My head pounds as I rub my eyes. This bed feels... strange. I came to a realization that I was in Austin's bed and last night was not a dream.
My eyes flutter open to Austin's sleeping face. His face pushed against the pillow squishes his cheek.
I try to get up softly to not make a noise. As I search for my clothes I hear Austin shuffling around in bed. I look back to him sitting up and stretching out his muscular arms.
"Good morning 'Lina." Austin says rubbing his temples with his eyes still closed.
"Good morning." I say putting the clothes I arrived in back on.
"You've got somewhere to be?" He looks up at me.
I don't want to leave but I know the more time I spend with him, the higher chance I have of falling for him.
"Yeah-uh, I've actually got to get going. I have someone I have to meet later."
That was the most terrible excuse I have ever given. I don't have anyone to meet. I would love to lay in bed with him all day and cure each others hangovers. But I can't catch feelings for him.
"Alright, Yeah - no problem. I've got a thing later too." Austin replies as he rolls out of bed and drinks the room temperature water on his nightstand.
He follows me out to his front door to let me out. I don't know what to say. Thanks for the sex? Thanks for being so sexy? Thanks for probably ruining my life? Let me know the next time you wanna bang?
"Thanks for the bottle of wine." I blurt out awkwardly.
Austin chuckles. "Yeah no problem." He rubs the back of his neck with one hand and opens the door with the other.
"I'll text you, yeah?"
"Yup, text me." I shoot a finger gun at him before turning around and making my way to my car.
*
AUSTIN'S POV.
Did she just finger gun me? I don't think I did that bad. I made her finish. Twice. I don't have anything else to do either, I was hoping she'd at least stay for breakfast.
I continue my usual morning with last night flashing back into my head.
I always appreciate my time with her. Don't get me wrong, the sex is amazing. But it isn't that. She understands me and makes me feel normal. But I can't feel anything more than that. I am going to go off to Australia soon and will be gone for a while. I could see myself waiting for her but she has made it very clear to me that we are just friends.
My last relationship didn't last very long. She was farther along in her career than I was in mine. As much as I cared about her, we could never make it work.
Ultimately, we just weren't a great match. I don't regret being with her, though I regret that I wasn't a great boyfriend to her for much of the time we were together. I wasn't in a great place emotionally. I was not as good a boyfriend then as she deserved.
When I ended it, I'd been thinking of it for awhile, and ultimately, it just came down to this: the relationship wasn't making me happy, and I couldn't imagine it was for her. She did absolutely nothing wrong, and I wish her no ill will. We just weren't the right fit.
*********************************** I haven't heard from Alina in a couple days. Maybe she's been waiting for me to text her first?
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I tidy around the apartment and light a candle. Not to set the mood, just to make her feel comfortable.
After hearing my doorbell ring I make my way over to the door. I am greeted by Alina smiling holding Tupperware filled to the brim, with what looks like her homemade chocolate chip cookies.
She has a soft face with a big charming smile that makes you smile back everytime. Eyes to lose yourself whenever you look a bit closer into them. Her hair is long and brown and has a slight wave to ends. Her lips are some kind of a soft rose that looks natural.
Her whole body is like an invitation to lay down next to her, unclothed, and just hold her tight next to you.
"I couldn't show up empty handed." She chuckled as she made her way inside. She opened up the Tupperware and handed me a warm cookie.
We make our way over to the couch and I pour her half a glass of wine.
"I mostly wanted to see you before I leave next week. I can't have you forgetting about me now."
"I was actually planning on changing my name and moving to another country while you're gone." She says sarcastically as she sips her wine.
"Great. While you figure that out I hope you don't mind stopping by every other day to water my plants and feed my fish." I hand her an extra set of keys to my condo.
"Are you serious? Don't you have people that do that?" She laughs taking the key from me with an eyebrow raised.
"I do actually. I just thought I would give you a key. Just in case of emergencies or something yanno."
We watched Blue Hawaii and I rambled about all of the recent interviews about Elvis Presley I had studied. Alina pays attention to every detail. She knows about just as much as I do.
The movie had been over for at least an hour and a half when we noticed it was nearly 2 in the morning and we had just been talking this whole time.
"You're welcome to stay you know?"
"I might have to take you up on that one." Alina says looking over to the time on the clock.
I want to hold her close in bed. I want to kiss her. I want her to hold me. I don't think that's part of the friends with benefits package, though. She has made it clear we are just friends and we both promised we wouldn't ruin our friendship.
