Changed Since Texas / Post Malone

5.3

Austin's POV

I pulled my rental into the driveway at Charlotte's parents house, putting it in park as I leaned over and placed a delicate kiss on her lips, my left hand coming up to gently cup the side of her face as I rubbed my thumb slowly over her cheek. I pulled away from her after a few moments giving her a shy smile as her eyes nervously started dancing with mine.

I wasn't quite sure what it was but something seemed off about her ever since the kind waitress at the diner asked me for my photograph. The action had caught me off guard as well as I wasn't expecting to be noticed in Syracuse in a small diner that was off the beaten path, and to be honest outside of LA I wasn't expected to be noticed at all.

I took a minute to try to read her mind as she gave me a friendly head shake as if to tell me that she wasn't going to tell me what she was thinking even if I had asked. I didn't know if this was a good sign or a bad sign. I wanted her to be open with me as much as she could, and typically she was. But her harboring this information was giving me flashbacks of her holding out the information about that amazing boy that was sitting in the back seat. She was doing it because she was afraid that she was going to ruin something, but what was she so afraid to tell me?

I let the thought go as I returned her kind smile with a head nod letting her know that I understood, but at the same time I wasn't going to let it go. I watched her as she undid her seatbelt, letting the fabric slide through her hands as it rested itself up against the door jam before she placed her perfectly manicured hand on the door handle and pushed it open.

"I got him Charlotte" I said with a smile as I saw her grabbing for the door handle to the back passenger side door. She smiled as she stepped back, watching me intently as I removed our son from his seat, his arms wrapping around my neck as he gave me a tight squeeze.

"I love you Daddy and I so glad that you is here" he said, a huge smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he looked me straight in the eye.

"I am glad that I'm here too buddy" I said, my lips pressing against his forehead as I reached out to grab Charlotte's hand as we walked the short distance towards the side door that I nervously stood at last night as I waited to see where my fate lied with Charlotte.

She turned the door handle pushing the door open as the smell of fresh cooked bacon and freshly brewed coffee wafted throughout the house, a scent I remembered that always hung heavily in her house on the weekends. Her parents were sitting comfortably at the island in the kitchen, her Mom glancing at the paper that she had clutched in her hand and her Dad giving me some serious eyes as he looked over the rim of his extra large coffee cup.

"Pop!" Austy said as he struggled to get out of my arms.

I set him down on the ground, as soon as his feet touched the solid surface he started running as he ran right into Charlotte's Dad's arms. I smiled as he embraced him tightly before sitting back in his lap giving him a happy stare. The bond that they had was indescribable and something that I was hoping I would have with my son as well. I knew I had a lot of making up to do and I was going to do everything in my power to do it.

"Morning little man. How was breakfast?" he asked him with a smile.

"It was great! We went to Stellas" he said happily, giving Charlotte's Dad a quick head nod as he continued. "And guess what Pop!?" he said excitedly.

"What?" her Dad said, his eyes leaving him briefly as he looked over in my direction.

"Daddy is here Pop!" he said with excitement. I started to smile as I felt Charlotte's arms circle around my waist, my left arm wrapping around her as she rested her head on my chest. I carefully looked to gauge the reaction of her parents as I saw her Mom smiling like a child on Christmas morning behind the paper, her Dad giving me a curious glance but one that was more welcomed then what I had received last night.