Abused {ACM}

Chapter 6

"Do you regret kissing me?"

I thought about it. As weird as it was, kissing your best friend, I had enjoyed it. More than enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind having more. I wouldn't mind Austin being my boyfriend.

From best friend to boyfriend.

I shook my head and smiled slightly.

"No."

He grinned.

"I don't either."

And with that, he cupped my cheek with his hand and pressed our lips together once again.

Abby's POV

After we kissed for a bit, I pulled back, our cheeks rosy, our lips bruised. My heart was beating a gazillion miles an hour, my body was pulsing with it.

But I was exhausted, so I closed my eyes and yawned. He pulled me down in a laying position and laid my head in his lap. I curled my body up and went into that half-awake hale-dream state where you could still hear things, but you didn't really comprehend them.

His hand was repetitively stroking my hair, twirling the ends around his fingers. His hand soothed me, making my breathing even. I focused on his gentle touch, and the slow sound of my heartbeat. He was texting someone on his phone, while trying to read a book at the same time.

"Hey man," I felt Austin's body move a bit as he and Alex did their little handshake. "What's up with Abs? Why's she sleeping?"

"She's exhausted, for some reason," Austin said, still stroking my hair. I heard him put his phone in his pocket, and his book into his backpack.

"Your lips look kinda puffy, man. Did you put on Robert's lip-plumping butter again?" Alex guffawed. I knew if my eyes were open, Austin would've blushed a bit. I was getting more awake by the minute, focusing on their conversation. I smiled a bit at the memory.

The incident with the lip-plumping butter...let's just say Austin didn't show his face for about a week, which resulted in me and Alex getting worried about him, checking up on him, and then screaming because his lips were about twice their size.

"I thought it was chapstick!" He had protested, but not to be heard, because Alex and I were peeing ourselves on his front porch.

Even though he would deny it later, because 'No one will know of this incident, you hear me?'

"Umm...no. I was kissing...someone."

I blushed at that.

"Who! Why did I not get a notification?" Alex plopped down on the other side of Austin.

"I don't know if she...wants to make it official yet. Plus, it was like, twenty minutes ago." Austin mumbled awkwardly.

"Just tell him." I grumbled, sitting up. My hair was all over my face, eyes puffy.

"Hey, Abs!" Alex chirped.

"Hi Alex." I did a mini-wave to him, and Austin brushed the hair out of my face.

"Abby and I kissed." Austin spurted out, his hand still behind my ear, tucking my hair behind it for me. I blushed and looked down at the ground, Austin bit his lip and looked at me, and Alex did a double-take and stared at us, eyes huge.

"Well, it's about time!" Hannah said, coming up and smiling, her arms linked through Zoey and Macy's. Robert and Zach were on either side of the three girls, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yea, the sexual tension was killing me." Zach huffed, plopping down on the other side of me, tossing his backpack into the little pile.

"There was no 'sexual tension'!" I exclaimed. He just shrugged, snickering.

"There is none!" I looked at Austin, and our expressions mirrored each others'. Flustered, our cheeks pink, eyebrows pulled together. "Right?"

"Right." He agreed. Then, simultaneously, we stuck our tongues out at our friends. They rolled their eyes and laughed.

"So are you two dating now?" Robert asked.

We looked at each other.

"Dunno, we just kissed like, twenty minutes ago." I said. Did he want to date me? Did he want to be my boyfriend? Who would want to date a girl whose father would probably kill him once he found out about their relationship?

I sighed, biting my lip, thinking about all of the things my father would say about this. Austin took my hand, knowing exactly what I was thinking.

He sent me a look, saying, 'Tell them now.'

I looked up, eyes wide. Our friends stared back at us, confused.

I shook my head harshly.

"No!"

"Either you tell them, or I will." Austin threatened.

"Austin!" I pleaded with him through my eyes, squeezing his hand. My hand was shaking, nervous at the thought of spilling the secret.

"They have to know sooner or later, Abby. Let's just get it over with." He sighed.

"You're pregnant?" Zoey exclaimed, looking at my stomach.

Zach looked at each other, then back at Zoey, then back to each other.

And then burst out into fits of laughter.

"No!" I cackled. "That's not it. It's...it's much worse."

My frown was back again, laughter gone.

"Go on." Austin nudged me, pulling me closer.

I shook my head.

"Want me to say it, and you show them?" His tone was gentle, alluring, sweet. I just wanted to lay back down on his lap and fall asleep to his voice.

I didn't move. He took that as a yes.

"Well." Austin cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing down at me. I was glaring at the floor, tugging at the sleeves of my cardigan.

"I... Abby's dad..."

"My dad hits me." I blurted out. Then I smacked my hand over my mouth, eyes wide. Tears were forming in my eyes at my friends' expressions, and I looked down again.