"Austin. So nice to see you here." The woman said. I slowly walked backwards till I was right next to Austin. He was rather cold and stiff, like a statue. Or maybe he just gave up knowing we were already in deep shit."What are you doing here?" I asked in a whisper."You shouldn't have left the pack. I told you not to. But will you listen? Of course not." He looked pissed now, and he slowly lifted his head up to the woman."I feel very delighted seeing you too, Lilia." He smiled, then put his arm around my shoulder. My eyes widened at the name and I turned to her. "However beautiful this meeting may be, we are already done here. Let's go."I almost let out a sigh of relief when we successfully turned on our heels and took the first step, but before I could take another, the cold hard end of a gun was leveled directly at Austin's chest.I gasped, my hand instinctively going to my mouth as I started to realize how deep the trouble I had gotten us into was."Is there really any need for

We shared an intense gaze for more than a minute, her eyes fixed on me as she slowly moved her index finger over the trigger.I heard Austin give a small frustrated sigh, and he put his palm under the butt of the gun, then you shed it upwards, making us both lose the grip to it. He caught it mid air, then removed the bullets."Don't you think you both are taking this too seriously?" He said, letting go of the bullets."Too seriously? This woman is literally keeping us captive!""I think of it as a somewhat reluctant, unplanned meeting with a long lost friend," He said and I began to think someone had switched bodies with him. "Right, Lilia?"She smiled. "Glad you think of it positively."I could see the disdain on his face but I said nothing as he came between us, pushing me behind him."Maybe you should excuse us."She looked at me and nodded. "I will make arrangement for a bedding."She walked away from us and I immediately turned to him."What are you doing? Are you enjoying this?"

"Come eat, I made sure to leave some for you." He kept the towel and turned to me. "I don't really have an appetite."I sighed. "You want me to feed you, then?" I said it as a joke, something to give him shock therapy enough for the idea of not eating to be repulsive. To my surprise, he nodded."Why not?""What are you, a baby?""You suggested it." He laughed, then came to me and sat on the other side of the mattress with his legs crossed under him, and his arms straightened. The food tray was between us, and he watched me. I didn't say a word, and swallowed hard."Are you about to chicken out?" He laughed."I am starting to think you hit your head a little too hard. You are acting weird.""It is rather annoying that you think my carefree nature is rather weird."As if on instinct, I scooped a spoonful and gave it to him, and without the taunting I had expected, he collected it.I saw his face scrunch up in disgust as he put it down."What's wrong?""It can freeze up my insides." He

I laid down staring at the blank ceiling, my heart feeling a little empty. I didn't know what to feel. Happy that Austin was warming up or scared that it won't last?I heard the door click open and I closed my eyes. I wasn't sure what he woulf say, or what I would want to hear. "Hazel?" It was Austin's voice. A little somber, a little low, but it was him. I didn't respond, and I felt him sit close to me. "You are not pretending to be asleep, right?" He asked, and I almost felt guilty.But it felt like he wanted someone to listen without judging, so I decided to stay asleep.There was silence however, and I clenched my fists in curiosity."You know, I thought about it. You are right to be insecure." He took in a deep breath and let it out. I released my hand slowly."You are right to be guarded. You don't know when I will want her back...I don't know when either. What if I actually forgive her? What if I actually want her back?"'Then you will leave me.' I thought to myself. You will

The night darkened slowly, and we grew even more silent. He didn't seem like he had intention of sleeping yet, and for some reason I stayed awake."Austin?""Yeah?" We were both whispering for no reason."It wasn't from that kiss.""What?"I swallowed and turned to him. "I didn't fall in love with you from that first kiss.""Then?"I smiled. "It was much earlier."His gaze penetrated mine, and he said nothing. He turned away, breaking the eye contact. There, I could see all the walls he'd put up for himself. We fell silent again, and the topic naturally hung in the air, then dissipated. Like it hadn't even been said at all. The night passed slowly, and sometime through the night, I let sleep take over.I let my eyes flutter open to the sound of hushed voices. There seemed to be an argument, and I opened my eyes slowly. From my limited, sleepy vision, I saw Austin.He had his back to me, and he had his head raised slightly. Facing him was Lilia and she had her hands on her waist.My