Waking up without the sound of glass breaking or Mom pounding at my bedroom door, hollering about cash and booze, was weird. Nice. Nerve-wrecking.

It felt like the calm before the storm. So eerily quiet and calm, that I was almost scared to get out of bed and risk breaking the silence. The only thing that finally motivated me into throwing off the covers and hopping in the shower was a text from Austin telling me that he'd pick me up at noon for our date.

I was both excited and nervous for today. It's funny how just a month ago I was punching frat guys in the face at O'Nelly's and cleaning up Mom's vomit every night, and now I've got a job at Vice, peace and quiet for the first time in six months, and feelings for a guy I never saw coming.

At eleven o'clock, I pad into the kitchen with dripping wet hair and happily start the coffee machine. A glance around the semi-tidy kitchen and living room, no empty whiskey bottles in sight, sends a happy thrill up my spine.

This is how it should be, I think to myself. I just hope it can stay this way.

While the coffee brews, I take advantage of the peacefulness and indulge in something I haven't been able to do for myself in so long — I cook breakfast. Or, brunch, since it's 11 A.M.

I switch on the old faithful radio and quietly sing along to Bon Jovi while I scramble up eggs and fry sausage. I pile my plate high and set aside a separate one, covered by a paper towel, for Savannah once she wakes up.

Five seconds after I sit down at the kitchen table and pick up my fork, three sharp knocks ring out against the front door. Immediately, my entire body tenses and I'm on high alert.

I mentally curse myself for letting my guard down and brace myself for what's sure to be on the other side of the door — my mother.

Instead, Sidney greets me on the other side clad in a cute romper and a backpack hanging off of one shoulder.

I stare at her in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Before I tell you, I just have one question," she says.

I raise an eyebrow, which she takes as her cue to continue.

"What were you planning on wearing for your date today?"

I sigh when I realize what she's up to and step back, holding the door open for her. "If I tell you, you'll have a coronary fit," I grumble.

"Which is why I'm here!" she chirps.

I lock the door behind her and sit back down at the table. I take a bite of eggs while Sidney pours herself a cup of coffee.

"Damn, it's quiet in here," she remarks.

"Never thought I'd see the day," I sigh happily. "So, what'd you bring for me?"

She plops the backpack in the chair beside me and begins rifling through it. "An array of options. Do you know where he's taking you?"

"No clue. He just told me we'll be outside. How hot is it out there, today?"

She smiles. "High of 75. You got lucky. So did I, because I have the cutest dress that would look great on you."

"A dress?" I cringe.

She pulls out a red, balled up piece of fabric and tosses it on my lap. "Try it on when you're done eating. I think you'll like it. So will he."

"Yes ma'am," I salute her.

"Holy shit, you cooked?" Savannah's voice rings out from down the hall. She appears in the entryway with bleary eyes and messy hair, clothes rumpled from sleep.

I roll my eyes. "Amazing what you can do when you're not babysitting a grown woman, huh? I left some food for you on the stove."

"So, today's the big day, huh?" She smirks.

I groan. "Why do you two keep acting like it's my wedding day?"

"Play your cards right and one day it will be," Savannah snorts.

Sidney laughs. "I can't wait to meet this guy."

I furrow my brows. "Sid, you've seen him multiple times at the diner."

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but I never got to formally introduce myself as your best friend and bodyguard. I've gotta grill him with questions and threaten him."

"Please don't," I plead. "You'll scare him away."

"I'll scare him away?!" she guffaws. "Aria, the man sat at the hospital with you for hours while your mom was wasted and being stitched up in the E.R. If that didn't scare him off, nothing will."

"She's right," Savannah agrees with a mouth full of eggs. "The dude is seriously into you. Don't know why, but he is."

"Thanks," I roll my eyes, but I cant hide the smile pulling at my lips. They're right, and I think that's why I like him so much, so soon. Any other guy wouldn't come near me with a ten foot pole after hearing about my baggage, but, for some reason, it didn't deter Austin one bit.

"Okay," I sigh loudly. "I'm gonna get dressed."

They whoop loudly as I push my chair back and disappear into the bathroom. I hold the dress out in front of my body and can't deny that it's cute. It's red and off-the-shoulder, with a white floral pattern.

Nerves begin to sink in as I pull off my oversized t-shirt and slip the dress on. It falls a little bit above my knees and hugs my curves nicely. The pale red color even shows off the slight tan I've gotten from my walks to work under the brutal sun rays. I smooth my hands down the soft fabric and take a deep breath.

There's no reason to be nervous, I remind myself. This is Austin; you don't have to be anyone but yourself.

My hair dried into loose waves after my shower, so I don't bother with styling it. Instead, I pin half of it up in a bun in a sort of half-up half-down hairstyle. Loose strands of hair frame my face nicely, and I find myself smiling at my appearance. I swipe on a few coats of mascara, put on some lip gloss, and step back from the mirror. I feel pretty, and light, in a way. Relaxed. Content.

When I step outside of the bathroom, a flash goes off.

"The fuck?" I mumble, shielding my eyes.

"He's gonna fall on his ass when he sees you," Sidney exclaims.

"You look so pretty," Sav gushes.

"Thank you," I murmur sheepishly. "It's not too much?"

Simultaneously, they say, "It's perfect."

My cheeks heat up at the attention and I side step them so I can get to my room. I slip on a cute pair of strappy sandals, spray some perfume, and when I look at my phone, I see a text from Austin saying he'll be here in twenty minutes.

"He's on his way," I announce nervously.

Sav laughs and pats my shoulder. "No backing out now."

It's fine. I'm fine. I can do this. I repeat this mantra for the next eighteen minutes (not that I'm counting, or anything) and when a loud knock rings out against the front door, everything I'd repeated to myself vanishes.

"I can't," I blurt out from my spot on the couch. Sidney ignores me and runs for the front door.

"Yes, you can," Sav says sternly.

"You must be Austin! It's nice to finally meet you," Sidney says loudly.

"Why is she acting like my parent on prom night?" I mutter to Sav.

She sighs loudly. "Just let her have her moment."

I groan and stand, smoothing my hands down the fabric of my dress nervously. It's fine. It's just a date. With Austin. Who— woah, looks really good.

Only Austin Delaney can make a plain black t-shirt and jeans look good.

"Hey," he grins, eyes raking my frame. "You look beautiful."

Cue butterflies.

"Thank you," I murmur.

"So, Austin, how many sexual partners have you had in the last three months?" Sidney asks.

"And that's our cue to leave," I announce loudly. I pick up my purse from the couch and step towards Austin, who instead of looking repulsed, looks amused. "Ready to go?"

"Have fun!" Sav calls out as we bound down the porch steps.

"Use protec-" Sidney starts, but the front door thankfully cuts her off mid-sentence. Remind me to thank Sav for that later.

Austin opens the passenger side door for me, and once we're both safely buckled in, I turn to him and ask, "Where are we going?"

He smiles. "You ever been to a Botanical Garden?"

"No," I say slowly. "What is it?"

"Basically a giant garden. The one in Memphis has around seventeen acres of flowers, plants, lakes, and wildlife. There's also an art museum on the property if you want to check it out, but I thought we could walk around and then have a late lunch by the lake, if you're up for it," He explains, hitching his thumb towards the back seat of his Jeep, where a cooler sits.

A grin tugs at my lips. "That sounds really fun. What made you choose this place?"

He glances at me briefly before looking back at the road. "My mom didn't like to leave the house much. She worked from home, and when she wasn't working, she was gardening. She loved it. Always had the window sills full of planters, and one year she grew sunflowers so tall they nearly touched the roof of our house. Whenever her and I would have disagreements, we'd completely ignore each other. In order to break the silent treatment, I'd go outside and just start tending to the flowers with her. I'd finally get her to break when I'd do something wrong, because she would unintentionally correct me and demand I do it the right way. Plus, gardens are pretty. Who doesn't like flowers."

I smile. "People who have allergies."

He chuckles, visibly relaxing in his seat after sharing such a personal detail. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Five minutes later, Austin turns down a dirt road with trees lined on each side of the driveway. In the distance, I see a huge parking lot scattered with cars. To the right, a rustic, colonial style building sits tall with a huge fountain out front. It's beautiful, and even from the car I can tell there's a tranquil vibe about the place.

Austin parks, hops out, and opens my door for me. I stand patiently beside the Jeep while he grabs the cooler from the backseat. "Ready?" he asks, holding out his free hand. I place mine in his and he promptly laces our fingers. I nod eagerly.

We pass various strangers on our way to the main building. Families, some small, some big, elderly couples, couples who look the same age as Austin and I, all chatter away happily, taking photos and watching the Koi fish in the fountain.

"This is nice," I state, squeezing his hand.

"We haven't even gotten to the good stuff, yet," he teases. I laugh softly and follow him up the stairs of the building.

Inside, there's a large counter smack dab in the middle of the place, informing us where to pay our admission. I reluctantly let Austin pay for both of us, and tell him, "You have to let me buy you something from the gift shop, then."

He glances to our left. "We'll get something for Savannah too."

And with that sentence alone, I confirm that I 100%, without a doubt, could fall in love with this man.

——

An hour later, stomachs full of sandwiches, fruit, and wine, Austin and I lay sprawled out in the grass, away from tourists.

"You seriously cannot tell me that doesn't look like a taco," I exclaim, playfully slapping his chest.

Austin laughs and squints his eyes, even going so far as to tilting his head in concentration as he studies the sky. "It just looks like a random ball of fluff."

"It's a taco," I say firmly.

"Alright, well that's a boot," He points, arm stretching across my face, blocking my view of the white clouds.

I push his arm down and tilt my head. "I see it."

"You wanna head to the gift shop now?" He asks.

"In a minute," I murmur, closing my eyes. "I'm too comfortable to move."

"You better not fall asleep on me. That'd be insulting," he teases.

I jolt upwards when I feel him poke my side. "Oh, you're ticklish," he taunts, amused.

I grab both of his wrists and pin them to his chest. I attempt to stifle the smile threatening to break across my face, but it's useless when he looks up at me with mischievous eyes and a smile of his own.

"This isn't gonna be one of those cute moments where you tickle me and I laugh uncontrollably, because if you do, I might accidentally pee on you," I state seriously.

He laughs loudly. "I'll get you when you least expect it."

I purse my lips and quietly murmur, "You already did."

Austin exhales loudly. Two beats of silence pass and then he murmurs, "You're the prettiest woman I've ever seen. You know that?"

I flush crimson and duck my head, focusing intently on the bright colors inked into his arms.

"You are," he murmurs. "And the way you look right now is driving me insane."

My head snaps up in shock and nerves tingle in my belly. "How?"

"You look really happy. You deserve to look like this forever," he states, his voice hushed.

There's no one besides us lounging in this area of the Gardens; just us, a small lake to our right, and the floral archway leading to this exact location.

"I don't know if I will be. I wish I could," I tell him honestly.

"Doesn't hurt to try," he says.

Before I can agree with him, he breaks one of his wrists free, startling me because I'd forgotten I'd even had them in my grip, and reaches forward, slipping his hand to the back of my neck. His fingers tangle in the strands of my hair, tousled from the slight breeze. When he tugs my head down, I meet him halfway and crash my lips onto his.

There's no way to describe my first kiss with Austin other than warmth. From the first hurried brush of his lips against mine, warmth floods my body. A tingly feeling takes over, starting from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. We kiss slowly, deeply, unhurried. I dip my head lower and angle it to the side, and he slips his tongue into my mouth, exploring.

His other hand brushes against my waist, and I make no complaints when he tugs me across his body. My knees touch the soft blades of grass on either side of his hips, and my palms grasp his stubble-covered cheeks.

We break apart in sync, both of us breathing heavily. My heart thumps wildly in my chest, and I know my cheeks are flushed. I turn my head and rest it in the crook of his neck, smiling softly when his hands brush up and down each side of my hips.

"I think we can go to the gift shop now," I murmur teasingly.

Austin chuckles and squeezes my hip. "In a minute. I need to calm down first."

I sit up and smirk down at him, slightly moving my lower half over the obvious tent in his pants. He groans softly.

"Come on," I slap his chest. I push up off of my knees and stand up, brushing the blades of grass off of my shins. "Let's see if we can get a keychain for Sav."

"You're gonna be the death of me," he mumbles playfully.

——

❤️