CHAPTER 103

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"I'm sorry," I said, running my hand over his soaked shirt. "I didn't know it would rain tonight."

Austin let out a small sigh, shaking his head. "It's not like you control the weather, Chase. It's fine."

But I could see him shivering slightly, his arms wrapping around himself for warmth. The rain poured harder, drenching us completely, and the streetlights flickered against the wet pavement.

"We need to find shelter," I said, scanning the area. "We can't bike back like this."

"But we can't stay here longer. We need to find a way to go back. Your grandma might be looking for us." He said.

"But how? We can’t ride our bikes in this weather," I said, looking at Austin, who was already shivering slightly.

"Then let's just run back," he suggested, but I could tell he wasn’t too thrilled about the idea either.

I shook my head. "You'll catch a cold."

He rolled his eyes. "And staying here will magically dry us off?"

For a moment, we stood there, the sound of the rain filling the silence between us. I could see the tension in his face—something was bothering him, but he wouldn’t say what.

I hesitated before reaching out, placing my hand gently on his wrist. "Austin... if there's something on your mind, you know you can tell me, right?"

He looked at me, his expression unreadable. Then, he pulled his wrist away and sighed. "What are you talking about? I'm fine."

But I wasn't buying. Something was really off. What did I do?

"I think there's a small house over there. Maybe we can go there," Austin said, pointing to a small wooden house not far from where we stood.

I followed Austin’s gaze to the small wooden house a short distance away. The rain continued pouring heavily, soaking us even more by the second.

"Okay. Let's go there," I said, offering my hand to him.

He hesitated for a moment before taking it, and we ran toward the house, splashing through puddles as the cold rain hit our skin. When we reached the front, I knocked on the door, but there was no response.

"It looks abandoned," Austin said, brushing his wet hair back.

I tried the door handle, and to my surprise, it creaked open. The inside was dimly lit by the faint glow of a lantern left on a wooden table. It was a simple space—just a few chairs, a fireplace, and a bed in the corner, covered with a dusty blanket.

"We should stay here until the rain stops," I said, stepping inside and squeezing the water from my sleeves.

Austin followed, rubbing his arms. He was shivering. "Yeah, but it's freezing in here."

I looked around and spotted a few pieces of wood stacked near the fireplace. "I'll try to light this up. Maybe it'll help warm us up."

He nodded and sat down on one of the chairs, watching as I worked on getting the fire going. As the flames flickered to life, the warmth started filling the space, casting shadows on the walls.

I turned to Austin, who was hugging himself for warmth. "Come closer," I said, patting the spot next to me by the fire.

He hesitated again but eventually moved, sitting close enough that our shoulders brushed. I glanced at him, seeing the way the firelight reflected in his eyes.

He looked deep in thought, distant.

"You can talk to me, you know," I said softly, watching the way the firelight flickered in his eyes. "Whatever's on your mind."

Austin didn’t look at me. He kept his gaze fixed on the flames, his jaw tightening slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I know something is off," I pressed. "What did I do?"

"Nothing." His response was quick, almost too quick.

I sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I'm not buying it."

"Then don't," he shot back, his tone clipped.

I stared at him, trying to understand what was going on in his head. He was usually more open with me—or at least, he didn’t act this distant. This wasn’t like him.

"Austin," I called his name gently. "If something's bothering you, you don’t have to keep it to yourself."

He let out a quiet sigh, finally turning his head slightly toward me, but his expression was unreadable. "It’s nothing, Chase. Just drop it."

The way he said my name, the way his voice sounded almost tired, made my chest tighten. I wanted to push, to make him talk, but I also knew Austin well enough to realize he wouldn’t say anything unless he wanted to.

So instead, I nodded slowly. "Okay… but just know, I'm here. No matter what it is."

Austin didn’t respond. He just looked back at the fire, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing against the fabric of his soaked sleeve.

The rain outside continued to pour, the wind howling softly against the wooden walls of the small house. The warmth from the fire filled the room, but between us, the silence was cold.

\-

**AUSTIN's POV**

Silence wrapped us inside this wooden house, the only sounds coming from the crackling fire and the rain pounding against the roof. I sat still, staring at the flames, my thoughts a mess.

I don’t even know what's happening to me. I just... I feel annoyed about that boy Chase talked about earlier.

The way he spoke about him, the way his eyes softened with nostalgia—it bothered me.

*Am I jealous?*

I clenched my fists slightly, frustrated with myself. That doesn’t make any sense. Why would I be jealous? That was a boy from his past, someone he clearly cared about, but—

I sighed, rubbing my temple.

"Are you still cold?" Chase's voice suddenly broke through the silence.

I looked at him. His hair was still damp from the rain, his clothes clinging to him. He was shivering slightly, but his eyes were filled with concern—for me.

I shook my head. "No. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He scooted a little closer, his warmth barely brushing against me.

I swallowed. "Yeah."

Chase didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he turned back to the fire, crossing his arms across his chest.

I sighed again, this time softer.

I secretly glanced at him, feeling a pang of guilt for my attitude. He didn’t deserve this—he never did. And yet, as much as I wanted to talk to him properly, I just couldn’t shake off this feeling of annoyance.

Tss.

The rain continued to pour outside, filling the silence between us, but then—

"I'm sorry," he suddenly spoke, his voice soft yet firm.

I furrowed my brows, turning to look at him. "For what?"

"Just… I wanted to say sorry. Maybe I did something wrong."

I stared at him, watching the way he nervously fidgeted with his hands, avoiding my gaze. He really thought this was his fault?

*Damn it.*

I sighed, leaning back against the wooden wall. "You didn’t do anything wrong, Chase."

"Then why are you upset?" He asked, finally looking at me. His eyes held nothing but concern.

I hesitated. *Should I tell him? Should I even bring it up?*

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