Haven Bound

10. Chelsea

10

Chelsea

Suddenly sitting up in bed with a hand pressed to my chest, I pull the comforter up as if it will offer any protection against the intruder. Panic clouds my mind in a haze, and it takes me a moment to remember my surroundings.

It's not a stranger or someone who means to hurt me that has come barging into the room. It’s Austin.

An incredibly naked Austin.

Why is he naked?

And what are the odds that he’ll stay naked?

Nope. Don’t go there, Chelsea.

My brain seems to be short-circuiting, leaving me at a loss for words. I know it’s wrong, but I don’t stop myself from admiring his exposed body. His chest is covered in a light dusting of dark hair. There’s a trail of that same dark hair running from his navel down toward his cock, which even in its half-hard state has my mouth watering.

It’s then in that moment that I realize he must’ve just gotten out of the shower, and I’m immediately imagining the things he could’ve been doing in there.

Oh, fuck .

Of all the times I imagined finally seeing Austin Anders without clothing, I never quite imagined it would happen like this. I had always hoped that he would be the one that I’d lose my virginity to, but things never went that far. Our friendship evolved into something more during my year, but we’d kept everything mostly between us.

Hailey knew that I’d been crushing on her brother for a few years by that point, but I don’t think I ever told her how truly crazy about him I was. I’m pretty sure that Ethan knew as well. He never directly said anything to me, but he didn’t need to. He may have caught me at their house when Hailey wasn’t home one too many times.

I can still vividly remember the night that I thought we might take that final step.

Butterflies are swarming my stomach, but it’s a feeling that I welcome. I’m finally going out with Austin tonight. I was a little shocked when he asked me to go on a date with him. We’ve been sneaking around for a few weeks now and though I wanted more from him, I didn’t expect it. He’s been pretty clear that we can never be… more. I don’t understand why.

I’ve wanted him for so long that I’m desperately willing to accept whatever attention he gives me. I’ve seen him as off-limits for so long, but he’s still been the star of my every fantasy. I used to imagine what it would be like to hold his hand or to have him stare into my eyes as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. Over time, I began to fantasize about what it would be like to feel his lips pressed against mine, to be in his arms, and most recently what it would be like to fully give my body to him.

And now here I am, sitting anxiously on the edge of my bed as I wait for him to pick me up, dressed in dark form-fitting skinny jeans and an army green v-neck top. I have no idea what we’re doing. When I asked Austin to give me a hint, all he said was for me to wear whatever made me feel comfortable. As if that’s helpful. So, dressed-up casual is what I’m going with. Which essentially means I’m wearing my normal clothes, but I curled my hair and put on a little makeup.

My cell phone vibrates on the bed next to me. I immediately grab it to see a text from Austin telling me that he’s out front. My mom was already in bed for the night, so I asked him to text me instead of coming to the door. I don’t want her to wake up and realize that I lied about who I was hanging out with tonight.

Quietly closing the front door behind me, I find Austin leaning against his white Chevrolet Silverado with his arms folded across his chest. His dark brown hair looks as though he’d styled it at some point but has been running his hands through it, giving it a disheveled yet somehow still put-together appearance. He’s dressed in dark denim jeans that hang low on his hips and a long-sleeve black button-up. A few of the buttons were left undone and the sleeves have been rolled up to his elbows.

He looks incredibly handsome. For a moment I can’t believe that I actually get to spend the evening in his company. “Hey, Beautiful,” he says as he reaches for my hand and pulls me into his arms for a hug.

“Hey yourself,” I reply, dropping my arms from his neck nervously and reaching up to tuck a curled strand of hair behind my ear. “So, are you gonna tell me where we’re going?”

He smiles and opens the passenger side door for me, waiting for me to climb in before he says “Nope” and closes the door.

I don’t know where we could be going that we won’t risk running into anybody that we know. I do know, though, that whatever we’re doing will be worth the risk of getting caught if it means that I get to have Austin all to myself for a while.

After forty-five minutes of driving and spending the time talking and singing along to the playlist filtering through his truck’s speakers, we pull into the Sutton Ridge swap meet. “Um, I’m pretty sure there’s no swap meet here this late,” I tease.

He has his elbow propped up against the window, his fingers rubbing along his lips to hide the grin that’s spread across his face. “I guess it’s a good thing that we’re not here for that,” he says as he pulls up alongside what looks like a little tollbooth. An older woman steps out and asks which screen we’re here for. My brows pinch together and Austin laughs at my confusion before he tells her that we’re here for Screen 4 and hands her the cash to pay.

He brought me to the freaking drive-in for our first date.

I can’t help my excitement as he drives the truck around to the large screen in the back parking lot. The lot is made up of asphalt waves, each row designed like an oversized speed bump to allow vehicles to park so that they’re facing up at the screen instead of looking straight ahead. Austin positions the truck with the bed facing the screen. I’m about to tell him that we’re facing the wrong way when he says, “Come on,” and hops out of the truck.

I get out and follow him around to the bed of the truck where he’s unrolling a memory foam pad that’s fitted to the truck lining. I lean onto the lowered tailgate and prepare to climb in, but he places a hand on my lower back and says, “Not yet.”

What else could he possibly be doing?

At a loss for words, I watch him as he pulls out a few blankets and pillows from the backseat of the truck—that I somehow didn't notice—and begins to spread them out on top of the foam pad. He turns to face me when he’s done, his hands finding my waist. “Now you can climb in.”

A blush creeps up my cheeks and I turn around to place my hands on the lowered tailgate once more, his hands remaining on my waist while I climb up onto the bed that he’s created for us.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch a movie any other way ever again. “I can’t believe you did all this,” I tell him when he settles in beside me. While we have plenty of room to stretch out our legs and have space between us, he’s sitting so close that our thighs are pressed together.

His arm wraps around my shoulders, pulling me in close as he presses a gentle kiss to my temple and murmurs, “I’d do anything for you, Chels. Have you not figured that out yet?”

“Shit, sorry, Chelsea. I didn’t think you’d be awake. I uh….” His deep voice pulls my mind back into the present. His attention is locked on my chest, eyes flaring as his gaze slides down my body for the briefest of moments before he turns his back to me and strides toward his dresser. It’s then that I notice the two large tattoos that span across his broad shoulders and down his upper arms. I can’t quite make out the design in the dark. They almost look like wings, except one side is darker than the other. “I just need to grab clothes,” he says. His breath seems unsteady, but… that doesn’t make sense. Why would he be shaken? Unless he’s embarrassed.

Not that he has anything to be embarrassed about.

Without another word, he slips on a pair of dark boxer briefs and then picks up his dropped towel at the door. He doesn’t meet my gaze as he slips out of the room carrying a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, closing the door behind him.

Well, I’m definitely not going to be falling asleep now.