Pride: an austen reimagined novel | 1

Chapter Ten: Austin

When Lily was out of earshot, I rounded on my cousin. "What message, Cass?"

"I don't know what I walked in on Austin Cooper, but there's no need to spaz at me," she said, folding her arms as she stared at me.

I raked a hand through my hair and sighed. "What message?"

"From Petal."

"Oh good, and what does my future bride want?" I asked, venom in my veins as I thought about my aunt's stupid plans.

"She was wondering when we're heading back to school. She was thinking she might come over before we go?"

I looked in the direction Lily had gone, frustration eating at me. I'd received an email from Aunt Celia just before everything had turned to shit. Or, rather, the email from Aunt Celia was the reason it all turned to shit.

That, and my ability to forget myself around her.

"Oz, are you even listening?"

"What?" I didn't look at her.

"What the hell did I walk in on anyway?"

I sighed and leant back against the counter top. "Aunt Celia's friend apparently overheard some conversation between Daniel Brewer and Linda Macklin."

Cass wrinkled her nose, knowing just from my words that no good was going to come of that. "That good, huh?"

"According to Aunt Celia, they were tittering – she even used the word tittering – about how their children were well on the way to landing themselves some nice Rosings boys. They didn't name names, but Lily confirmed she talked with him about his one-track mind this morning."

Cass sighed. "That sucks, man, it does. But, we knew they were like that."

"Lily and Anne seemed different."

"Yeah..." she said slowly. "But you'll do best with one of your own. Someone who sees past your money since they have plenty of their own."

I scoffed. "Like who?"

"Well, there's always Petal." She laughed, but there was something in her eye I didn't like. "Speaking of, what shall I tell her?"

"Oh, I don't know!"

"Is your aunt coming home while you're here? I'm going to assume not since you never got that hair cut?"

I mumbled to myself.

She laughed. "What?"

"Aunt Celia tolerates my hair because Fleur likes it. If I keep it long, Fleur wins, if I cut it, Aunt Celia wins. I have no options where I win."

Cass shrugged. "Dye it something outrageous and get dreadlocks. Oh, God, no Oz..." She'd obviously seen the gears working in my mind. "Oz, I wasn't being serious. School will have a fit if you do that and then you'll have to see Celia all the time. Just get another tattoo."

I looked at her in exasperation. "That was Jax's suggestion. Do I only have one avenue for self-expression?"

"'Do I only have one avenue...'" she mocked me. "Do whatever the hell you want, dude. See if I care. Now, what to tell Petal?"

"Tell her we're leaving tomorrow."

"I take it you don't want to see her?"

"You take it right."

"Oz, you can't just avoid her-"

"I thought I could do whatever the hell I want...dude?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'll tell her now's not a good time. You should see her, actually have a conversation with her."