Bridge Jump (rewrite)

Chapter Fifteen: Hurt Feelin's

Lindsey smiled to herself as she whipped down the counter of the kitchen. She had gotten better at the home chores thing. She glanced at the clock on the wall the time reading 3:30 pm. She sighed drying off her hands fully, before going and slipping on some shoes. She walked out closing and locking the door behind her. She walked briskly towards Dahlia's school. She smiled and waved at some of the neighbors as they greeted her. She had decided she liked it out here. The community was nice, regardless of your 'story'. They looked out for each other, She sighed as she saw the school on the corner of her fifteen-minute walk. Dahlia was already standing outside the school's gates, gripping her backpack to her stomach. Dahlia frowned, looking both ways before jogging across the road to Austin's sister. "What's wrong?" she asked Dahlia, slightly scaring her.

"Nothing, I just asked to leave early, I'm not feeling too good," Dahlia spoke quietly, tears still rolling down her face. Lindsey squinted her eyes, lifting Dahlia's face getting a good look at the raised, puffy scratches on her face. Her eyes widened in shock before asking Dahlia, "Did you get into a fight?"

Dahlia shook her head, her bottom lip trembling, she harshly rubbed at her eyes. "No, some girls found out I'm pregnant and approached me in the bathroom and pushed me around a bit." Lindsey looked at the young girl before her. She sighed pulling her into a tight hug. Dahlia happily hugged her back equally as tight, letting go and crying it out. She didn't even care that the whole school was about to be released to see her crying into the arms of the girl covering every tabloid, labeled as M.I.A. Lindsey gave her a final squeeze before pulling back and saying, "Let's head back to the house, we'll have some ice cream and girl talk."

After Lindsey finished the making the Hot Cocoa, she carefully poured it into the mugs and carried them upstairs. She pushed the door open with her butt, humming a little tune. She smiled at Dahlia laying in bed flipping through the same few channels. Dahlia smiled happily accepting the hot chocolate and sitting up properly in bed, her baby bump more obvious in the tank top she was wearing. Lindsey settled on the bed across from her, smiling widely as she pulled a bag she had also carried into the room, it was her skin care stuff. They spent a good amount of time pasting on mud masks and doing each other's hair. "So, you and my brother?" Dahlia asked.

Lindsey bit her lip, giggling slightly. She and Austin had shared many more kisses since that night, many more touches in the privacy of his room, and more late night talking.  She should feel her face grown warm, "Yeah, What about it?"

Dahlia gave her a pointed look before Lindsey sighed fixing how she was sitting on the bed and replied, "okay, so there might have been a kiss, and a confess of possible feelings." Dahlia squealed loudly in response.

"Oh my god!" she basically screamed, "Are you guys dating? That'd be so cute!"

Lindsey laughed as Dahlia went on about how she thought Lindsey and Austin would make the perfect couple. After Dahlia settled down, Lindsey lied down looking up at her and asked, "So what about you? What's new in your life?"

Dahlia shrugged her shoulders sighing deeply before muttering, "I'm going to be moving soon, with the guy that got me pregnant. I'm a little nervous...you know...I'm moving in with him and his family...it's weird."

"When?" Lindsey asked sitting up, resting on her forearms. Her eyebrows knitted together. Dahlia sighed, placing her cup down. "Sometime today, Austin knows." 

Lindsey nodded taking it in, she took a deep breath rubbing her arm before asking, "So, I mean where are you moving?"

"The Manhattan area I think, I don't know, I'm moving in with the Senator."

            Dahlia was passed out on her bed asleep, Lindsey and Austin packing up the essentials. Lindsey didn't know whether to address the elephant in the room, she sighed placing another pair of underwear in the duffle bag for Dahlia. When she turned to Austin, she noticed him wipe a hand across his face. She found herself walking over to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder. She didn't expect him to pull her into a tight hug. She could feel him shake from his silent tears. He was so quiet she almost didn't hear him mutter, "I don't want to send her off, but it's for the best." Lindsey hugged him tighter, after a few minutes they pulled apart and began packing again. An hour or so after they finished there was a knock on the door. Lindsey glanced over at Austin, chewing on my lip.

"They can't see me here," Lindsey said pulling on his hand as he started his way to the door. Austin looked back at her quizzically, his brows knit together. She sighed further explaining, "You already know this, it's my father...I don't want his people to see me here."

Lindsey could've sworn he looked hurt before he just shook her off saying 'whatever' and continuing his route to the door. She walked upstairs going into Dahlia's room softly shaking her awake. Lindsey smiled down at the young lady, her eyes brimming with tears. She only prayed her brother looked out for Dahlia. She helped pick up dahlia's things, bumping into Austin right outside the doorway. He took hold of the bags, pulling them out of Lindsey's hands muttering, "Wouldn't want you to have to show your face in such a shithole."

She knew she had hurt his feelings. She felt so bad about it, slowly she walked to the room that she had shared with Austin. She pulled open the closet that she had emptied to make room for her clothes and things, even found a way to set up a vanity desk for her. Now she truly felt shitty, she sighed. She sat on the bed burying her face in her hands. Minutes later Austin walked into the room the sound of the door lightly hitting the wall drawing her attention. She looked up at him, wiping away her silent tears. She watched as Austin pulled his usual hoodie over his hand, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from a pair of pants on the floor and his usual things -his lighter, car keys, and wallet. She stood from the bed, watching as he ruffled through his things looking for something. "Where are you going?" she asked, picking at her nails. "out" is his only reply. He then noticed his phone in his hand and stopped his searching and finished pulling on his jumper before pushing everything into his pockets.

"Austin, please tell me where you're going." Lindsey continued, following him out the room grabbing a hold of the back of his jacket like that of a child trying to keep up.

"I'm going to drink and get laid and hopefully find someone who is fucking embarrassed to be seen with me." Austin harshly replied slightly nudging her off and finishing with, "or they're too fucking drunk to give a damn."

With that Lindsey was left alone in a house that suddenly felt a whole lot bigger. His words echoed off the walls, constantly replying in her head.