What If Our Life Threads Bind?

Chapter 53

"Woah, so love really is a sin, isn't it?" Austin says with astonishment written on his face. I look at him, still grinning and gave him a nod.

"Of course, it is. At least, for me it is."

"Oh." He laughs. "I didn't know. I was just taking a wild guess." He says and I arch an eyebrow at him, mentally face palming myself at the thought that I literally just flat out told him that I loved him. He shook his head, grinning and looked at me.

"No. Not the 'you loving me' part. That was obvious." He says and I roll my eyes as relief sucks out the tension from my body. I blush. He still knows! "I meant that I took a wild guess about the part of 'love being a sin'. I mean its not just with you. It is a sin for everyone and pretty...literal, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." I grin back at him, a frown finding its way on my temples. "Everyone in love is pretty much unhappy, one way or another."

"It isn't even a sin. It is a drug. A guilty pleasure. You can't help risking yourself for it." He says and I bite my lip in amusement.

"Touche."

"So..." He looks at me and wiggles his eyebrows in a playful manner.

"What?"

"You love me?" He grins.

"Alright, I am not going to answer that. As if you don't know?" I say and look away, trying to hide away the blush. I see him shaking his head from the peripheral vision of my eye.

"Why can you not say you love me?"

"Austin..." I whine. I want to run away. This is getting way too awkward.

"You're avoiding it like it is Voldermort's name!" He says and I giggle. "Okay, okay. Say, you you-know-what me." He says and I laugh mutely with my shoulders shaking.

"Say it!" He laughs with me and I shake my head.

"Puh lease!" He nudges me and I slap his arm. He pouts and then laughs way too hard at my reaction. "You are going to be the death of me, Martha!" He says and I slap his arm harder this time.

"Don't ever say that!" I tell him solemnly.

"But you will be. One day when I'll be lying on my bed with you, when my hair would grow grey, I'd turn around to see you and your eye colors would change, and you would-"

"Stop!" I place my palm on his lips and he kisses it. I quickly jerk away, flushing under his touch. "I'd rather have your lips make me stop talking." He grinned and my face felt red.

"Austin! " I whine and start to walk away but stumbled back with a jolt of pain raging through my ankle. I hiss when Austin points it out to me. Slowly he pulls me back to ground and in his lap. I flush.

"I can die for you and I don't regret falling in love with you. It is not a sin for me." He says, leaning on me and I struggle out of his grip, panic running through me. He tightens his grip around my waist and lean forward enough that our noses were almost touching. "And if this is a sin for them, even you, I'd gladly put myself through any punishment you give me."

"Oh my God, Austin. I won't ever punish you." I whisper and then he grins.

"I mean, I don't mind even if you did...I do have a few suggestions in mind." He says, biting his lip to stifle a smile.

"Austin!" I shove him lightly and he laughs heartily, his eyes closed and dimples emerging.

"I love it when you blush." He smiles and I blush a shade deeper. After a moment, a heavy silence surrounds us. I incline my head so as to say, say-what-you-have-in-mind.

"If I had killed you, what would have happened to the people who were supposed to die? You cut their life threads and with you not being around for them, what would have happened to them?"

"I don't know. I may have reincarnated, I guess? At least that is what I have seen in movies." I laugh. I don't know how I am taking this so easily. The question really is thought provoking and here I am laughing on the face of it. He smiles a little and looks somewhere distantly.

"We are in trouble." He says suddenly and I almost laugh at him.

"No shit."

"Do you think they'd come back? Your lovely cousins who almost killed you?" He said trying to sound pleasant and I nod at him.

"The one time I fall in love with someone and everyone tries to kill me and her for that." He sighs and I smile sympathetically at him. It is all my fault. I almost said sorry to him but he shook his head and kissed my forehead, earning a smile from me too.

"Yes?" He says, coaxing me to say what I was smiling at.

"I like it when you kiss me here." I say shyly, putting my finger on my temples.

He leans forward again and I shiver. His eyes darken as he says, "Wait till I kiss you here." and puts his finger on my lips, parting them. I suck in a breath as his finger runs through my lower lip, pulling my chin closer to his mouth.

The door bell suddenly rings and both of our heads jerk away towards the door, alarmingly. "I swear to God-" He clenches his fist as I slowly get up and stumble my way across the door.

"Robbie?" Austin voiced my mind.

"Oh hello, Martha." He says warmly. "You're still here." He grins back at me and Austin. I blush.

"Hi." I murmur softly. A pinch of disappointment washing over me as my hand absentmindedly touches my lips. I was so close to him.

He pushes past me and inside the hall and walks over to a different room that I had thought was the store room. So if I had the chance to stay in a different room, why didn't Austin tell me? Because Robbie would feel weird that I slept in his bed or-

"Earth to Martha." Austin says and I shake my head, as if shaking the thought away from my mind. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." I say and something important crosses my mind. "I need to go to the tapestry workshop. I might as well use my powers till I am...." Alive, I wanted to say but didn't when I saw Robbie. He doesn't know me yet. "...functional? I don't know. Uh, see you two!" I say, wearing my shoes.

"Martha-" Austin was frowning, trying to protest but I shut the door before he could say anymore.

My life is uncertain right now. I might as well complete my work and then die myself than let dying people suffer more pain.

Austin is right.

We are in trouble and I have no idea what is going to happen to everyone, if I die.

"More like when." I whisper, correcting myself.