How Not to Fall In Love

Chapter 49

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I flew up, looking around the dark room; the only light came from the moon. My hand moved a little bit, hitting someone next to me. I started to ease out of bed when I realized it was Austin. I lifted my leg back into the bed and rolled onto my side, facing the window. 

"Everything okay?" Austin whispered, half asleep. 

"Yeah. Just a bad dream. Sorry, I woke you up. Go back to sleep." 

He draped his arm over me, pulling me closer to him. "Are you sure you're okay?" He kissed my shoulder. 

"Yes." I rested my hand on top of his, listening to him breathe, letting it lull me back to sleep. 

"Good morning, beautiful." 

"Hmm..." I rolled over, blinking a few times to get them to focus. "Morn..." I grabbed the sheet and threw it over my head. I could hear Austin laughing as he tried to pry the sheet out of my hands. 

"Rylee, what the hell are you doing?" He laughed, tugging on the sheet again. "Take the sheet off your head. Please." 

"No. I don't want you to see me like this. I look horrible." I gripped the sheet tighter, knowing he wouldn't hurt me, trying to pry it out of my hands. 

"Rylee, I saw you right before I woke you up, so honestly, I've already seen what you look like in the morning." He laughed. "Are you going to let go of the sheet or not?" 

I sighed and lowered the sheet down to my nose, peeking out from under it. "There, you've seen me. Can you go downstairs so that I can go to the bathroom?" I pointed toward the door. 

"What about a good morning kiss?" 

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet." I tightened the sheet around my mouth, staring at Austin and his raised eyebrow. I knew deep down I was being silly about these things, but I wasn't ready for him to see me first thing in the morning, looking all wild and crazy with my dragon breath. Nobody wants to kiss someone's dragon's breath; I don't care who you are. No guy would find his girl sexy, looking like she crawled out of a windstorm with the breath of a dead rotting fish. He'd probably turn and run away, tossing breath mints over his shoulder back at her.

"You're being serious, aren't you?" 

"Yes." My muffled voice agreed. 

"Okay, you win." 

His hand brushed against me as he leaned back and got off the bed. I was expecting to be tossed around from side to side a little as he moved off the bed, but I didn't move at all. There, for a minute, I thought he was still on the bed with me. I finally heard his shoes thump across the floor away from the bed. 

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs." The door opened and closed. I continued to lay there for a few more minutes with the sheet over my head in case he decided to barge back into my room as I went to the bathroom to shower. After another two or three minutes, I lowered the sheet below my eyes, peeking around my room, making sure he was gone and not standing at the foot of the bed staring at me like a creeper. I scanned the room as I lowered the sheet, my eyes zooming in on the doorway to the bathroom. I slid my feet out from under the comforter and sheet, not taking my eyes off the bathroom doorway. My feet didn't sink into the area rug like mine at home. This one had more dense fibers, not as plush and soft. I hurried across the rug and regretted my decision the second my foot hit the cold wood floor. I could hear the shower calling my name, telling me it would warm me up. I was inches away from the doorway when hands grabbed me by the waist. 

"Oh, my god!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. 

"You look hot in the morning with your hair all messed up," Austin whispered. 

"Rylee!" Jules barged into the room. Her widened eyes narrowed when she saw us across the room. "Seriously? You scared the shit out of me. Never mind." She rolled her eyes and slammed the door. 

"What are you doing back in here?" I asked, staring at the walk-in shower. 

"I thought I'd join you in a shower." He kissed my neck. 

"This isn't a vacation. You do realize we ran away with my sister, right?" Annoyance came through more than I intended. "I'm sorry, Austin, but I just want a nice hot shower by myself this morning. Please don't be mad." 

"Mad? Why would I be mad? I'm sorry if I'm pressuring you. I didn't mean to do that. I'm going to let you take a nice hot shower, and I'll see you downstairs in a little bit." He kissed my shoulder, let go of my waist, and left the bedroom. 

Once I had finished showering and getting dressed, I returned to the bathroom and examined the bruises around my eye and mouth. Now, they were starting to turn that nasty yellow-green color that seemed to last forever. I began to brush my hair, pausing briefly and inhaling deeply when I caught the wonderful aroma of bacon cooking. Jules was cooking breakfast; I looked in the mirror and decided my hair and makeup would have to wait until after breakfast. 

I went down the stairs, and the sun flooded the living room through the glass doors and windows. When I looked out past the patio toward the lake and the way it sparkled from the sunlight, for a split second, I'd almost forgotten we were on the run from our father. I stood there watching the tiny ripples of water as the breeze brushed across the lake, wishing I wanted to stay here forever with Austin. Just the two of us together enjoying life, not having to worry about people trying to tear us apart or trying to hurt me. 

"Morning. You seem lost in thought." 

"Huh...Sorry, I was just looking out at the lake. Morning." I took Austin's hand and walked down the last few steps. "Jules cooking breakfast?" 

"Well, I was helping her, then I heard you walking downstairs. We can go outside on the dock later if you want." He pulled me closer. "Your eye is starting to look better. "He kissed the corner of it. I winced a little bit. "Sorry." 

"It's still a little tender. You're fine." I smiled, raised on my tiptoes, and kissed him. 

"Ew. I'm cooking over here." Don't make me throw up on the food." She scrunched up her face, looking at us as she set a plate of bacon on the counter. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes if you two can stop for two minutes and help me get plates and drinks."