Falling Slowly

Pt.3|Ch.15

Sunday

•••••Austyn's Perspective

I'd packed everything up the night before, leaving me with little else to do than try to keep my emotions in check.

I came out of Aiden and I's room once to get a water bottle from the fridge.

Not feeling much like eating anything, I assumed it would be a quick trip.

It was as fast as I'd anticipated, but I definitely did not expect to run into Ben, quite literally, on my way out of the kitchen.

We'd been heading in the same direction, and neither one of us had noticed until we'd collided, pinning me up against his chest and knocking the water bottle out of my hand.

"Sorry," I moved to pick it up, but he stooped down and retrieved it before I could.

"It's fine." He said, handing it to me.

I glanced up at him, catching sight of a bruise adjacent to his ear. "What happened to your jaw?"

"Nothing."

Though I could tell that he was lying, I let it slide, just this once.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked quietly.

I shook my head, pushing a few loose strands of my hair behind my ear. "I'm not hungry."

He nodded. "Okay, but remember to eat something before you go."

I looked up at him, and my heart broke.

His bright blue eyes weren't full of anger like they'd been the other day. Instead, they were filled with nothing but love.

He still loved me, even after what I'd done and what I was doing.

I wanted to drop it all then. To let it all go.

But I didn't.

"I will." I said.

He bit his lip. "Promise?"

I nodded. "I promise."

Managing to put up the smallest, most forced smile I'd ever seen, he stepped out of my path and let me walk past him.

The rest of the day flew by faster than I could comprehend; it seemed as though I'd blinked, and then it was gone.

I did have enough time to dash off an email to Mr. Calhoun, explaining the details of my absence for the next few days, and send it an hour and a half before that night's show.

Voices could be heard from across the hall, where the boys were finishing getting ready to leave for the theater.

They seemed to be arguing, probably about something completely irrelevant, but it kept them busy.

Too busy to hear the knock at the front door.

I dragged my suitcase through the living room to the front hall and opened the door.

My dad's expression was borderline cheerful as he took my suitcase from me. "Are you ready? We're running a little late."

"Um," I glanced back at the boys' room, just in time to see a pillow fly through the doorframe and hit the wall, followed by indignant shouts claiming foul-play and Aiden telling everyone to shut up. "Could I go say goodbye first?"

"We're already behind." He said, wincing with regret.

I bit my tongue, playing with the sleeve of my jacket.

"Austyn," my dad placed his hand on my arm. "I'm sorry, we have to go."

So I tore my eyes away from the room and the thrown pillow, and stepped out of the house, closing the door behind me.