How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 96: forgotten memories

TW

Since I can't sleep from feeling so nervous, I decide to call Austin when I see he's online.

"Hey. Everything alright?" He asks me as he picks up.

"Yeah. A little nervous. I wanted to hear your voice." I explain.

"I understand that you're nervous. How was the conversation with your aunt?" He asks.

"Good, I guess. I think we're settled for tomorrow." I tell him.

"It's gonna be fine. You're gonna do fine. Noah has no chance, okay?" He assures me.

"I'm fucking scared." I admit.

"I know. I understand. But you really don't have to be. Noah should be scared right now. He's probably biting off all his fingernails from being so scared." Austin says.

"I highly doubt that." I say. "You should have seen it when he looked at us at the police station. He looked so sure of himself. Like we have no chance against him."

"I didn't know you saw him there." Austin says.

"Yeah. I saw him for like a minute." I explain.

"Either way. He has nothing against you and there's no way he can get away with what he did." Austin says.

I smile slightly. "You're right. Thanks for being by my side." I say.

"No problem. I'm always on your side." He assures me.

Apart from when he thinks I'm making everything up and actually tried to commit suicide or have a drug induced psychosis.

I shake my head. No, I'm not gonna hold a grudge against everyone. I get why no one believed me.

"How was therapy?" I ask him instead.

"Uh, alright I guess?" He explains.

"Austin?" I say hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"You've been kinda aggressive lately." I tell him. "I mean you get loud easily and then what happened between Caleb and you." I point out. "Did you maybe talk about that, too? Or are you planning to?"

He stays silent for a moment. I open my mouth to say something, but he speaks before I can.

"I'm sorry. No, I didn't talk about that." He says. "Is it really so bad?" He asks.

"No, it's not bad, but I just noticed it. I'm just concerned about you." I explain.

Austin sighs. "It's because I slapped you, right? I seriously didn't wanna hurt you or scare you. You wouldn't listen and I just did that bec-"

I cut him off. "No, it's not about that. It's about you getting loud easily and how you broke my brother's tooth with a punch."

"You also get loud. You act like I'm the only one being like this. Your voice is just not as loud and deep as mine and that's why it seems worse when I get loud." Austin argues.

"Austin. Yeah, I know. But you started a fight with Caleb. I know that it's his fault, too, but I wanna talk about it with you." I say.

"He wanted to drive drunk. I tried to use civil words, but he just ignored me and acted like I'm a killjoy. What was I supposed to do? Let him drive in that state?" He asks me frustratedly.

"No, I don't know. I have no idea, but not that." I say.

"I don't regret it." Austin says stubbornly.

I breathe out angrily. "Okay."

I roll over and lie on my side. "You've always gotten into a lot of fights, right?" I ask him. That's what Harry told me.