My Player Bestfriend (Book #1)

Chapter Eight

The sunlight bleeding through the blinds felt too soft for what had happened.

I woke up tangled in Austin's sheets, his arm still slung around my waist like even in sleep, he wasn't ready to let go.

And for a second... everything was quiet.

Still.

Safe.

But then my heart kicked in.

The fear. The "what now?"
The oh my god, we actually did that.

I gently shifted out of his grasp and sat at the edge of the bed, my fingers pulling at the hem of the oversized T-shirt I was still wearing — his.

"Hey."

His voice was hoarse, half-asleep, but real.

I didn't turn around. "Morning."

"Are you okay?"

I nodded — but too quickly. "Yeah. I'm good."

He sat up behind me, sheets falling low on his hips. "You're lying."

I finally turned, looking at him in the dim light. Hair messy. Eyes honest. Vulnerable again.

"I just..." I exhaled. "I don't know what this means."

"Do you regret it?"

"No." I answered too fast. "I mean — I don't know. I don't regret you. I just..."

"You're scared," he said.

I nodded.

He reached out, hand curling around mine. "Me too."

That broke something in me. Because I didn't expect him to be scared.

"I've never felt like this before, Boo," he said. "And I don't want it to be temporary. I want you."

Before I could answer — my phone buzzed.

Twice. Then again. Then again.

Group chat. Instagram. Texts.

I picked it up.

Sarah: Uhhhh check Insta NOW.

Jackie: Taylor is evil.

And then...

A screenshot.

From Taylor's finsta.
A DM thread between her and Austin.

Or... edited to look like one.

Him saying:

"Mary's just a game. You were always the one I wanted."
"Let's keep this quiet, she's so easy to fool."
"Don't worry, she means nothing."

My stomach dropped.

I showed him. "What the hell is this?"

His eyes widened. "I never said any of that."

"She's posting this like receipts, Austin."

"She photoshopped it, Mary. I swear. You have to know I would never—"

"I don't know!" I stood up, heart racing. "You didn't even tell me you went to her house until I cornered you! Now this? You swear a lot, Austin. But how do I know this isn't just more damage control?"

His voice cracked. "Because I love you."

Everything stopped.

I blinked. "What?"

"I love you," he said again. "And not in some flirty 'luv yah boo' way. I mean it. All of you. The way you roll your eyes when you're hiding your feelings, the way you overthink everything. I love you."

And now I couldn't breathe.

"Say something," he whispered.

"I don't know how to believe that," I said. "Not when girls like Taylor keep popping up. Not when I keep waiting for you to become someone else."

He stepped closer. "Then I'll prove it."

"How?"

"I'll clear your name. I'll ruin her lies. I'll show everyone exactly who she is."

"And what if I'm still scared?"

"I'll wait," he said. "But I'm not walking away."

By the time I got home, Taylor's post was everywhere.

I didn't even know half the people reposting it, but they were tagging me.
Commenting.
Laughing.

Slut-shaming.
Calling me Austin's latest toy.
Calling me naïve.

And all I could do was sit on my bed in silence, watching my name get dragged.

Then...

Austin posted.

Not a vague story. Not a text block.

A video.

"Hey. Austin Mahone here. I don't usually do this, but this time — I have to."

He was sitting in Alex's room. Calm. Serious. No ego.

"I want to make it clear: the screenshots being spread by Taylor Bryant are fake. Photoshopped. Malicious. And disgusting."

He scrolled through his real DMs with her on screen. Nothing but a message from her, ignored. Repeatedly.

"No one should be targeted for trusting someone. Especially not someone as real as Mary. She's not a game. She's the best damn thing that's happened to me."

Then, after a beat:

"I love her."

The video cut out.

My heart cracked wide open.

And for once — the comments weren't hate.

They were on my side.