How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 34: I want more days like these

I wake up in the morning. Austin's head is lying on my shoulder and his arms are wrapped around me. I feel extremely hungover and roll over to look at the time. It's 9 am. I can definitely sleep a little longer.

Austin whimpers in his sleep and drags me closer to him. I turn around so I can look at him. His hair stands in all kinds of directions making him look extra cute.

I notice that the bandage from his arm is gone, probably in the trashcan of the bathroom or something. The big scar still looks as swollen as the last time I saw it. I hoped it would be smaller than I remembered it, but it's exactly as I had it memorized. There are a few fresh cuts, they don't look as deep as some others, but then again they don't look like cat scratches either. I count them, stopping at nineteen. I run my fingers over the cuts, feeling them stand out from the skin. I wish I could make him stop.

I grab the blanket and bring it up to my nose. I study his peaceful sleeping face until my eyes become too heavy and I fall asleep again.

The next time I wake up it isn't in such a peaceful manner. Kevin bursts into the room, closing the door hard behind him. He looks at us wide eyed.

"Your parents just pulled into the driveway." He says, looking spooked. He walks over to us, standing next to the bed.

"Good morning to you, too." Austin says grumpily, rubbing his face.

He sighs and looks at me. "Should I hide or leave?" He asks me, raising his eyebrows.

"I- I don't know. No." I say.

"I'm gonna put on some clothes and you two should do the sa-" Kevin says, but stops talking mid sentence, his mouth hanging open.

He quickly turns around to face the door. "-the same." He finishes his sentence and then leaves.

I frown. "What was that?" I ask Austin.

He just groans annoyed. "He saw my arm." He explains.

"Oh." I say unsure.

"Yeah." He says and stands up and puts on the clothes that are lying on my desk.

"Uhm, I'm gonna tell him not to tell anyone." I suggest and get up, too.

Austin shakes his head. "Yeah, okay. Just lock the door next time or something." He says.

"Uh, yeah, I'm sorry." I tell him and grab a pair of jeans from my closet.

Austin looks at me, his eyes landing on my arm. "Is that a bruise?" He asks me.

I look down on the bruise from where Noah grabbed me. Oh god. It's very noticable. Big and purple. How did I manage to bruise so badly from a slight squeeze?

"Oh, yeah. Don't even remember where I got it." I lie. "I think I remember running into the glass door."

Why am I lying? I could tell him it's from Noah. But I also don't want him to get mad again.

I put on a smile and Austin snorts. "You're so clumsy." He says, chuckling.

My story is quite convincing. I have a history of getting bruises from clumsiness when I'm near Austin. I fell into his bathtub, I fell when we were climbing and got a couple of scratches and bruises and of course I hit my head on the wall when we tried to make out.

I look out the window and see my parents talking to the neighbour. I guess we still have time.

When I pull on a hoodie, Kevin barges back in. "Sammy, Sammy, do you have eye drops? Oh god, my eyes are bloodshot." He says, looking nervous.

"Yeah. Bathroom." I say and he runs back out. I follow him into the bathroom and hand the eye drops to him.

"God, I'm so nervous to meet your dad again." Kevin says.