Pull You Through

by Kaylee Ryan

  “I don’t know how much the two of you have talked, but Brandon says he doesn’t have roots anywhere, not really. He didn’t really explain, just that Slade is a good guy who was dealt a rough hand.”

  “Yeah, he’s told me a little. I like him, Savvy. I really like him.”

  “I know,” she chirps, more awake now. “So go for it. From what I can tell, he’s just as into you.”

  “But he’s leaving.”

  “Don’t let the fact that he doesn’t live here stop you. He’s a marine and will be stationed for at least the next four years. You know I plan to go to wherever Brandon is. Are you willing to do that?”

  “Today? No.” I laugh. “If things progress, I think so. That’s his career. He doesn’t get to decide. I can finish school anywhere. I can teach anywhere.”

  “That was a big part of my decision making. I love kids, but it’s also a career that I can do anywhere.”

  “Have you talked more about your future?”

  “Not really. He’s mentioned it, but I tell him to focus on getting through his training and then we can talk. I want him to stay focused on what he needs to do.”

  “I can see that.”

  “So, I say go for it. Put yourself out there. You always keep yourself in the shadows. You put all your energy into work and school. I’ve seen you turn down guy after guy. Take a chance, Austyn. You’re beautiful and have so much to offer.”

  “I’m not going to throw myself at him, but regardless of that fact that he’s leaving, if he wants to see where this goes, then so do I.”

  “He so wants you,” she says, laughing and climbing out of bed.

  I watch her walk out of my room and to the bathroom before opening up the message and texting him back.

  Me: Good morning.

  Slade: What are you doing today?

  Me: Depends.

  Slade: On?

  I take a deep breath and know that with this admission, I’m in this—on the ride that is marine life. You can’t date a marine and not go into it knowing what that means: a lot of worry and a lot of time alone. I’ve thought of nothing but that since the day Brandon left. Trying to put myself in Savannah’s shoes so I could understand her emotions. I’ve lived it with her, and now that could be me. If it means being with Slade, I’m good with it.

  Me: On you.

  Slade: Today is my last day.

  Me: I know.

  Slade: I want to spend it with you.

  Me: You tell me when and where and I’ll be there.

  Slade: Let me talk to Brandon, see what his plans are. Hold tight.

  “What are you and Brandon doing today?” I ask Savvy when she comes back into the room.

  “I’m not sure. He said he has something planned. He told me to keep the day and the night open. Not that I would make any kind of plans on his last night here.”

  “I’m glad we’re both off today,” I confess.

  “Yeah, me too. I hate that they have to use a day for travel, but I get it they need to be there early the next morning.”

  Her phone rings. “Hey, babe,” she answers.

  Giving them time, I climb out of bed and grab some clothes, heading to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, I find her on my bed still talking. I busy myself with brushing out my hair. Sitting at my vanity in my room, I plug in my flat iron and start putting on my makeup. I want to look my best for him; it’s his last day here after all.

  “Brandon says we have plans, but he won’t tell me what they are. He said be prepared to not be home tonight.”

  I turn in my seat to look at her. “What are you going to tell your parents?”

  She shrugs. “I’m eighteen, a legal adult, not to mention we’ve been together for years. I’m going to tell them I’m staying with him.”

  Before I can answer my phone pings with a message.

  Slade: Can you get away tonight?

  Me: Away how?

  My belly does flips because I’m pretty sure he means all night, just as Savvy is with Brandon.

  Slade: All night. I can talk to your parents if you want.

  “Is that Slade?” Savannah asks.

  “Yeah, he… uh, he wants to know if I can get away tonight, all night.”

  “Yes!” she exclaims. “What did you tell him?”

  “I didn’t. He offered to talk to my parents.”

  “Wow, he’s serious.”

  “I’ve known him a week. Brandon’s only known him a couple of months. This is crazy.”

  “Not crazy. You’re a good judge of character, you always have been. He’s a good guy.”

  “We don’t know that,” I say, starting to panic. “I’m not ready for that, Savannah.”

  “Look, Austyn, you don’t have to have sex with him. Just be upfront with him. If he gives you vibes, you can come home. Drive your car. Hell, I’ll leave with you.”

  “You don’t even know what we’re doing.”

  “You don’t either.”

  Before I can say anything more, my phone rings. “It’s him,” I tell Savannah.

  “Answer it.” She wriggles her brows.

  “Hey,” I greet him.

  “Hey, angel,” his deep voice rumbles. “You didn’t reply. I was afraid that my last text freaked you out.”

  “Kind of,” I admit.

  “Don’t tell Savannah as Combs wants to surprise her. He’s getting a room at a hotel so they can spend his last night here together. I’m doing the same, but I just want to hang out with you. Spend my last night with you.”

  “Slade, I’m not ready for—”

  “I just want your company, Austyn. Nothing more. You have my word.”

  “I’m not much of a rebel,” I say softly. “I don’t want to lie to them.”

  “I understand that. That’s why I offered to talk to them. Give them my word. Savannah and Combs will be there too. You can drive your car and leave at any time. If you don’t feel comfortable, we can figure something else out, but I really want this time with you before we leave tomorrow. We have to be up and on the road early. This is my last chance to spend time with you.”

  “Can I think about it?”

  “Yeah. In the meantime, you ladies feel like going to a movie? Combs says there’s some chick flick that Savvy’s been wanting to see.”

  “We both have. She was waiting until he left, not wanting to take time away from him while he’s on leave.”

  “So you’ll go?”

  “Yes.” I can hear Brandon talking to him in the background, while Savannah hangs on my every word.

  “Can you ladies be ready in an hour?”

  “Can you be ready in an hour?” I ask Savannah. She nods and flashes me a beaming smile. “Yeah, we’ll be ready. We’re still at my place.”

  “We’ll be there soon,” he says, ending the call.

  “What? What are we doing?” Savannah asks.

  “We’re going to the movies.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep, B said there’s a movie you’ve been wanting to see. I hope it’s that new romantic comedy. I’ve been dying to go see it.”

  “I mentioned to him that you and I were going to go, so that must be it.”

  “Get ready, woman!” I say, motioning for her to get in the shower. She walks to my closet and grabs her bag of clothes that she keeps here. I do the same at her place. We never know where we’re going to end up when we’re together, although we still end up taking each other clothes. That’s just what we do. I finish getting ready while Savannah showers. Heading downstairs, I find my parents and Dawson sitting in the living room.

  “Hey, honey,” Mom greets me.

  “Hey.” I take a seat next to Dawson and ruffle his hair. His eyes are glued to the TV on some cartoon he’s watching. Mom is reading a book and Dad is playing a game on his iPad. “Can I talk to you guys?” This gets their attention, and they both look up and nod. Tilting my head toward the kitchen, I stand and head that way. I hear the recliner close, and I know they’r
e right behind me.

  My dad’s the first to speak. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, I just want to talk to you guys about something.” Before I can get another word out, there’s a knock at the door. I know it’s them without even looking. Dad answers the door, which is right off the kitchen, and in walks Brandon and Slade. I was hoping to do this on my own, but then again, I’m sure they would have wanted to talk to him anyway.

  “Hey,” Brandon says, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Slade stands just inside the door.

  “Hey, angel,” he says when our eyes meet.

  My face heats, but I don’t know if it’s from his attention or my parents; I can feel their eyes boring into me. “Hi.” I wave awkwardly. “So, I was getting ready to talk to them. I want to stay.” I point to the table where my parents are now sitting. He nods and follows me to the table. He pulls my chair out for me, and I know that my parents are taking in his actions. “Right, so Brandon and Slade leave tomorrow morning to go back. This time to to North Carolina, right.” My parents nod. I have their full attention. “Brandon, he… uh… got a hotel room, so that he and Savvy can spend some time together, just the two of them before they leave.”

  “You did that before you left, right?” Mom asks.

  “We did. I just want to soak up as much of her as I can before I leave,” Brandon says sincerely.

  “Instead of staying with Mr. and Mrs. Combs, I’ve rented a room too,” Slade speaks up. “I’ve asked Austyn to hang out with me. She’s welcome to stay. I want her to stay, but not for the reasons you’re thinking. I like your daughter and the thought of leaving and not getting to see her….” He shakes his head. “I just want to soak up as much of her as I can before I leave.” He uses the words Brandon just used.

  “Austyn is technically an adult and can do as she wishes. I have my reservations. We don’t know you. You’ve known my daughter a few days at best.” My dad speaks up.

  “Yes, sir. I understand that. Austyn is unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “Lee,” Brandon intervenes. “I’ve only known Slade for a couple of months, but when you’ve been through what we have, we’re brothers. I love Austyn as if she were my sister. I would in no way put her in harm’s way.”

  “Austyn, what do you want?” Mom questions me. She’s using her “I’m your mother, but I also understand what you’re feeling” voice. Serious yet compassionate, that’s my mother.

  I take a deep breath. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. “I’d like to stay. I’ll drive. That way I have my car, and if I change my mind, I can come home.” I know that they can’t tell me no, not really. But I’ve never been one to lie to my parents. I would also spend the night worrying I was going to get caught and not be able to enjoy his company.

  “Slade, she’s my baby,” my dad says. “You seem like a good kid and so is my Austyn. I trust her judgment. Let me tell you something, if you hurt her in any way, force her into anything, I will find you. Don’t forget our talk,” he threatens.

  If the moment were not so tense, if I were not holding my breath waiting for their reactions, I would laugh.

  “Are the two of you… together?” my mom asks. I can see the worry etched across her face. She’s concerned things are moving too fast. If her facial expression didn’t give her away, her stiff posture would have.

  “No, ma’am,” Slade answers. “I like your daughter very much. I don’t think it’s fair to her to start something and me leave.”

  My heart drops at his confession, but at the same time, I get it. It’s going to be hard enough when he leaves tomorrow with what we have now, whatever that may be. I can’t imagine him leaving and us being an official item. I watched Savannah go through it so I can guess.

  “Hey,” Savannah says, bounding down the steps and into the kitchen. She’s oblivious to the conversation we’re having.

  “Austyn, it’s your call,” Dad tells me. It looks like it pains him to do so, but they raised me to be responsible and even though they wish they didn’t have too, they let me make my own decisions. They’ve always guided me, and given me advice, but have let me be my own person at the same time.

  I nod. “I’m not sure. I need a little more time,” I confess. I want to stay, I don’t know why I can’t just make the final decision.

  Slade lays his hand over mine that’s resting on the table. “No pressure, angel. I told you that.”

  I nod. “I know.” It’s out there now. I just need to decide. Needing to change the subject, I look over at Brandon. “What time does the movie start?”

  He looks at his phone. “We actually need to get going. We can go to a later show, though,” he suggests.

  “No, this is your last day. Let’s go.”

  “What are you all seeing?” Mom asks. I’m sure she’s trying to lighten the mood. My dad is sitting with his arms crossed, staring at me and then Slade.

  “That new one with Zac Efron,” Savvy chimes in.

  “You got them to see a chick flick?” Mom asks, amused.

  “Pretty sure they could get us to watch paint dry,” Slade mumbles, but we all hear him. Even my dad cracks a smile. How could he not?

  WE RIDE IN BRANDON’S TRUCK to the movies. Austyn is by my side looking out the window. I want to pull her into me, wrap my arms around and just… keep her close. I leave in less than twenty-four hours, and I don’t know if or when I’ll see her again. Hell, I don’t even know if she wants to see me again. I don’t know if I overstepped with her parents, but fuck, I wanted her to know she wasn’t alone in this. I’m not trying to lure her into fucking me all night. I just want to be with her, spend as much time with her as I can. The time I’ve spent with her has been the best I can ever remember. No one can blame me for wanting to hold onto it.

  After getting our tickets and some snacks, we find our seats. Brandon leads us to the back row of the theater. He sits, then Savannah, Austyn, and I follow. “Tight quarters,” I say when our elbows connect on the armrest. Austyn laughs. I love that sound.

  “No kidding. At least the cup holders are in the back of the seats.” She leans forward and places her bottle of water in the slot.

  We opted to share popcorn. I’m currently holding the large tub on my lap. I wait for direction from her, not wanting to do something that will have her not wanting to stay with me tonight. We’ve shared simple touches, held hands, and shared a kiss or two, but that’s it. I don’t really know where we stand, and that bothers me. I want to wrap my arm around her and bring her as close to me as possible.

  “You can set it here. I have more room than you do,” she says, taking her arm from the rest.”

  “What? Are you saying I’m fat?” I raise my brow at her.

  She scoffs. “Right, your muscles have muscles.”

  The lights go down, and the previews begin to play. It’s perfect timing; otherwise, Austyn would see just how her words affect me. I don’t know that I’ve never blushed before, but I can feel it in my cheeks. Not to mention the stiffening of my cock. That’s nothing new though, not this past week. That happens anytime she’s near. Just the thought of getting to see her makes me hard as steel.

  I need to get us back to how we used to be, carefree She’s been quiet since we left her house. Leaning in, I whisper, “I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

  She turns to look at me. “Not at all,” she whispers back.

  “I promise you, Austyn, I don’t expect anything but your company. I-I’m having a hard time knowing that I leave tomorrow morning and I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again,” I confess. “It’s eating me up.”

  “Do you want to see me again?” she asks softly. She’s now leaning into me, our shoulders touching.

  “More than anything.”

  “Then we’ll make it happen.” She smiles. It’s one that says she’s happy.

  It’s enough for me. I set the popcorn on the armrest. “Can you hold this?” I ask. She does without complaint, and I lift my arm, plac
ing it over her shoulders. She leans in a little closer, and that’s how we stay for the entire movie. We share popcorn, our hands often touching in the bucket.

  “What did you think?” Austyn asks as we exit the theater. Our hands are linked.

  “He got the girl,” I say, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

  “He did. The book was better,” she tells me.

  “Right?” Savannah chimes in. “The books are always better.”

  “What now?” Austyn asks.

  “Babe,” Brandon tells Savannah. “I got us a room. It’s going to be longer this time, before I get to see you again, and I wanted to spend my last night with you. The hotel has an indoor pool. I thought we could hang out there, for a while. Then some dinner?” Brandon states it as a question.

  “I need to run home and grab some clothes,” Savannah says, not missing a beat. The smile on her face tells us all we need to know—she’s more than on board with the plan.

  “Why don’t you drop us off at my house. I need to do the same. We can meet you there.” She looks up at me for confirmation.

  Bending down, I press my lips to hers. It’s soft and quick, but I hope the kiss tells her what I’m feeling.

  Elated.

  Excited.

  Nervous.

  It’s as if my heart is now about to beat out of my chest at the idea of her lying next to me all night.

  “That works,” Savannah responds to Austyn.

  This time in the truck, Austyn sits in the middle of the backseat, right next to me. Her hand’s locked firmly with mine. This, this is where she should have been on the way to the theater. This is where she should always be.

  When we climb out of the truck, she keeps her hand in mine until we reach the front steps. We walk into the kitchen to find Dawson at the table eating a bowl of cereal.

  “Hey, D,” I say, holding my fist out for him.

  He grins at me. “Slade!”

  “I was here earlier,” I tell him.

  “I know, but I was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” he says, like I should know what that means.