The Allies of Old, Book Two- Renewal: Chapter Twelve "Timely Interruption"

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If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Chapter Twelve

The door to their room opened with a bang and Will stumbled in with the redhead in tow. Austin quickly pulled a blanket over them. “Yo, dude what’re you doin’?”

Will blinked his eyes trying to make them focus. “Oh shit, ‘m I in the wrong room?” he slurred and the woman giggled.

“Uh, yeah man,” Austin snickered.

“Sorry ‘bout that, we’ll jus’ go next door then.” He pointed at the wall and laughed, doubling over and holding his knees.

“He is waaassted!” The woman declared in a slightly shrill voice. She grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him towards the door but he caught his foot on a chair and nearly went down. This caused them both to fall into a fit of hysterics and Anna found herself giggling from beneath Austin’s body.

“Maybe I should help him out,” Austin suggested with a grin. She nodded and he lifted off her.

The absence of his body weight brought reality crashing down. Oh God, what am I doing? I haven’t thought this through. She reached behind her back and refastened her bra, straightening her skirt out.
Austin came back in the room and stopped in the middle of the floor at her apologetic expression. He shook his head and came towards her slowly as if afraid he would frighten her away if he moved too fast. He sat down beside her and studied her face. “I take it we’re stopping,” he said quietly.

She nodded and he turned away.

“Are you still waiting for the earthshaking vampire?” he asked without looking at her.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I’m confused which is nothing new.”

He looked down at her. “Don’t you think the fact that we keep ending up in these situations has to mean something? I mean, what are the chances that the medallion worked for me? And besides, you want me. You always respond.”

“I want you huh?” she teased.

“Don’t do that. Don’t make light of this right now, I’m serious.”

She sighed noisily. “I know you are, but I just…I don’t fucking know! In a way I think you’re right, but then…Austin you’ll live longer now, but still not as long as me. Not even close.”

“Christ, you make it sound like…I mean if you love me it shouldn’t matter how long we have. Look at your dad! He had what? Twenty years with your mom, and even if he were to live forever he wouldn’t wish he’d never been with her.”

“You’re right.”

“I…what?”

Anna sighed. “You’re right, what you just said is right. But the problem is…I don’t know if you’re the one. I love you, of course I do, but…I don’t know.”

He stood up and nodded. “Fine. Fuck, I’m so sick of this. Why can’t you make up your mind? I swear to God it would be easier if you didn’t kiss me back. If you pushed me away and told me “I just don’t feel that way about you,” or “I’m just not attracted to you” but you don’t, you hold me at bay and then you let me in and drive me up a fucking wall!”

His words hit her like darts because they were true and at the moment she felt like the world’s biggest bitch. She almost wanted to concede, to let him take her just so she didn’t have to feel so guilty about leading him on.

“Nothing? You’ve got nothing to say?”

“What do you want me to say, I already said you’re right. I’m a bitch, a cock tease, a lousy person, a worse friend, fickle, screwed up, selfish. Did I get everything?” she asked wearily. At least she wasn’t going to cry for once, though she felt terrible and her head was starting to pound.

He looked at her like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to deny her words or yell some more. He opted for silence and stretched out on the other bed. She wished she could go to him and just hold him, but she knew right now he would either push her away or make another try for something else.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Austin barked.

“It’s Jenna…" she said through the door, "uh, I would go next door but it’s occupied. If you want I’ll see if I can get another room, I just need to get my stuff…”

Austin opened the door and swung it wide. “No need for another room. In fact I think I should be the one doing that.”

Jenna swung her gaze to Anna then back at him.

“But I’m too fucking tired tonight, so I’m just going to sleep and pretend she’s not in the next bed.” He turned and flopped back down.

Jenna was about to shut the door when Josh popped his head in. “Hey guys…think I can bunk with you? The dumbass brought that girl to our room, usually he’s considerate enough to either get another one or go to their place...

“But he was super wasted,” Anna stated, “and I don’t think he’ll remember how he even got there let alone anything else.”

“Exactly.”

“Of course you can stay with us,” Jenna told him.

“Cool.” He shut the door and took a few steps into the room then noticed Austin scowling.

“Not okay with you man?”

Jenna grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed Anna was sitting on. “Don’t mind him, he just has blue balls.”

Anna blushed guiltily.

“Oh that wasn’t very nice of you,” he scolded Anna with a grin as he plopped down beside her.

Austin made a sound like a growl and pulled a pillow over his head.

Josh took off his shoes and Anna moved over so he and Jenna could squeeze in. She quickly found out that while two in a double bed was cozy three was…not so much. She heard Jenna shifting all around on her side of the bed, then Josh switched around so his feet was in their faces, then she decided it might be better if she just slept between his legs to give Jenna more room…

She glanced over at Austin who was observing them with narrowed eyes. He propped up on his elbow and glared at her. “You’re a pain in my nuts. Literally. Get your ass over here.” She climbed over Josh and slid off the bed.

“Ahh,” Jenna sighed, “Much better.” Josh grunted in agreement.

Austin opened up the blanket still looking at her like he’d much rather slap her face then make her comfortable.

She climbed in beside him. “It’s not healthy to go to sleep angry,” she whispered.

He narrowed his eyes even further then rolled over to face the other way.

She stared at his back for a minute then reached out and put a hand on his arm which he promptly shook off. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “and you’re doubtless sick of hearing that, but it’s true.”

He still didn’t respond so she decided to play dirty. Still whispering she told him, “Even though I’m not willing to go the full distance, I’m not opposed to the things we used to do.”

That got him to turn around, eyebrow raised.

“I may have lost my virginity but it was not in a way I would have chosen, in fact I didn’t have a lot of choice and I think it’s a little unfair for you to expect me to give it up now just because of that.”

“You think I expect it?” He looked annoyed and hurt.

“Come on, where else was that leading?”

“Okay. I would like for it to happen, I would not be male if I didn’t try for it. That does not mean I expect it.”

“Then why are you so pissed?”

“You think it’s because we didn’t have sex, seriously?” he looked incredulous. “I’m sorry but were you not a participant in our conversation? The one where, as usual, you don’t know what the fuck you want?”

They were both still whispering, yet somehow Austin managed to sound like he was yelling and Anna felt the betraying moisture gather in her eyes. Once upon a time she had really liked who she was as a person. But over the past several months she had lied and deceived and hurt people more times than in her entire life put together. And even knowing it she couldn’t seem to stop. The tears forced their way out and she bent her head to hide them.

“Don’t,” he said putting his hand under her chin. “I’m sorry...”

“No. Don’t be sorry, please, I don’t deserve your apology. I’m the cause of my own pain, not you, especially not you,” she whispered swiping her eyes.

He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her which of course made her effort not to cry impossible. He rocked her a little while she shook and she wanted to scream at him not to comfort her, not to be so nice. But she didn’t, she soaked up his warmth like the selfish creature she’d become.

“I shouldn’t be pushing you so hard on this,” he whispered, “you can’t help it if you’re confused, I know you aren’t intentionally screwing with me, I know you’re not playing games. Let’s just go to sleep, okay?”

**

The next morning Will burst into the room startling the four of them awake.

“Everybody up!” he commanded.

“What’s going on bro?” Josh sat up in alarm.

“Dad called, actually scratch that…girls you can stay in bed, I just need Josh and Austin for this.”

The guys were out of bed and dressed in less than a minute.

“Wait! Tell us what’s going on.” Anna dropped her legs over the side of the bed.

“Look, we’ll call and fill you in, there’s a time constraint on this one.”

Anna and Jenna exchanged a bewildered look as the guys shot out of the room.

“What just happened, because it happened really fast!” Jenna rubbed her eyes.

“I don’t know…but Will’s starting his car as we speak.”

“What are they saying?”

Anna was concentrating but apparently Will wasn’t explaining yet, all she could hear was his motor and loud rock music as the cuda drove out of earshot.

She shook her head, “Nothing, and now they’re gone.”

“Well that was weird!”

“Yeah. I think I’m going back to sleep.”

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