Love At First Sight / Post Malone

Chapter 31

Juliana POV

I nearly jumped to my feet at the sudden sound of footsteps, heavy against the hardwood floor as they approached the entrance of the living room. I sat still, trying my best to remain casual as I put a single piece of penne into my mouth.

I heard nothing but silence as the footsteps trailed closer to the front door. Not a word of goodbyes sounded from either of the two men as I held the fork halfway to my lips. The front door swung open, the bitter November cold nipping at my skin just barely before I heard it hurriedly slam shut, the lock turning shortly after.

I listened carefully as Austin slowly stalked over to the living room slumping down next to me onto the soft blanket he had spread across the floor.

I gently placed down the silverware, hearing it clink against my plate as I waited patiently for him to speak. I heard him rub his hand along his face, and let out a soft groan of exhaustion.

His silence spoke volumes between us. And I could tell he was extremely upset. Usually there was a lighthearted joke from him or a playful jab whenever he approached me. But I knew our evening hadn't turned out how he planned.

I swallowed the heavy lump in my throat, feeling indifferent on how to approach this situation. I was unsure if I should bring up what I had overheard, my body nearly trembling as I opened my mouth to talk. But Austin beat me to it, a genuine apology spewing from his lips, his voice hoarse and defeated.

"I'm sorry J. I'm so so sorry." He sighed, pulling me close to his chest.

"That was not okay. He should not have walked in on us like that. Not while you were exposed like that. I don't ever want you to feel uncomfortable here in my home. I promise that will never happen again, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

His voice was gentle as he spoke, calm, compared to just moments ago when he was going head to head with Dre. His soft fingertips trailed the backs of my arms, causing my head to spin as I suddenly felt torn in two. His words sounded so real. So meaningful. So convincing.

I said nothing in response to his sweet gesture, still feeling uneasy about the entire situation. I decided it would be best to be honest with him about what I had heard. I didn't exactly think through what I wanted to say, my words coming out all at once before I could stop them.

"Austin, why would I need to sign an NDA?" I blurted out, cutting right to the chase as I just barely pulled away from him, leaving some empty space between us. "Did you ever think that I would sue you?"

I heard him swallow hard before he spoke, clear remorse in voice as he parted his lips.

"Jules, I've know Dre a long time. Since I was nineteen years old. I used to even consider him a friend. But over the past few years, he's become more and unbearable, wanting to control every aspect of my life because I make us good money." Austin shook his head.

"Working together has changed our friendship in many ways. Sometimes he thinks he's looking out for me, when in reality, he's doing more harm than good." He went on, not exactly answering my questions but giving me some much needed insight on his relationship with Dre. But his next words soothed my nerves a touch, giving me the slight ease I needed after everything I had overheard.

"You suing me isn't something that has ever crossed my mind. Dre has been bringing it up since the accident because it's my fault you can't see. He wanted you to sign an NDA so you couldn't take legal action against me. I know I'm the one to blame, but you're not here because I'm scared you're going to sue me J. You're here because I want you here."

I sucked in a breath, my head spinning as I tried to wrap it around all of this new information, all of which didn't make complete sense to me.

Was all of this about money? Did Dre think he was protecting Austin? From me?