Tennis Instructor (A.K.)

Chapter 30: Sorry*

     Florida hadn't been as successful in relieving stress as was anticipated. Due to convincing from both his mother and Owen, Awsten did agree to take a little under a week off to decompress in a new setting. Him and Owen boarded their flight in high spirits seeing as neither had been on a trip in a while. They were looking forward to a little get away with each other, considering they had formed a relatively uneventful routine. But, of course, nothing could ever go their way.

It started on their first full day there. Surprisingly, despite jet lag and a flight filled with a chorus of coughing fits and crying babies, they were sated as soon as they were in the comforts of the guest bedroom. Though, that morning at breakfast, a stupid and petty argument broke out that neither were willing to let go of.

Awsten had wanted Owen to eat breakfast with him before they went to the beach that day, an idea that didn't sit well with her. She tried to deny food casually, simply saying she wasn't that hungry or that she'd rather wait for lunch. Owen just hated the idea of being bloated and full when she was in a bathing suit, which Awsten caught onto quickly. He somehow knew her better than anyone else in just a few months.

"Just eat, we can have a small lunch if need be," he shrugged. "Haven't had anything since like, lunch yesterday."

"I don't know, I feel weird from the flight I guess. Not feeling it," Owen hummed as she filled her water bottle at the sink. Awsten furrowed his brows, finding her lack of appetite both unconvincing and concerning.

"Don't lie to me," he said gently, starting off almost teasing so he could be approachable. "I know you could eat, babe."

"Later." She spoke with finality, as if she wasn't willing to argue her stance. While Awsten knew it was her body and her decision to make, he cared too much to leave it be. Possibly it was better to drop it, because Owen was a big girl who made her own decisions, but Awsten was too neurotic for that.

"Why are you doing this? You were doing better for months now and suddenly going to the beach is making you hide?" His tone wasn't angry, nor did it show his frustration, but instead there was sadness in it. "We're not going anywhere until you agree to eat."

"Stop talking to me like a child," Owen snapped. She was growing defensive, mostly due to exhaustion that made her cranky. "I can think for myself, if I want to eat I'll know."

"I've never intended to treat you like a kid," he frowned, his brows furrowing as his voice showed his agitation. "But it's hard not to question your choices when you won't even take care of yourself. If you're going to act like a petulant child, I'll talk to you like one."

"Oh my God," she groaned, rubbing her face in frustration. "Get a grip, you're such a control freak."

"I am not," he scoffed. "I just care."

"Then let me skip breakfast so I can feel good about myself for once while I'm in public," she begged. "Jesus Christ, we get it. I'm skipping meals and that's bad- I'll live."

"I just don't get why you'd feel bad about yourself for eating," he explained. Awsten was too worried about being right or winning their argument to realize it was better to just let Owen do as she pleased. Two tired young adults was similar to two children arguing. "I think you look good, isn't that enough? Why do you always worry what other people think?"

"Do you hear yourself right now? You think that I'm an insecure girl because I'm worried about the male gaze?" She snapped. A well-slept Owen and fully fed Awsten wouldn't be in this situation. Awsten would have worded his point differently, saying something more like 'other people's opinions don't matter, just your own' but it instead came out as 'only my opinion is important, not even your own.' A well-slept Owen wouldn't have been so fussy, a well-slept Owen would have asked him what he meant by his words. "I want to fucking feel good, Awsten. I'm a person with feelings, not just a body."