Free Fated by Nicole Tetterton Page B

it when I said only kissing for tonight, and if you keep that up I won’t be able to help myself. Goodnight,” he pulls back and kisses me on the forehead.
    “Goodnight,” I say as I walk in through the odor. I shut it quietly and as I pass the dining room I see my mother sitting, waiting for me; almost like I missed curfew.
    “Sophie,” she says stopping me in my place.
    “Mom,” I turn and look at her.
    “Sit, please,” I obey for the first time in my life and I think that it shocks her just as much as it shocks me. “Have you been gone with Austin all afternoon?” I nod my head, telling her that I have. She smiles, “He’s a very handsome man.” She says and I again nod my head. “Do you like him?” I look at her confused because she has never once asked me about any interest that I have had in guys.
    “Mom, this thing with Joe and I just happened, I think it’s a little soon to like anyone, don’t you?”
    “No,” she smiles at me, “I never thought you loved Joe, I think you were more in love with the idea of being in love.” It shocks me that after all this time that I thought she didn’t know me she knew me better than anyone, maybe even myself.
    “That’s probably true.” I tell her and I think that she laughs because she knows it’s my way of telling her that she is right.
    “Austin though, he seems to care for you a lot, not like any other girl.” She adds.
    “How do you know that?” I ask her.
    “Oh, sweetheart, before your father I had an Austin only his name was Ryan and he was a drummer to one of the bands that I went to see in college, we had a whirlwind romance one summer until he left for a tour.”
    “Did he cheat on you?” I struggle trying to say.
    “No, we got into a fight when he was in California, and I broke up with him, a couple of days later I met your father, and by the time that Ryan came back for me, we were already engaged. He confessed to me he should have fought harder for me, but he couldn’t break up a wedding and I let him leave town for good. I have no idea what ever happened to him either.” She looks away almost slightly sad for a moment.
    “Do you regret it? Letting him leave that is.” I ask her not caring if it’s inappropriate.
    “I never regret you girls.” She tells me and then looks up the stairs, “But sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I would have fought for him. If I wouldn’t have given up on us, but I was young and vulnerable and I knew that I could never compete with the thousands of girls that would throw themselves at him.” She didn’t need to look at me to know that it was the way that I felt about trying to be with Austin, “You don’t want that feeling of waking up one day and wonder the what-ifs. You only get one life you deserve to be happy.” She looks back at me, and I am taken a back when I realize that those are the same words that I told Austin about his job, she was the one that taught me that. “I’m sorry for what Joe put you through and just let me know if there is anything that I can do to help you through it.”
    “Thanks, mom,” I tell her and I get up from the table and walk up to my bedroom walking out onto the balcony and thinking to myself that Austin told me just this morning that he could see my from his house, and then almost like he knows that I am thinking about him I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and I look to it.
    Austin: You look beautiful standing in the moonlight.
    I turn to look towards his house and I see him standing on his balcony looking at me.

Chapter Eight
     
     
    I’m lying on the beach a few days after Christmas, tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and I am not looking forward to spending more time with my father. We had gotten into another argument yesterday that led me to spend the rest of the day at Austin’s house. My mother and I have been getting along much better in the few days that they have been here, and I couldn’t wait until after New Year’s