The afternoon felt… different.
Not chaotic like yesterday.
Not awkward either.
Just calm.
Which, honestly, was suspicious.
I sat cross-legged on the couch while Austin leaned back, casually scrolling through his phone. The paper bag of snacks he brought was now open between us, half-empty.
"You eat a lot," I said, eyeing the empty wrappers.
He glanced at them, then at me.
"You helped."
"I had, like, two."
"That's still counts as helping."
I scoffed.
"Unbelievable."
He smiled, then put his phone aside.
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
And strangely…
It wasn't uncomfortable.
"So," he said after a while.
"So?" I replied
"You never showed me the photo booth pictures."
My eyes widened.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
"They're embarrassing."
"That's exactly why I want to see them."
I hesitated.
He leaned forward slightly.
"Come on."
I narrowed my eyes.
"You're not going to laugh?"
"I'm definitely going to laugh."
I sighed.
"Fine."
I pulled out my phone and opened the photos.
"Prepare yourself."
He moved closer so he could see the screen.
Too close.
I could feel the warmth from his shoulder, his body, and I felt my cheeks heat up.
My heart immediately started acting weird again.
I cleared my throat and held up the first photo.
"This one's normal."
"Yeah," he said. "We look like decent people."
"Speak for yourself."
I swiped to the second one.
He laughed instantly.
"That's my favorite."
"I look like I'm arguing with air!"
"You were arguing with me."
"Same thing."
I swiped again.
The third photo appeared—the one with the stuffed bear blocking my face.
Austin laughed harder.
"That one's perfect."
"You're the reason it's terrible."
"I improved it."
I rolled my eyes hard and swiped to the last photo.
And just like that…
The laughter faded.
It was the one taken right before everything went wrong.
We were both leaning slightly toward each other.
Not touching.
But close.
Close enough that it looked like something was about to happen.
Something that almost happened.
Austin went quiet.
"So… this was the moment," he said softly.
My heart skipped.
"Yeah."
We both stared at the screen for a second longer than necessary.
Then I quickly locked my phone, and put it face down on the coffee table.
"Anyway," I said, trying to sound normal.
"That's all."
Austin didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he looked at me.
Not teasing.
Not joking.
Just… looking.
"Hey," he said.
"Yeah?"
"Yesterday—"
I already knew what he was about to say.
"The photo booth," he continued.
I swallowed.
"What about it?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"You know what I was about to do, right?"
My heart started racing.
"Yes."
Silence.
Then—
"Do you wish I didn't?"
I blinked.
"What?"
He held my gaze.
"Do you wish I didn't try?"
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Because the answer came too quickly.
Too honestly.
"No."
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
Austin didn't look surprised.
If anything… he looked like he expected it.
"Okay," he said quietly.
And just like that, the air between us shifted.
Again.
My heart was beating way too fast now.
"Why are you asking me this?" I whispered.
"Because I don't want to assume anything."
"That's… surprisingly thoughtful."
"I try."
I looked down at my hands.
"You're making this complicated."
"I'm trying not to."
"Well, it is."
He exhaled softly.
"Then let me simplify it."
I looked up.
Austin leaned a little closer.
Not too fast.
Not sudden.
Just enough to make my breath catch.
"I like you Ann" he said.
My heart practically stopped.
"I think you already know that."
I did.
I just didn't expect him to say it out loud.
"And," he continued, "I think you might like me too."
I froze.
He wasn't wrong.
And that was the problem.
"I don't know," I said quietly.
He nodded.
"Fair."
"I mean… everything's happening so fast."
"I know."
"And then there's Mary—"
"I'll handle that."
"And Ethan—"
"He's always like that."
I almost smiled.
Then went serious again.
"And me," I added.
"What about you?"
"I don't understand my own reactions half the time."
Austin chuckled softly.
"That makes two of us."
I looked at him.
"You don't seem confused."
"I am," he said. "I'm just better at hiding it."
That surprised me.
"You are?"
"Yeah."
A small pause.
Then he added,
"But one thing I'm not confused about…"
My heart skipped again.
"What?"
He held my gaze.
"This."
And before I could overthink it—
He leaned in.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Giving me time to move away.
To stop him.
To say something.
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
My heart was too busy racing.
My mind too busy trying to catch up.
He got closer.
And closer—
Then—
A loud knock echoed through the house.
We both froze.
Austin pulled back slightly.
I blinked.
"What now…?" I whispered.
The knock came again.
Louder this time.
I stood up slowly.
"I swear if that's Ethan—"
I walked to the door and opened it.
And there he was.
Of course.
Ethan.
Holding a bag of snacks.
"Guess who brought more food—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes moved between me and Austin.
Then slowly…
A grin spread across his face.
"Oh."
"No," I said immediately.
"Yes," he said immediately.
"You have terrible timing."
"I have perfect timing."
Austin walked up behind me.
Ethan pointed at us dramatically.
"Did I just interrupt something?"
"Yes," I said flatly.
"No," Austin said calmly.
Ethan gasped.
"You LIAR."
I turned to Austin.
"Traitor."
He smiled slightly.
Ethan walked inside without being invited.
"I knew I should've brought popcorn for this."
I closed the door.
"This is exactly why we can't have normal moments."
Ethan flopped onto the couch.
"You're welcome."
"For what?!"
"For keeping things interesting."
I groaned.
Austin laughed quietly behind me.
And as annoyed as I was…
I couldn't ignore the fact that—
That moment?
The one that got interrupted?
It wasn't gone.
It was just… paused.
And judging by the way Austin looked at me—
It wasn't over yet.