If Only

Chapter 34

Austin's POV

"We aren't as different as you think." I can't start laughing which judging from the look on Garrett's face my laughing starts pissing him off. "I am sorry about laughing Garrett,but you and I are like the opposite sides of the equator." Garrett just shakes his head as he takes another drink from his cup, "I can tell by the look on your face that you are just dying to tell me the difference between us, go ahead." I take a deep breath as a big smile comes across Garrett's lips. "I am unselfish while you are impulsive, empathetic where you are sarcastic, studious when you party every night, well-behaved unlike the serious angry problem you seem to have, and that just a few differences." Garrett nods his head, "Alright, my turn to analyze you." I just shrug mu shoulders but on the inside, I knew that I wasn't ready to hear this.

"You let people walk all over you, purely innocent,you are the shyest person I have ever met, sensitive, naive to the real world around you, you must stick to this ridiculous routine everyday rather you have class or not, I don't have to tell you that you care way too much about what people think of you, and extremely soft spoken." I sit there speechless that just how much Garrett had to say about me. "We have some things in common, we are both bright people, we are ambitious, and we are fiercely protective about the people that are close to us." I agree with him at those points but I am finding difficult getting past the large list of my faults. "As much fun as this has been I think it is time for to get going." I stand up and starts heading for the door but Garrett's voice stops me before I can walk completely out of the room. "I wanted to ask you something." I try to fight the feelings that are rising in me and leave but I give in into the feelings and turn around. "What did you want ask me?" Garrett lays his head back and looks up at the ceiling, "I wondered if you would stay the night with me."

I am sure that my face showed less shock then I was feelings. "Why would you want me to stay here with you?" I ask walking over to him and sitting down in the chair. "Because I don't think none of guys but Hunter would be willing stay and no offense to Hunter but I don't need my campus father hounding me all nightlong." I incline my head smirking at me, "I know how you feel, Jonathan is the same way with me, he is basically my campus big brother, he is very protective of me and will screen anyone that I seem interested in just to make sure they won't hurt me." Garrett laughs but I can tell that laughing sort of hurts him. "Does that mean you are willing to stay with me tonight?" I think about for a moment before answering him. "I don't have any plans tomorrow, and it would be nice not to have to worry about Katie and Jonathan for one night." Garrett grins at me as I relax in the chair.

"I thought since it seems like it is going to be a long night that we could tonight as a tutoring session." I nod my head as Garrett points over to bag telling me that the book in there. "Do you want to talk about why you thought it was a good idea to try to drink yourself to death?" I ask walking over to his bag and opening it. "After the incident with Logan and getting chewed out by Chancellor Montgomery I found myself falling into bad habits, it is my way of dealing with the world when my brain goes into overload mode." I grab the book out of the bag and turn around him. "I can understand that more than you think, when I was dealing with bullies I found myself doing some self-destructing things." I sit down back down with the book in my hand. "See I was right, we understand each other more than anyone else we know." I seem to argue that but being this close to Garrett makes those feelings get stronger and harder to ignore.

"Why does the name Dallas get to you?" Garrett whips his head to me as his eyes go dark almost black like. "You don't know this but this is only warning that you are going to get, never mention that name around me unless you want to see me come completely unglued." Garrett growls through gritted teeth and I just nod my head and open the book. "I am sorry of upsetting you, it just seemed odd tome that something as simple as a name would set someone off like that." Garrett's body slowly moves up and down as he closes his eyes trying to get his tempter back under control. "Can we please just get on with the tutoring?" He opens his eyes and look at me and I am happy to see his eyes are back to their normal intense grey. "Did you ready any of the book since the last time?" Garrett looks at me raising one of his eyebrows at me reminding of who I was talking to.

"You really haven't read any of this book since our last session?" He just smiles as he shrugs his shoulders like it is nothing serious. "Garrett, you are never going to get this assignment done if you just wait for English class or a tutoring session." Garrett rolls his eyes and he places his arm behind his head relaxing. "I will try to read it more, but I do a lot during the day and sometimes I don't the free time to sit down and read." It is my turn to roll my eyes. "Just try a little bit harder please." I open the book as I start trying to catch Garrett up on what he missed.