Circles - Post Malone

Twenty

"This limo is a bit over the top don't you think?" Dahlia asks but Gina shakes her head. "No. The guy I went home with last night is super rich." Dahlia rolls her eyes. It's annoying how easily Gina hops from man to man. Spaghetti arms is not even a second thought to her. But Dahlia knows why - it's how Gina copes with heartache. To be fair, Gina has been through enough shit to earn her a free pass.

Gina gets excited when her phone rings and answers it with a flirty hello. Dahlia relaxes into her chair and tries to ignore Austin next to her but she can feel him looking at her. After at least ten minutes of Gina giggling into her phone and Austin not so suitably glancing at her Dahlia has had enough. "What? Why do you keep looking at me?" she asks quietly. "This morning, before Gina came in, you were going to say something to me...what was it?" Austin asks.

Dahlia sighs and then does something she never does. She takes Austin's hand and lifts his arm up and around her body then squishes her face into Austin's chest. She shouldn't but she can't help it, he just feels so good. Like a comfort blanket. "Thank you for being so nice to me. None of the rules change but I will let you call me nicknames when it's just the two of us...but don't take the piss," she whispers. She feels Austin kiss the top of her head, "Ok, sweetheart. Your secret is safe with me."

Dahlia must have fallen asleep because she wakes up to Austin and Gina talking. The hum in Austin's chest as he speaks relaxes her and makes her eyes heavy so she ckreps them closed. She is also being a snoop and should let them know she is awake because they are talking about her, but she just can't help her curiosity. "I mean it Austin. She hates everyone...sometimes even me, but she is different with you and so I am so happy you guys have grown so close," Gina says. "Why are you friends with her then? If you think she hates you. I don't get that," Austin says.

"She only pretends to hate me...she is scared to get too close. You remember how hard teenage years had been for her...how hard that thing with her family had been...she is just scared. But she loves me just as much as I love her."

"But why even hang around her? She is nothing like the girls you hung out with at high school."

"Remember Bobby?"

"That nasty piece of shit that worked at the gas station. Yeah, I remember him."

"Well after high school I made some bad decisions and landed up dating him...don't look at me like that, Austin."

"Sorry. Sorry! I don't mean to judge, but Gina he nearly killed a group of school kids who bought bad weed from when we were still in school. What the fuck were you thinking?"

"He was never formally charged with anything."

"Because the police are a fucking joke, Gina."

"I know, ok. I get it. I was dumb and stupid and...and in love with him. I regret it so much - you have no idea."

"So how is Dahlia involved?"

"Well, one evening he and I had gone out to a pub. He had gotten terribly drunk and started fighting with me. He smacked me around in the pub while everyone just watched. But then Dahlia showed up...she stood up for me. She did not have to but she did. She broke his arm...she made herself a target. She hid me in her trailer and refused to give in to Bobby."

"And you just let her? She could have gotten hurt, Gina."

"I had no choice. I tried to stop her but you know what she is like. After Bobby had gotten bored and moved on then she helped me gain my confidence and move on too...she saved my life. I owe her everything."

The limo comes to a stop and Dahlia sits up. Both Gina and Austin look at her in surprise. Dahlia rolls her eyes and looks out the window. Oh shit. "A fucking harbor! Really, Gina?" Dahlia complains. "Don't be mad, Dahlia. I knew if I told you we were going on a yacht you would have never have come!" Gina tries to explain. "Well, you would have been fucking right! I am not, NOT getting onto a yacht!" Dahlia is practically shouting now and Gina is on the brink of tears.

"Yo! Girls! Calm the fuck down both of you. Are we not even going to talk about this?" Austin tries to pacify them both.  "We are talking about this! I am refusing to go on the yacht and Gina is fucking crying! What more do you want?" Dahlia shouts and Gina lets out a sob. "I was not talking about the yacht, Dahlia," Austin says. "Then what the fuck are you talking about?" Dahlia shouts. She does not know why she is still shouting she is just mad.

"I was talking about the conversation Gina and I were having that you were clearly awake for," Austin says. "Don't worry I have every intention in pretending not to involve myself in what you guys say behind my back," Dahlia shouts. It's unfair and wrong but she is so mad she is just hitting below the belt. "We would never!" Gina now also shouts back and then lets out another sob. "That's enough," Dahlia hears Austin say under his breath then he is opening the door and pulling her out of the limo with him. "Wait there," he throws back at Gina.

Dahlia tries to wriggle out of Austin's arms even though it is useless. He is ten times her size. "Stop, Dahlia," he warns pushing her up against the limo. Dahlia stops and concentrates on trying to calm down and steady her breathing. After a few minutes, Austin hooks his finger under her chin and forces her to look at him. "Have you calmed the fuck down now?" he asks. Dahlia nods. "Good...now I am not going to get into whatever shit show fucking happened between you, Gina, and Fucking Boddy...but we will talk about it at some point because I am pissed about it. However, what we are going to talk about now is why you are so fucking pissed off about getting onto a yacht," Austin says.

"You can't be angry at me about what Gina got mixed up in. You should have stayed and looked after Gina yourself," Dahlia spits out, she can feel her anger rising again. "Are fucking for real?" Austin asks her, flabbergasted. "You are hard work, Dahlia," he says. She opens her mouth to snap at him but he is already shaking his head and fixing her with a hard stare, "uh-uh," he warns. She drops her eyes and looks down a bit. The way Austin is looking at her makes her knees weak. They are fighting and all she wants to do is fuck him. What is wrong with her?

He lifts her face again, "tell me why you don't want to go on the yacht, baby," he says. Dahlia gets butterflies in her stomach. Fuck. "I can't swim," she says softly. Austin frowns. "But...school?" he asks. "I skipped Physical Ed or I forged a note," Dahlia says, she can feel her face going red. "And Gina knows?" Austin asks. Dahlia nods. "Well how about this...I teach you how to swim this weekend. That way we have an excuse not to be around people and you learn how to swim...win, win," Austin says with a grin. "Ok," Dahlia says, matching his grin.

They hear a tapping on the limo window and they move to let the door open. Gina climbs out with tear streaks on her cheeks. "Oh, Dahlia I am so sorry. It was selfish of me to keep the whole yacht thing from you. Let's cancel and we can go back to the apartment and do whatever you want...we can even watch one of those horror films you like," Gina says. But Dahlia shakes her head. "It's ok, we can stay," Dahlia says then sighs as Gina beams and has to physically refrain herself from jumping on Dahlia. "Ok you can hug me," Dahlia says and Gina does.