I promised you. | Austin Butler

Part 12

Its a beautiful summers evening and Danielle and Brads garden gives a perfect view of a perfect sunset. The sun is still high and its shining brightly but there's that overcast of orange that lets you know in the next hour it will be getting dark, my favourite time of the day. 

I walk over to Danielle who is sat with her feet tucked underneath her, scrolling aimlessly on her phone whilst Brad is still chatting with Andrew about furniture. How these men could talk so long about something so simple was beyond me, but I gave Andrew a smile as I walk past, receiving a smile in return, and plonk myself next to my best friend with a sigh. She looks up instantly and a smile washes over her face as she locks her phone and places it at the side of her. I can tell she had already had a couple drinks before and my raised eyebrows makes her laugh as she swings herself into conversation about her week and how she's nearly handed her notice in 3 times because the pressure has been too much, to which I tell her she deserves a good holiday and she laughs with me as she says the chance will be a fine thing. 

We chat together for the next hour, Brad coming over and filling us up with more champagne the minute he see's us looking a little low in our glasses and we thank him gratefully, the bubbles causing me to relax more and more into the evening and the people I was surrounded with. We had left the boys to their own accord however not intentionally, when me and Danielle are together its always been hard to tear us apart, but any fears I had had about tonight where washed away by now. Andrew was mixing himself with Brad and Austin well, and I kept glancing over to see them all laughing together and genuinely engaging in conversation. Austin and Andrew doing that thing men did where they forever shake hands, fist bump or give each other a pat on the back when the other one says something to make the other laugh, like a mutual respect between two people who don't really know each other well but appreciate each others company. 

The dinner on Wednesday doesn't crop up but I know Danielle notices me watching the men intensely, eyes fluttering between the two men I had the deepest connections with. It was a surreal feeling to see them both together, in the same space, and I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that they seemed to be getting on so well. She doesn't say anything though, regardless of the fact I know she wants to, and I respect her for it deeply. 

The sun finally dims and a cool evening breeze washes over the garden and Danielle suggests finally joining the men, her tipsy state clearly hitting the spot where she wanted to get up and dance along to the music and rejoice in conversations with anybody and everybody. I laugh as she pulls my arm and drags me from the sofa and forces me into a sing and dance to one of our favourite songs from our teen years, resulting in a wolf whistle from Brad and laugh from both Andrew and Austin. Andrew grabs me by the waist when we finally reach them and he plants a kiss on my cheek, to which I giggle and nuzzle into him, the champagne hitting me like a ton of bricks now that I had stood up and felt the fresh air in my lungs. 

"You okay?" he whispers, as I put my arms around his neck. 

"Yeah. You?" I smile. 

"Tired" he smiles softly and I can see it in his eyes. He's been working so hard and so many extra hours recently and even though he fell asleep watching a movie last night, and then fell asleep before I even got to bed, I don't think it was enough for him. The bags under his eyes are starting to show and his voice was a little lower than normal. I peep over his shoulder to look at the watch on my arms thats placed near his neck and see its just gone half past 7, nearing only a couple of hours since we arrived but I sigh and look back at him. One more glass of champagne and I'd be at the same point as Danielle and getting me home would be a nightmare, and despite myself, I know me and Andrew had spent next to no time together over the same few weeks and I felt that I owed it him.