𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | AUSTIN BUTLER

chapter thirteen | sunshine

I never thought I would be back here. Rainy summers in Florida. The "I live where you vacation" statement is bullshit. This isn't a vacation, this is Mims.

You make it to Miami and you've got the parties, the clubbing until 7 a.m., the drugs, and the endless traffic, then comes Orlando, the city of tourists, clubbing, endless traffic, and drugs.

Then you have Mims. Mims is a tiny town with a lot of the area being woods, swamps, and groves. It's a rural area where everybody knows everybody and small town gossip is no stranger around here.

You won't find much to do around except maybe the beach but other than that most people will get drunk or simply do each other.

My first day back my mother greats me with a giant barbecue with all my family, as if there was something to celebrate. I have to entertain my aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, nieces, and even the neighbors.

I settle into my childhood room, it's not too bad but you can definitely tell a teenager lived here. Blue walls and a giant SZA poster.

I already miss my life in California. I miss Maya, I miss the bookstore, I miss Robin, I even miss my stupid cubicle job. I can't lie I miss Austin's condo and I can't believe no one is there to enjoy it.

I spend my days at the beach, with my family every weekend, and still looking for a job.

*

About three months later I finally found a job that I believe was made for me. You're looking at Sweet Bliss Events newest assistant wedding planner. The company is based out of California but it is remote, so I can work from anywhere, even if I wanted to move back to Cali.

I've stayed off of social media and Robin says I "fell off the face of the earth." To be honest I just don't want to see anything that might hurt me. It's hard not to think about Austin. It was definitely hard to not call him and tell him about my new job, knowing he would be so proud of me.

The time we spent together in Australia was lovely, then all of a sudden I wasn't enough for him. It's broken me to the core, I cried for a week, I couldn't eat, sleep or drink. I became physically ill. It sent me into an anxious spiral, feeling awful each and every day.

I chose to go no contact after not hearing from him for a week after I found out he was seeing Olivia. I told him everything on my mind, how hurt I was, sent him all the photos of our time together and told him to just forget about me.

I'm still not in a good place, I know I need to accept it's over, but I just don't want to let him go.

I started seeing my old high school boyfriend again on the weekends to try and get some relief but it just made it worst. No one can fuck me the way Austin did.

*

Another three months pass and I got assigned a traveling work order to California, I was needed there to plan a big influencer wedding with over three hundred guests.

Thankfully everything was already paid for, my travel expenses, my hotel, even my meals. I really love having this company card in my name.

I told Robin that I was going to be in town for two weeks and she was ecstatic. I even made plans with Maya to go to lunch. I know she's going to talk to me about Austin but I think I'm finally prepared.

My Uber makes it to MCO airport and I am definitely not a stranger to this flight at this point. I could probably fly this plane my damn self.

We make it to California and I take my Uber to my hotel. It feels good to finally be back.

I open up my email as I wait in line to check in and I see the headline "72 HOURS AGO.. AUSTIN BUTLER SPOTTED.." Of course I have to open it don't you know who I am?