Finding Love in Florida

Chapter 7

Kelsey's POV

It took me a while to realize what was happening. I felt Austin's lips on mine, but my mind was still processing it. I guess my lips knew what to do before my mind did because I soon I closed my eyes and started kissing Austin back. After a couple of seconds Austin broke the kiss, but kept his face close to mine. I my mind was still trying to process everything and I was lost for words. I never expected him to do that. I open my eyes when I feel Austin's thumb start to caress my cheek.

He's just staring at me. I think he's expecting me to say something, but I don't know what to say. I look down at my hands that are now free of Austin grip. I let out a little laugh, "What was that for?" I breathe out feeling his gaze on me dropping his hand from my face before he speaks. "Kelsey, I-I think that you are an amazing person. And I know we only met today, but within that short period of time you did something to me. I don't know if it was before you got hit in the head by that football or when we were walking on the beach, but I have grown to like you, like really really like you." 

I look up at Austin and see his face is in complete shock, probably because of what he just said. His eye held many emotions; sincere, hope, and affection all at once. I've never experienced someone looking at me like that before, but I guess there was a first time for everything. I realized I hadn't said anything after Austin's confession. 

"Oh. Au-Austin, I....I don't...ummm, I really don't know how to put this. It's really sweet and nice of you to tell me this, but we can't...we can't be that. It's just not possible. I'm sorry." I got off the swinging patio chair and started walking inside of my aunt's house. I heard footsteps behind me as I opened the glass door. "Why not? Why can't we be in a relationship? I don't see any issues?" Austin spoke confidently. I turned around to look at him as he closed the glass door, entering the house with me.

"You know why." I say, unexpectedly raising my voice a little. "You are Austin Mahone. The famous pop star that millions of girls scream or faint over every time you smile. You travel around the world and are pretty much the sweetest guy the music industry has ever seen. I'm just a college student, from New Jersey might I add, who doesn't have the slightest clue as to how on earth I'm going to get a job let alone pay my loans. I live in a tiny house, in a small town and the only thing I'm known for in my town is for my accomplishments on our high school bowling team." 

"Kelsey, I don't care about all of that. So you're not an actress, singer, or model. Who cares? There's nothing in my job description that says I have to date someone in the industry. I can date whoever I want and right now I want to date you." I shake my head vigorously, getting choked up, "No..no we can't. It's impossible with the distance and schedules. It's not going to work." Austin takes a couple steps closer, reaching his arms out so both of his hands are on each of my arms. He tries to look in my eyes, but I just stare down at our feet. "Yes it will Kelsey. The distance is not as big of an issue as you think. We can make time with our schedules if we are both willing to try and work at the relationship. There's FaceTime, phone calls and texting. We can make it work."

"No, no it can't, it won't. I know how all of this goes down. You tell me that you'll come and see me then the next time I'm free I say I will come and visit you then after a couple of months of traveling back and forth you'll tell me that you have to go on some world tour and will be gone for months on end, which will leave no other option, but for us to break up." I break out of his hold. I hadn't even realized I started crying. "And when we break up, you'll go on that tour without a care in the world of how I'm doing, having a great time while I lie in my bed crying my eyes out because you hurt me and I will be damned if I let myself go through any of that."

Austin looks at me. His eyes expressing hurt and disbelief. "You honestly think I would hurt you? That we would break up and I would not have one single care in the world about you? You don't know me that well Kelsey. I would care every second of every day. I would come and visit you whether you were at home or at school, I would always worry about you when we are apart and if their was ever a time where I had to go on a world tour I would see if you could come or fight for us to stay together before breaking up." He seems angry, but not the scary kind of angry.