Intimacy | ✔️ {Wattys 2017}

Hunter Green

My gown brushes against my fingers, the material feeling itchy around my neck as my name is called. I do the rehearsal walk, doing a quick little walk out of the isle of the row of chairs and back into my seat. Four hundred students and I just have to make it through seventy more until we are through here. In two days I will put on my cords and pins for my gown to be decorated in, my cap decorated with my graduation year, and a lump in my throat. I watch as Augustus walks, doing the rehearsal as I see Molly waving at him. High school sweethearts. Barely anyone knows the drama.

In another ten minutes I'm free from the auditorium, grabbing a drink of the way back home as I need my caffeine. With the radio station Flynn set yesterday still on, I start my drive home, taking a sip of the cold coffee in my hands. My phone rings, my eyes rolling as I set down my coffee and answer the call. "Hello?"

"You never answered me last night."

Augustus is on the line. It's true, I never replied to his invite for dinner last night. After all, Flynn was sitting at my table, chatting up a storm with my parents, laughter occurring, chats of the future, and making me forget that Augustus was in love with someone else.

"I was busy," I respond, pulling into my driveway as my parents are not home yet. "I didn't have the chance to text you back."

Heading into the house, I await Augustus's next words. "How about we meet up for dinner tonight? The diner, in an hour?" The diner is where we would spend hours and hours of our lives talking about school, people, and just life in general. The diner was our place, a place where I opened up to Augustus, where we took me in the first few weeks of our friendship. It was our place...until he took Molly there and made it their place. "You still there, Amory?"

"Yah, I'm still here," I reply, leaning my head against the front door. "Could we eat somewhere else?" I know he's confused now, he's wondering what's wrong. It used to be that I would jump on the idea, not ask for another location like I just have. "I just ate their the other night." It's true, somewhat, as I ate there with my mother the other night.

"Okay, how about I pick up and we'll decide from there?" Augustus suggests, background music playing as I assume he's in his car. Why does he keep pushing for this? No, I'm not mad, but I'm hesitant. Hesitating because he's in a relationship and I knew he's beginning to see me as more than a friend. I don't want to be the girl that interrupts a relationship and only causes drama, but he's my mate. Is it even wise to go and grab dinner with him now? Sure, before all of this mess I would of thought nothing more of it than best friends grabbing a meal, but now it's different. Different because we are mates and he has a girlfriend. A girlfriend that could give him a normal life. "You still there, Amory?"

"Yah, yah I'm still here," I state, scratching the back of my head. Opening the house, I place my items upon the living room couch, going back to giving Augustus a response. "I'll be ready in an hour."

"See you then," Augustus responds, hearing me end the call as I place my phone down. For the next ten minutes I stand by the kitchen table, looking outside as cars pass bye. This is not all a good idea, the idea of heading out for a dinner with Augustus while he has shown signs of something more than a best friend to me. Don't get me wrong, I am overjoyed, but it causes drama. By risking a relationship between Molly and Augustus, I am only causing drama, but I want him. I need him.

He is my mate and there's nothing in heaven or hell that could alter that decision of fate. Augustus is mine, at least he should be mine, not hers. He should be mine and not that female's who has him. Has him on a loose leash because now, Augustus has had a faint feel of what the mate bond can do to a person. Augustus has had a taste of the drug called a mate bond and he will never be able to push it behind him.