One look, dark room Meant just for you Time moved too fast You play it back Buttons on a coat Light-hearted joke No proof, not much But you saw enough
'Cause you can hear in the silence You can feel it on the way home You can see it with the lights out You are in love, true love You are in love
-Taylor Swift, You Are In Love
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Augustine had crushed on James for years. When she'd first come to the school in Year 9, she'd seen a handsome blond boy from across the room and fell instantly and deep in love. He'd always been just out of reach, especially when he'd acquired a girlfriend in the New Year, but apparently... they'd broken up? So you couldn't blame Augustine for taking a chance and swooping in.
"James..." Augustine exhaled, trailing her finger along his bare back, wishing she could write her name on it. They were in her backyard in the hot sun, sitting on a rickety old love seat and in the process of... falling in love?
"Yeah?" James asked sleepily.
"Nothing. I just wanted to say your name." She replied, tasting the sweet satisfaction that came from the line. She'd been planning that for ages.
Memory of the night before flashed in her eyes, of pulling up beside him in her car, of them kissing, of them waking up twisted in bedsheets, of a contraband half-empty bottle of wine sitting on her bedside table.
Butterflies erupted in her stomach, like they'd been doing non-stop for the past day, and once again she was extremely thankful that her parents were away on a month-long business trip.
Ring ring ring. The pair jumped as the unmistakable ring of a mobile phone blasted through the air, and James felt for his cell phone in his pocket, took one look at the screen, and declined the call.
"Who was that?" Augustine asked curiously, not liking the feeling sweeping through her stomach. But she was being stupid. This was a simple hook-up, not dating. James had the right to his own privacy... as did she.
Please don't find out please don't find out please don't find out please don't find out, Augustine chanted in her mind. Why hadn't she broken up with him before? Stupid stupid stupid. Was she cheating? Did it count if she didn't even like the person she was seeing?
"Pardon?" James asked, and Augustine realised she was accidentally whispering under her breath, and that she hadn't listened at all to his answer to her question.
"Nothing." Augustine replied, and sunk back into her dreamscape of worry.
*****
Moments later, Augustine was startled awake from her temporary minute-long nap by a deep but familiar voice talking, slightly muffled as if he was talking on the phone.
"Hey, Betty!" The voice said, and Augustine realised that the voice talking was James. James, at her house, lying with her. A wave of love and dreaminess swept over her once again, and she asked sleepily,
"Who are you talking to? Did you just say Betty?" Augustine didn't really believe her ears - James wouldn't talk to his ex so soon into the break up, would he?
"No. No, Sorry. Just a sec." James replied, and soon after said into the phone, "Pardon? What'd you say?"
The tiny phone speaker crackled and James said, "No. Why would I be mad at you?" Pause. "No, nothing. Just... with my mate. He needed my help, that's all." Another pause. "'Course. 1 o'clock, my place, yeah?" One more pause, and then he put down the phone and turned his attention to Augustine.
"Sorry, that was Be... Bethany. My... sister." He said in apology.
James had a sister?
"You have a sister? And you were mad at her? And when were you with your... mate? And do you have to go now?" Augustine asked, voicing all her worried thoughts aloud.
The look James sent her wasn't concerned or judgemental, like Augustine would have sent herself if she could, but... nervous?
"Yeah, I do. But she's a lot older. And, no, I wasn't mad at her - I was kinda nervous before the school dance and maybe iced her out a little bit. Then she asked me where I was that day and, well, I just told her the truth. I was with my mate. Then she asked me to come over and... apologise in person. Sorry. I'll stay for a bit longer, but I will have to leave soon."
Everything that he said made sense. It all added up, yet... no. Augustine had to focus on one thing, and it was that she was in love. And with James, not with... him.
*****
It was 3 o'clock, and James still hadn't left. Not that Augustine was complaining, but she did feel a bit of worry that his sister would get mad at him. But how could anybody get mad at him? James was perfect...
"Augustine?" James asked, interrupting her fantasy. "Augustine? Can I stay over one more night? I'd love to get to know... more of you." A flirtatious grin spread over his face and Augustine laughed coyly, wanting so, so badly to say yes, to spend the rest of her life with him. But...
"James, my heart is saying absolutely 110% yes, but..." she began, but James stopped her with a deep kiss.
"Then say it." he urged her, fiddling with her shirt and slowly unbuttoning it. Augustine tried to stop him, but she wanted him so badly that she couldn't make herself do it.
"Your sister..." She tried one more time, but when James swept her into bed and finished taking off her shirt, she gave into him and guided his own shirt off, feeling her body melt into his muscular and powerful body.
They spent hours like that, lying next to each other, and Augustine felt herself falling. Hard. Butterflies exploded once again, and this time she knew what it was. She was in love.
And she truly believed that James was too, living for the hope of it all with her.
