Destined for Disaster ✔️

Chapter 34

"Are you free tonight?" Julie asked, holding up a bottle of wine and two glasses to Austin. Austin grinned and stepped aside, letting her enter his bedroom.

"As luck would have it, I am," he said. "At least until Ellis comes up with another menial task for one of us."

"Goddess, don't get me started. And he thinks he's subtle about it." She put the wine and glasses down on his desk and turned to him. Her eyes raked over him. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

He smirked. "Seen me naked, you mean?"

"No," Julie said, trying and failing not to smile. "That's not what I meant." She twirled back around and pulled the cork out of the bottle. His arms wrapped around her from behind and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Are you sure?" he said, his lips so close to her ear that goosebumps rose on her skin.

She only hummed in response, her fingers gripping the edge of the desk to keep herself grounded.

"I've missed you," he said.

She turned around in his hold, leaning against the desk. He brought one of his hands up to her hair, his fingers intertwining with her locks. Her response got lost in his kiss.

Not much later, the both of them were lying sprawled out on his bed, both stark naked. Austin's hand traced the length of Julie's spine, revelling the soft feel of her skin. She was lying on her stomach, the covers pulled up only to her waist, and looked at him in satisfied silence.

He leant in for a deep kiss, then slid out of bed. He poured the wine, sending her a cocky smile when he turned around and saw her staring. She had missed him like this – confident, comfortable.

She dragged herself up in an upright position, leaning against the headboard. She took a glass when he handed it to her, sipping from it.

"Ellis should see us now," Austin said, slipping back under the covers.

She chuckled and rested her head against the wood of the headboard, closing her eyes. "He would send you on an extra patrol right away. He's been so insufferable lately."

"I know." Austin brushed a few hairs behind her ear. "I mean, he's always insufferable, but it's been showing more ever since..."

"Since Ryleigh got here," Julie said. "I've always trusted his judgment, but he's crossing lines left and right and I don't know what to do."

"Need me to talk to him?"

"He won't listen. Now, if you want to punch him, I won't stop you."

Austin chuckled. "I don't have a death wish. I'm serious, though. He has no right to treat us the way he does. I know he doesn't agree with us, but that doesn't mean he gets to keep us apart."

"He's not the only one that doesn't agree with us," Julie said. "Sky says she likes you and Ryleigh together."

"Sky has no filter."

"Ridge said it too."

"Ridge is mad. Everyone knows that."

"Conall –"

"Don't even get me started on Conall. Conall will only be happy when everyone else is miserable and alone. He's as much against Ryleigh and me as he is against you and me. There's no pleasing some people."

"True." She glanced at him. "They might be wrong about us, but that doesn't mean they're not right about you and her. They're not blind. You like her, don't you?"

He drew down his brows and put his glass on the nightstand. "We don't need to talk about this, Jules."

"I want to," she said. She smiled at him. "Come on, Aus. We have always been honest with each other. That's our thing, isn't it? There's nothing you can't say to me. So, tell me about her."

He hesitated. "Well, she's more insufferable than Ellis and more insane than Ridge, that's for sure. She drives me to madness."

"But?" she said.

"She's witty. And kind, too. Well, not to me. But to others, or so they tell me. Seth and Nate like her."

"Ridge is fond of her too. And even Sky doesn't mind her."

"She has a way of charming people," Austin said. "I'm not sure how she does it. I guess she just always knows what to say. And she talks so easily, you know? Effortlessly. I'll never get that."

Julie chuckled. "How ironic that you should get a mate who is good at socialising."

"So are you," he said, nudging her. "And you're much sweeter than she is. She's hard, unforgiving. When she looks at me sometimes..." Goosebumps rose on his arms. "She's had it tough, I think. Not that she'll tell me." He perked up. "O, actually, she told me she's from Golden Dawn."

Julie exhaled a puff of air, nearly dropping her glass. "Golden Dawn?"

"Yes. I'm not that surprised, actually. It explains why she wouldn't tell me. And it explains why she and Ridge get along so well."

"Did you talk to Ridge about it?" she asked. "Did he confirm?"

"Yes, he did. I've told Ellis and Conall, but no one else yet. I don't know how Carry will react. She really likes Ryleigh. I'm afraid this will be disillusioning for her. You know how determined she is to hate everything and everyone to do with Golden Dawn."

"Yeah, I know," Julie said. "She'll get over it, I'm sure. She'll just need a minute to progress and then it'll be fine."

"And if not, that's fine too. After all, it's just two more weeks and then Ryleigh will be gone. It might be better if Carry doesn't get too attached to her."

"Right," Julie said. "And you're still fine with that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Her leaving. You'll never see her again."

"I'm fine with that," he said, but she noticed how his jaw tightened just the slightest. He must have taken note of her scepticism, because he sighed and went on: "I mean, yes, it will be weird. The mate bond is strong. Stronger than I thought it would be. I figured it'd be pretty easy to ignore, but it's not. But that doesn't mean I'm attached to her."

"I know."

"I'm not, Jules," he said, looking at her sternly. "I'm not attached to her."

"But you like her."

"No. Well, I like her as much as the mate bond makes me like her, but nothing more than that. She intrigues me, that's true, but all we ever do is argue."

She took another sip of wine, letting the bitter taste linger in her mouth. "You weren't arguing that night in the hall."

He was quiet a moment. "No, that's true. But that was one isolated incident. We do have our moments, I'll admit that, but she enjoys it far too much to drive me to the brink of insanity."

"Well, it is fun to annoy you," she said, smiling even though she didn't feel like smiling. "I have to agree with her there."

"Sure." He chuckled and her stomach contracted at how much she loved his laugh.

She drew her legs under her and took a big swig of wine. She needed courage for where this conversation was leading. "Can I ask you something?"

His smile faltered. "Should I be afraid?"

"No. And you don't have to answer me if you don't want to."

His forehead creased and he studied her. "I'm officially afraid. But go ahead. Ask me." When she didn't, he raised his brows. "Jules, you can ask me anything."

"If you weren't with me, would you want her?" She forced the words out as fast as she could, hoping they would hurt less if she didn't add spaces between them. They didn't.

"No," he said, but all Julie heard was the breath of silence before he answered. 

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A/N: One of the shortest chapters of the book, but an important one nevertheless. How do you like Julie and Austin together? 

Thanks for reading!