Austin & Beth Read Online Free PDF
Author: Emma Clark
dress, scurried to the door, hesitated and glanced behind. Austin's silhouette lay cocooned within the black comforter, muscular arms curled over his handsome head.
Mobile phone didn't wake him so I'd have to.
"Austin! Get up!"
He snored, snorted, then flopped to his side and resumed sleeping.
I palmed my forehead. Confusion muddled my thinking.
"Eh, Bethany—Beth?" he mumbled, rising upon the mattress. The quilt fell and revealed his six-pack, sweat-stained from our romp. "Baby, were you hollering a second ago?"
I fought to stay composed, though icy shivers shot along my legs. "Austin, we have to go. Now ."
Something must've tripped his mental alarms as well. He jumped to his feet, scrambled for his clothes and dressed in a fast, clumsy manner. Feathery hair swayed on his forehead as he rushed, and nearly toppled getting into his jeans.
He scooped up his mobile phone and met me near the doorway.
"Austin, Joe's gonna kill us. He's gonna kill us. I know he is." That choking bubble of panic rose to my throat and stopped my breathing. I grasped and clawed the fabric of Austin's half-buttoned shirt. "I don't know what to do! What—"
He snatched my forearms and stilled them, his tight fists huge in comparison to my stick-thin wrists.
I shut up, confused as ever.
"Beth, it's alright. Dad won't do anything. I might not like him much but he'd never hurt you. That's not something he'd do. Just—just calm down before you end up hurting the baby."
My breathing slowed. Yeah. You're probably right. Joe's never hurt me before. Why would he start now?
Austin's sensible, level-headed statement brought to light my irrational fears and squelched them. For now.
Austin released me. He placed my hand in his and questioned me with his gaze. "Remember what we planned to tell him? We were supposed to tell him tonight. I hope you haven't changed your mind on me, Beth. I love you. I can't—"
"Oh no. God no, I haven't changed my mind. I just saw how late it was, kinda went nuts and panicked." I forced a grin that likely resembled a stupid half-assed smirk. Nevertheless he cinched my hand, caressed my cheek and pecked me on the lips.
"Okay. Let's go." He led me by the hand through the doorway. After a few steps he halted. Concern flickered in his eyes.
Now what?
"I think it'd be better if we call him before leaving the cabin. Since we've been out so long, he might suspect something's going on. We should tell him now—just to get it the hell over with." Austin's quaking hand stole into his jeans pocket and fished out his mobile.
I gulped, staved off fresh panic.
Christ, Beth. Get hold of yourself. This isn't the end of the world. This is an awesome new beginning, and you're closer to living the kind of life you've dreamed of. A life without loneliness, filled with plenty of love, affection and explosive sex.
Get it together.
Even as I scolded myself I couldn't stop worrying. Call it intuition. Call it whatever the hell you wanted.
A noisy clatter startled me. Austin's phone skidded on the hard wood floor, and he himself seemed disoriented.
Austin rotated to me, his complexion paled. "I checked that earlier text. It came from Dad," he said in a tight voice. "Beth, he said he's on his way to the cabin. He knows we're here."
"Huh? How ?"
Austin wagged his head and threw his hands in the air.
"When did he leave?"
"Twenty minutes ago. He could show up any second."
My legs weakened.
And—past the hallway and beyond the fireplace mantel, I noticed an empty spot on the wall. Something should've been hanging there. My mind drew a blank and couldn't recollect the missing object.
Austin started for the front room. I followed, paused at the end of the corridor, and blood drained from my face.
With only the back of his brown hair visible, someone perched on the sofa.
"Joe?" I asked. He didn't move.
" Joe ?" Still nothing.
I tossed a glance at Austin. He shrugged, clutched my hand to lure me in the living area. But god I didn't
Mobile phone didn't wake him so I'd have to.
"Austin! Get up!"
He snored, snorted, then flopped to his side and resumed sleeping.
I palmed my forehead. Confusion muddled my thinking.
"Eh, Bethany—Beth?" he mumbled, rising upon the mattress. The quilt fell and revealed his six-pack, sweat-stained from our romp. "Baby, were you hollering a second ago?"
I fought to stay composed, though icy shivers shot along my legs. "Austin, we have to go. Now ."
Something must've tripped his mental alarms as well. He jumped to his feet, scrambled for his clothes and dressed in a fast, clumsy manner. Feathery hair swayed on his forehead as he rushed, and nearly toppled getting into his jeans.
He scooped up his mobile phone and met me near the doorway.
"Austin, Joe's gonna kill us. He's gonna kill us. I know he is." That choking bubble of panic rose to my throat and stopped my breathing. I grasped and clawed the fabric of Austin's half-buttoned shirt. "I don't know what to do! What—"
He snatched my forearms and stilled them, his tight fists huge in comparison to my stick-thin wrists.
I shut up, confused as ever.
"Beth, it's alright. Dad won't do anything. I might not like him much but he'd never hurt you. That's not something he'd do. Just—just calm down before you end up hurting the baby."
My breathing slowed. Yeah. You're probably right. Joe's never hurt me before. Why would he start now?
Austin's sensible, level-headed statement brought to light my irrational fears and squelched them. For now.
Austin released me. He placed my hand in his and questioned me with his gaze. "Remember what we planned to tell him? We were supposed to tell him tonight. I hope you haven't changed your mind on me, Beth. I love you. I can't—"
"Oh no. God no, I haven't changed my mind. I just saw how late it was, kinda went nuts and panicked." I forced a grin that likely resembled a stupid half-assed smirk. Nevertheless he cinched my hand, caressed my cheek and pecked me on the lips.
"Okay. Let's go." He led me by the hand through the doorway. After a few steps he halted. Concern flickered in his eyes.
Now what?
"I think it'd be better if we call him before leaving the cabin. Since we've been out so long, he might suspect something's going on. We should tell him now—just to get it the hell over with." Austin's quaking hand stole into his jeans pocket and fished out his mobile.
I gulped, staved off fresh panic.
Christ, Beth. Get hold of yourself. This isn't the end of the world. This is an awesome new beginning, and you're closer to living the kind of life you've dreamed of. A life without loneliness, filled with plenty of love, affection and explosive sex.
Get it together.
Even as I scolded myself I couldn't stop worrying. Call it intuition. Call it whatever the hell you wanted.
A noisy clatter startled me. Austin's phone skidded on the hard wood floor, and he himself seemed disoriented.
Austin rotated to me, his complexion paled. "I checked that earlier text. It came from Dad," he said in a tight voice. "Beth, he said he's on his way to the cabin. He knows we're here."
"Huh? How ?"
Austin wagged his head and threw his hands in the air.
"When did he leave?"
"Twenty minutes ago. He could show up any second."
My legs weakened.
And—past the hallway and beyond the fireplace mantel, I noticed an empty spot on the wall. Something should've been hanging there. My mind drew a blank and couldn't recollect the missing object.
Austin started for the front room. I followed, paused at the end of the corridor, and blood drained from my face.
With only the back of his brown hair visible, someone perched on the sofa.
"Joe?" I asked. He didn't move.
" Joe ?" Still nothing.
I tossed a glance at Austin. He shrugged, clutched my hand to lure me in the living area. But god I didn't