Dial Drunk - Post Malone

14

It's quiet on the ranch and it feels like they are a million miles away from the world. Just the two of them as they saunter through the endless fields on the back of this horse. He remembers feeling high every time he had the opportunity to curl up on a couch in the studio for days with Levi sitting so close to him, but having her pressed up against him with his arms around her is like no high he has ever felt before. Her hands are still on his and she has slipped her fingers through his, an accident he is sure. As they come to the peak of a hill she lifts one hand and points to a river carving its way through the valley below so he steers the horse down to it then hops off and helps her down. She giggles when her feet hit the ground and her legs wobble a little. "Careful," he says grabbing her and steadying her.

"Sea legs," she signs and giggles again, looking up at him. "Horse legs," Austin says holding onto her hips to keep her steady. She rolls her eyes and scrunches her nose. "You don't like my punny jokes?" he asks grinning at her. She rolls her eyes again as she tries to hide her smile. "You are cheezy," she signs. "Yeah, but you love it," he whispers. They seem to lean into each other and remain stuck together for a moment before Levi pulls away from him. "I want to dip my feet in the river," she signs then turns and walks to the river. He watches her lean on a tree as she takes off her socks and trainers then rolls up her jeans. She looks over at him and waives him closer then steps to the edge of the river, sitting down and dipping her feet in.

Austin takes his boots off too and then sits down next to her and hisses as he dips his feet into the icy river. When he looks at her she is already looking at him with a grin. "You love it out here," he signs. "I do, the countryside is amazing. I would love to live in a place like this any day over LA," she signs back.

"Me too. But, not Texas. Too many memories."

"Where then?"

Austin bites his bottom lip as he thinks of the places his father had taken him to on a cattle run or just a trip. They were always to the country, his father hated the city - a cowboy to the bone that man is. He remembers one place, one trip that his father took him on. It had stolen his heart even as just a ten-year-old kid. He does not know why but he had felt a connection to the land. It had felt like home.

"Utah."

"Utah?"

"Feels like home. I don't know why."

"You should move to Utah."

"I would but my work is in LA," he signs. She looks at him as if she is sizing him up then takes his hand and holds it gently in hers, inspecting it. They are shaking and he feels self-conscious so he pulls it back and shoves it in his jacket pocket. "Your hands shake more now than they used to," Levi signs, looking at him with a raised brow. She noticed his hands shaking while they were writing the album? He thought he hid that well. Maybe not. He needs to steer this conversation in a different direction.

"How is Travis? I am sure he is looking forward to you getting back to LA," Austin says, still hiding his hands in his jacket pockets. He is thankful she can lipread. Levi's brow drops and she frowns then blows out an angry breath. "We broke up. He was not happy about me taking the job with Colter," she signs.

"I don't blame the guy. Any guy would grow insecure at the thought of his girlfriend shacked up with Colter Wall for four months."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. I am just talking shit."

"Travis did not support my career. When I told him I got a job with Colter he lost his shit. He told me to turn it down because he needs me in LA."

"For what?"

"Fluff his pillows. I don't know. He just wanted me at his beck and call. I realised I could only follow my dreams as long as they did not infringe on what he wanted."