Status: ((hopefully)) regular updates
Secondhand
Chapter 8
“Alan?” Austin whispered once I had stopped crying for the most part.
“Hm?” I replied, sniffing.
“Can you walk?”
“Probably. I don't know.”
“How far is your apartment from here?”
“Couple miles.”
“Come on,” he stood up and picked me up with him.
“What are you doing?”
“Carrying you back to Shayley and I's apartment.”
“No, you can't do that.”
“I want to. Hold on. Just hold on to this.”
He put his duffel bag in my lap and hoisted me up higher.
“Austin, you can't carry me all the way to your apartment.”
“I can. I want to. I've got you, just trust me. I won't let you fall, I promise.”
I blushed a little and snuggled into him because it was cold and I was still without a shirt. He walked towards the door that was broken from his abuse as police officers pulled up to the store.
“Excuse me, sir. What happened here? We got reports from neighboring places saying they heard screaming.”
“A man came in and raped my friend, here.”
“Can you describe the man?” He directed his question to me.
I shook my head. “He had a mask on. I don't know who it was.”
“Look, he's been through a lot, officer. We'll be happy to come in at a later time to answer any questions, but please, just let me take him home.”
“Of course. Can I get a number from each of you that we can contact you at? Your names also?”
Austin recited his name and phone number and the police man wrote it down.
“You, sir?”
“We'll be together. You can just call me.” I looked up at him and he smiled nervously. “Right?”
“Right.” I smiled back at him, just a little.
“We should be in touch soon, Mr. Carlile. Keep your friend safe for us, okay?”
“I won't let him out of my sight.”
The tone of his voice was very serious and it made me feel secure. All of this meant I would be living with him and Shay for a few days, at least. Austin carried me away from the gathering of people outside of the coffee shop.
“You doing alright, there?”
“I guess.”
We went the rest of the way without speaking and I felt myself drift off to sleep in his arms.
~
I awoke to the slamming of a door and I cringed at the volume.
“Hey Aus- Alan?”
“Shh.”
“It's okay,” I said sleepily. “I'm awake. Hi Shay.”
“What happened?”
“I'll tell you later,” he said, carrying me into the room that belonged to him.
Moving me so that he was carrying me like a mother would carry her child, Austin pulled the sheets back and set me down on the mattress. I winced as I came into contact with the bed.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, no. You're fine. Thank you, Austin.”
“Of course. I'm going to go talk to Shay, then I'll take the couch.
“N-no! I mean, uh....”
I trailed off and hid my face in the sheets so he couldn't see my cheeks color scarlet.
“Do you want me to stay in here with you?”
I nodded my head, still submerged under the blankets.
“Just let me fill in Shayley and I'll be right back in here with you.”
He didn't wait for a reply before he left the room. I cuddled up into the white sheets and waited for his return. Within five minutes, he came back.
“I'm going to change, okay?”
“Okay.”
He stepped into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door. I heard him moving around before water turned on.
He entered the room less than ten minutes later in only basketball shorts. He laid down next to me in bed and turned off his bedside lamp. I cuddled back into him, pressing my back against his chest. He slung his arm over me and tried to pull me closer discreetly. It wasn't discreet at all, but I didn't mind in the least.
“Good night, Alan.”
“Night Aus.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't fall asleep; my mind was racing and full of thoughts about the strange events that reconnected me with Austin. My thoughts were broken by him nuzzling his nose into my hair.
“I think I might be falling in love with you, Alan Ashby.”
“Hm?” I replied, sniffing.
“Can you walk?”
“Probably. I don't know.”
“How far is your apartment from here?”
“Couple miles.”
“Come on,” he stood up and picked me up with him.
“What are you doing?”
“Carrying you back to Shayley and I's apartment.”
“No, you can't do that.”
“I want to. Hold on. Just hold on to this.”
He put his duffel bag in my lap and hoisted me up higher.
“Austin, you can't carry me all the way to your apartment.”
“I can. I want to. I've got you, just trust me. I won't let you fall, I promise.”
I blushed a little and snuggled into him because it was cold and I was still without a shirt. He walked towards the door that was broken from his abuse as police officers pulled up to the store.
“Excuse me, sir. What happened here? We got reports from neighboring places saying they heard screaming.”
“A man came in and raped my friend, here.”
“Can you describe the man?” He directed his question to me.
I shook my head. “He had a mask on. I don't know who it was.”
“Look, he's been through a lot, officer. We'll be happy to come in at a later time to answer any questions, but please, just let me take him home.”
“Of course. Can I get a number from each of you that we can contact you at? Your names also?”
Austin recited his name and phone number and the police man wrote it down.
“You, sir?”
“We'll be together. You can just call me.” I looked up at him and he smiled nervously. “Right?”
“Right.” I smiled back at him, just a little.
“We should be in touch soon, Mr. Carlile. Keep your friend safe for us, okay?”
“I won't let him out of my sight.”
The tone of his voice was very serious and it made me feel secure. All of this meant I would be living with him and Shay for a few days, at least. Austin carried me away from the gathering of people outside of the coffee shop.
“You doing alright, there?”
“I guess.”
We went the rest of the way without speaking and I felt myself drift off to sleep in his arms.
~
I awoke to the slamming of a door and I cringed at the volume.
“Hey Aus- Alan?”
“Shh.”
“It's okay,” I said sleepily. “I'm awake. Hi Shay.”
“What happened?”
“I'll tell you later,” he said, carrying me into the room that belonged to him.
Moving me so that he was carrying me like a mother would carry her child, Austin pulled the sheets back and set me down on the mattress. I winced as I came into contact with the bed.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, no. You're fine. Thank you, Austin.”
“Of course. I'm going to go talk to Shay, then I'll take the couch.
“N-no! I mean, uh....”
I trailed off and hid my face in the sheets so he couldn't see my cheeks color scarlet.
“Do you want me to stay in here with you?”
I nodded my head, still submerged under the blankets.
“Just let me fill in Shayley and I'll be right back in here with you.”
He didn't wait for a reply before he left the room. I cuddled up into the white sheets and waited for his return. Within five minutes, he came back.
“I'm going to change, okay?”
“Okay.”
He stepped into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door. I heard him moving around before water turned on.
He entered the room less than ten minutes later in only basketball shorts. He laid down next to me in bed and turned off his bedside lamp. I cuddled back into him, pressing my back against his chest. He slung his arm over me and tried to pull me closer discreetly. It wasn't discreet at all, but I didn't mind in the least.
“Good night, Alan.”
“Night Aus.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't fall asleep; my mind was racing and full of thoughts about the strange events that reconnected me with Austin. My thoughts were broken by him nuzzling his nose into my hair.
“I think I might be falling in love with you, Alan Ashby.”