Austin & Beth (4 page)

"
Ah, Beth, I wish—I could stay inside you. Fill you with cum again and again
." Banging. Slamming. "
Baby, I'd never get out of bed
."

Joined bodies writhed, struggled, shuddered. I cinched his thighs within my legs as a signal to slow his moves. I didn't want this to end.

He didn't slow down. He fucked faster. My legs weren't strong enough to halt him. The more I tried,
the rougher he fucked.

"Oh Beth!"
His cries pitched to a crescendo along with his banging. His sweaty, gleaming hips crashed into me without mercy or pause. "Come on, baby. I wanna get you off, satisfy you.
Give you the ultimate fuck of your life
." 

Austin's slams elevated me to a sweltering precipice. My clit spasmed in exquisite release. Flailing, twisting from head to toe, I stabbed my nails into his flesh, wept and whined in our shared moment of euphoria.

"Oh, oh
fuck
, I feel you coming
.
" Austin crept forward, pushed and jammed the head of his cock to my innermost depths, grinding his pelvis and enhancing the climactic impact, bringing me to heights
so
high I thought I'd never return to earth. Torturous sensations started deep in my pussy and flared throughout.

That blinding, crushing orgasm dwindled and initially settled me into a tranquil state.

Austin's cock tensed. "
No, godammit! Don't come.
" He gasped, paused in mid-thrust, held in his climax. Stubborn and determined to prolong our inevitable departure, prolong our fantastic torture—before the
actual
torture begins.

"
Oh, oh, god hell no. Shit. Here it comes
—" His cock stiffened, expanded. Austin's body shifted to turbo and he thrust and fucked in hellish fury, panting, rattling the bed frame. Pulses vibrated my pussy as his cock spewed and spewed.

And spewed.

"
Yes! Christ, yes. Fuck, fuck. Almighty FUCK
." He shouted through his orgasm, pounding in crushing speed. "
Damn, Beth... Sweet Jesus! Oh oh oh oh oh oh
.
I love you, I love you. I love you
."

I closed my eyes, listened.

Austin's shouts faded. He exhaled a shaky sigh, pulled out and flopped next to me. Disappointment shadowed his features. He draped an arm over his eyes.

"I wish it'd lasted longer," he said.

"It'd never be long enough. Not even if you lasted three hours."

He snorted. "Shit. I
wish
I could last three hours."

You and me both.

But alas, our sex session was over. Done. Now we had to face whatever came next. I had to face Joe with the horrid truth, then brace myself for the consequences. Potential consequences of which Austin and I hadn't discussed.

I rolled to the side, tucked an arm beneath my head and gazed at Austin.

"Austin?"

"Hm?"

"What's going to happen to us? I mean—what if Joe stops paying your tuition or something? I'd hate for that to happen."

"Whatever it takes. He can do whatever he wants because as long as I'm with you, nothing else matters. I can easily get a job and pay for my own education. You know? What's the point in worrying about it? I just want to
be
with you, Beth. I want to take care of our baby. Screw everything else." He lowered his arm, shrugged and turned his head to meet my gaze.

"What if we're not making the right decision?" If we weren't, however, I didn't want to know about it. Ignorance truly
was
bliss.

"I know what's in my heart," he said. "You know what's in yours. We'll go from there. What else can we do? Like I said—I want us to be together. I've wanted it since I was sixteen years old and I'll be damned if I wait any longer."

Sixteen? Wow.

"You're right. Nothing else matters except you and me."

"You, me, and the baby," he corrected. "Can't forget about our Emily."

"Like I
could
forget. She reminds me every time she dances on my bladder, or shoves a foot under my rib."

"I can only imagine." A smile played at Austin's lips. He slipped an arm past my shoulder, and nudged until my head rested on his bare chest.

A momentary, unnerving silence pervaded. Further worrisome thoughts filled my head.

"I dread telling Joe about us."

"I know but it has to be done. He'd find out sooner or later about Emily. You know this as well as I do. Not to be a selfish prick, but I've loved you for
three
years and if I can deal with that, I'm sure Dad will be alright. Anyhow he doesn't love you like
I
do."

"Yeah."

"He
doesn't
, Beth. He never has and he never will."

"Okay, Austin. Enough with the brutal honesty."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Sometimes I get carried away."

"It's okay. I get it." And I did. I understood how emotions tend to take control and make someone speak without forethought.

Regardless...
que sera sera
. Whatever will be, will certainly be.

We can't stop fate, any more than I can stop myself from falling in love with Austin.

I stole his hand and placed it on my tummy. We watched Emily's activity while I basked in the afterglow of awesome sex, our serious talk and the knowledge that Austin and I would stay together.

Hopefully forever.

Que sera sera
.

I
woke to strange music. Sounded like a call or text signal from Austin's mobile phone. The jingle cut short, and I cracked an eyelid to scan this teensy room bathed in shadows.

Weird. Nothing seemed familiar.
Nothing
. And why was it so damn cold? Vapor emitted with each exhaled breath.

Sitting upright, I rubbed my eyes and blinked. Again I observed the rustic, musty, firewood-stench ambience; and
that's
when it hit me.

Joe's cabin
.

I sat there with my gaze fixed to the bedroom door.
Uh I seriously, seriously think it's time to go.

Afraid to move. Scared to utter a sound.

And, of all times I had to use the goddamn bathroom.

Oh my fuck. Shit. Shit! How long have we been here?
A hasty look out the window confirmed my fear. Darkened snow frosted the pane and a full moon distantly hovered.

Fuck me.

Yes I wanted Joe to know about my relationship with his son. No I didn't want him to find out
this
way. Anything but this way.

I threw on my 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 want to go in there. Did. Not. Want.

He pretty much had to drag me.

Close enough to glimpse Joe's rigid, scary profile, I forced myself
not
to flee. Particularly when I saw him cradling the tarnished shotgun. The same shotgun missing from the wall.

"Dad?" Austin said, skirting ahead to confront his father. "
Why
are you holding that shotgun?"

Eyes blank, staring, Joe sat unmoving.

Austin's gaze found mine and he nodded toward the corridor, pleading for me to get out of here. Too bad my legs wouldn't work. Damn muscles locked and all I could do was watch this train wreck.

Austin's eyes flared. He lifted his arm and pointed. "Beth, get in the goddamn bedroom. And—grab my phone while you're at it."

"I can't."

"
Why
?"

"I can't move."

Just then Joe came alive. Or at least his mouth did. "When did it start?"

I feared answering his question. So I asked, "When did
what
start?"

"You know. When did you start fucking my son?" His grip tightened on the barrel.

I regarded Austin for help.

"Dad," he said, nervous gaze darting between us. "Honest to god, we didn't want you to find out like this. We planned to tell you tonight. And, uh, now can you tell me why you're holding the shotgun? I really, really think you should give it to me."

Joe slowly shook his head.

Frustrated, Austin bowed his head and raked his fingers through his hair. Soft strands stood erect, wild.

"Jesus Christ, Dad. Beth's six months pregnant.
Get rid of the fucking gun
," he exploded, face flushed.

"Six months?" Joe released a bitter chuckle. "More like seven months. I'm not a dumb-ass."

Austin and I stared at each other.

"So you know the baby's mine, and you know when this started," Austin said. "Can you—just give me the shotgun?" He proffered his right hand.

"Nope. I'm not a dumb-ass. Something told me this shit was going on. A man knows his wife, knows when she's trying to hide something. So I bought two GPS devices to track Beth's movements. One for the old SUV and one for her car. I knew where she went. What she was doing. Everything."

"But—I never dreamed she was fucking my own son. You can imagine my shock when I got home to an empty house, then found the SUV's location."

I blinked, wished to god this would end.

"Dad, will you
listen
to me?"

"I'm not interested in what you have to say. It's too late for that shit."

"No, Dad. It's not."

Joe turned to me. His eyes were red, glassy as if—he'd been
crying
. That astonished me more than anything. Even more than his implied threats of violence.

"I guess it didn't seem like it, but I
did
love you, Beth. Still do. We could've worked on it instead of pissing everything away." Joe elevated the shotgun and clicked it.

Exactly
what
he clicked, I'd no clue.

"Austin," I cried. The dim room spun. I took a step backward and lost my balance, tumbled to the floor. Pain went to my stomach. At first I thought I'd been shot.

Austin bolted, crouched by and cuddled me against his chest. Shielded me from his father's crazed wrath.