How Not to Fall In Love

Chapter 64

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The rest of the week was filled with getting ready for our big weekend getaway, homework, and coffee. I didn't want to admit it, but the coffee helped calm my racing thoughts and paranoia. I felt uneasy about this weekend, probably because Dad had tracked us down the last time we were back there. I had to keep reminding myself that he was in jail, where he couldn't get me. Yet, my mind kept going back to the day at the cabin. I was excited about returning, spending time with my friends, and making new memories. It was time for me to start enjoying my life as a teenager. 

The last bell of the day rang Friday, letting us know the weekend had officially started. I went to my locker and swapped out the books I needed for Sunday. Sophie told me she was headed home to get her things and to text her when Austin and I were on our way to pick her up. She headed down the hall before I could say anything back to her. 

"She's excited, I take it?" Austin laughed, motioning over his shoulder. 

"Just a little." I smiled, closing my locker. Austin took my book bag for me. "Thank you, but I can carry it." 

"I know." He wrapped his hand around mine. "Let's get out of here. Logan is meeting us at Sadie's in an hour." He led us toward the front of the school. The hallway was pretty much empty for a few kids here and there wandering the halls. The kids raced out of the school on Fridays to get the weekend started and get as far away from the school as possible. So far, I was doing a great job hiding my anxiety from Austin about returning to the cabin; he hadn't once asked me if I was okay about going back there. I tried to smile each time I talked about the weekend, even though part of me was worried about being in it again. 

Austin opened the school doors for us, and I squinted my eyes as they tried to adjust to the sudden brightness. The parking lot was empty except for a few cars. Sadie's car was already gone, along with Logan's truck. I scanned the parking lot for Cole's car, but he was also gone. I was so preoccupied with looking for Cole's car that I hadn't noticed Austin had let go of my hand and was almost to the truck when I turned around. He unlocked the truck, tossed our bags in the backseat, and then went around and helped me get up in the truck. 

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"Do we have everything?" Sadie asked, walking out the front door. "Did you grab your charger for your phone?" She asked, walking down the porch steps. 

"Did you grab yours?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, even though she couldn't see it. 

"Yes." 

Cole and Tristan pulled up right as my foot hit the sidewalk. Cole jumped out of the car, beaming from ear to ear. "We got coffee for everyone!" He bent down and grabbed the drink carrier from Tristan. "Sophie's is in the cupholder in the back. Where is she?" He looked puzzled. 

"We have to go pick her up. I'll take it and put it in the back for her." Austin walked over to Cole's car. He took Sophie's iced latte and put it in the cupholder in the back. Then we returned and got our drinks from Tristan and put them in the front cupholders. 

"This weekend is going to be great!" Cole grabbed his bag from the trunk of his car. "What vehicle are we taking?" Cole asked, locking his car. 

"We're taking my Mom's SUV so we can have room for all the bags and us," Sadie said, opening the back of her mom's vehicle. 

"Nice..." Cole smiled, walking over to the SUV and putting his bag in the back. He turned and took a drink of his cold brew. 

Austin put our bags in the back of the SUV, then told Logan we'd see them at the cabin later. Logan asked if he needed directions to the cabin again. Austin told him he got them from Sadie earlier. "Sophie's waiting. Let's go pick her up." Austin smiled, walking back to the truck. He opened my door and helped me climb up. I closed the door while he walked around and got in the driver's seat. "I can't wait for tonight." He smiled, starting the truck. 

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Forty-five minutes into the drive, Sophie and I started talking about what we would get at the store for dinner and snacks for later tonight and tomorrow. Austin suggested we go back to the restaurant that had the great milkshake and burger. The second he mentioned the restaurant, the image of my father peering in through the big picture window entered my mind. I turned my head toward the passenger window so they wouldn't be able to see the troubled look on my face. I sat there for a few minutes, gazing out the window, trying to get the image out of my mind. I could tell we were close to the cabin because there was a house every four to five miles down the road. They weren't right on top of each other like in town. My breathing quickened when I realized how close we were to the cabin. I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths in and out, trying to convince myself that Dad wasn't going to be there. 

"Rylee, what are you going to order at the restaurant?" 

"Huh?" I snapped out of my trance. 

"Sophie asked what you're going to order at the restaurant." Austin leaned toward the steering wheel, trying to look me in the eye. 

"Probably a cheeseburger and milkshake." I glanced back at Sophie, who was looking down at her phone. I looked out the windshield and saw that Austin had turned down the long driveway leading back to the cabin. Off in the distance, I could see Jennifer's SUV parked in front of the cabin. Austin pulled in front of the garage, turned off the truck, and opened his door. I sat there with my eyes glued on the cabin, unable to move, my heart racing as if I'd just got done running down the driveway. 

"Rylee..." Austin reached over and took my hand. "He's not in there." 

"Huh?" I mumbled, not taking my eyes off the forest-green door. 

"Let's go find everyone." He let go of my hand and got out of the truck. He was at my door within a few minutes. He opened my door. "C'mon, Babe." 

"Yeah, Rylee. I want to see the inside of it." Sophie opened her door and took off toward the cabin without waiting for us. 

I took Austin's hand, got out of the truck, then turned around and grabbed my purse off the floorboard before he closed the door. I held Austin's hand as we walked toward the green door. We were a few feet from it when Logan flung the door open, yelling it was about time we got there because he was starving. Austin asked if he needed to get our bags out of the back of the vehicle. Logan told him he took ours to the first bedroom with the fireplace. I asked Sadie if she wanted that room, and she said no because it was her parent's room. My eyes widened. "I can't sleep in there." 

"Uh...Rylee, We already slept in that room." Austin laughed. 

"I didn't know them then, and nothing happened. I can't sleep in there now." I shook my head no. 

"I'll take it!" Sophie grabbed her bag and ran up the stairs.

"Guess that solves that problem." Cole laughed, looking toward the stairs. 

Austin and I glanced at each other, then headed up the stairs to get our bags and move to the other bedroom. Sophie was in the bathroom putting her things on the sink counter. I asked if she was going to be all right in here. She peeked out and asked again if we wanted to keep the room. I told her she could stay in here. She went back to unpacking her makeup and skincare. I told her we would go find our room and that we'd probably be leaving soon to get something to eat. Austin grabbed both bags off the bed and walked out of the room. He headed down the hall. He looked into the next room and saw Logan and Sadie's bags on the bed. He walked to the end of the hall to the last bedroom on the left. He dropped his bag onto the floor, opened the door, picked his bag up, and walked into the bedroom. 

"I think we got the second nicest room." He placed the bags on the wooden floor at the foot of the queen-sized bed. "I've been waiting all day to do this." He grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him. Before I could say anything, his soft lips were on mine, his tongue teasing and playing. "That's a preview of later tonight." He smiled, then kissed my neck. 

"Oh...really." 

"Really." He raised his eyebrow, smirking.