you have built." She said. I smiled at her response to my question. I did like him, but I loved her more. I would never let me and Austin get in between us. I mean, we had matching tattoos. Now I can't rid of her. They said " virgin whores " after an inside joke we had made up between the two of us.

Once our food had come, we were like two giddy little girls. As I chowed down, I couldn't help but wonder, why hadn't she asked me anything about my late coming? I guess she hadn't thought about it. There were a few things I wanted to talk about over food. "So, you told me that there's a guy back at home who you're seeing. do you actually like this guy? Is it a situation like the one last night?" I question, my mouth full of food as I spoke. "Well, I really do think he's different." She responded, but I lift my eyebrow at her statement. "No, really!" She says. "Last night was just because we aren't official yet." She confirmed. "Cora, this is such a weird question, maybe unanswerable, but can you not be single for like, two seconds?" I query. I notice her eyes widen in shock at my question. "Sorry!" I say, seeing that she is offended. "It's just that when you're not home I feel obligated to have a boyfriend to keep me company." She says. "Cora, you can have other friends, you know? I just don't want you being hurt again." I say, worry filling my tone.

꧁Austins pov꧂

Being home alone left me only with my thoughts. About the night before. About the morning of. It all felt like a dream, maybe even fantasy. Leaving her felt like a child being taken away from its favorite toy, being ripped away from its happiness, all in one small motion. Just the swoop of the arm, grabbing the toy, leaving the child sitting helplessly without a plaything. That's the only way to describe how I felt without her. It was like being ripped away from happiness, and comfort. I hadn't felt comfort like that, in years. Maybe even since before my mother died. the day she died, was the day I lost my world. a mother to a child is like an angel to a regular being. They give you life, and care for you, giving you all the needs for a successful life. well, at least my mother was like that. Having her taken away from me too soon felt like a piece of me was gouged out that day. it felt like I was mauled by a lion, but it was kind enough to leave me alive, letting me soak in all the pain it had just caused. does that make sense?

She was my new meaning. And it was such a peculiar feeling because I had only known her for a day. She made me feel something I hadn't felt in years. loved. She made me feel cared for, not just an empty void sucking me inside, leaving me with all of my sorrows to swallow me whole. Instead, she left me with the happy memories we shared. The happiness I had felt with her. The surrealness of the moments. These last two days flew by, unlike the last few years of my life had been. they had been slow, cold, days, filled with nothing but emptiness. I had hoped every day would be like the ones I had experienced with her.
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A/n
I'm so, so sorry for the lack of uploading. I tried to make the words in this chapter as exquisite as possible for your enjoyment. I hope that you liked this one as much as I did. I think this one is my favorite. Anyways, I love ya mamas, xoxo Robyn.