I woke up to the smell of bacon and despite everything that had happened over the last 24 hours; I was smiling. So much had changed in such a short amount of time, and I still didn't know the complete story, but from what they'd told me, they were living a nightmare. That was, however, not what had me smiling. Being with Austin did.

I found him in the kitchen, in front of the stove, scrambling eggs. He had his back to me, so I took a second to appreciate just how good he looked. It was hard not to compare this serious grown-up version of him to when he'd been a high school senior full of dreams and easy smiles. But regardless of who he was, his presence made my heart beat faster.

His short, dark hair glistened in the morning sun and his tanned skin stood in stark contrast to the white t-shirt. I stared at the muscles in his back and shoulders, at how they moved and flexed as he whipped the whisk around. The fact that he knew how to cook just added a big plus to his already overflowing sex appeal. Yeah, this man could convince me to do almost anything, unless it was to leave him alone. I was pretty sure I'd never be able to do that again.

And that was a big problem.

With a last glance at the basketball shorts that hinted at the tight ass I knew he had, and the long muscular legs, I made a conscious effort to focus on what he was doing instead of how he looked.

"Good morning," I said after clearing my voice, and stepped over to the counter next to him.

"Good morning," he responded, and turned his head to face me. There was a soft smile on his beautiful face, but he looked tired. And I noticed he hadn't bothered to shave.

"The eggs will be done in a minute. There's coffee over there," he said and gestured to a coffee pot in the corner.

I must have grimaced because he laughed. "I don't have any tea, Ellie."

"Oh," it shocked me that he remembered. "That's okay."

"Maybe the bacon will do," he suggested and pushed a plate of crispy bacon towards me.

"Bacon always helps."

I bit into one of the crispy pieces while I watched him pour the egg mix into the sizzling frying pan like he was some kind of breakfast expert. The confidence he had in the kitchen, among other places, was sexy. I had to swallow down the sudden thirst that had nothing to do with my want for a cup of breakfast tea.

Damn, I really needed to get a grip. My plan for closure was not working out the way I'd planned it to.

"Can I help with anything?" I offered, after making a conscious effort to focus on breakfast instead of the gorgeous man in front of me.

"I'm not sure if the bread is still good, but it's in the big drawer next to the fridge. If it is, can you drop a couple of pieces in the toaster?"

"Sure."

Thankful for something to do I hurried to the bread drawer just to find half a loaf of bread and a cookie jar with a few chocolate chip cookies. The bread had expired so I threw the bag out.

"I guess we need to add bread to the list of things to buy," Austin commented.

"Do you want me to start a list?" I offered, eager for something else to do.

"No, that's okay. Sport already has one on his phone."

"Oh." I looked around the cabin, surprised I'd missed that he wasn't around. "Where is he?"

"Out with Bear." He glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Should be back any minute."

And like he summoned them, the door opened and their big dog rushed inside full of puppy energy and sloppy kisses.

"Hi handsome boy," I said and dropped to the floor so I could cuddle with him.

"Hello, yourself," Alex responded, and stepped into the kitchen with a grin that made him look like the teenage boy I once knew.

Austin chuckled, and I rolled my eyes.

"Just in time for breakfast. Nice!" Alex said and grabbed a cup out of the cabinet so he could get some coffee.

"Is it still quiet out there?" Austin asked his brother in a nonchalant tone but I didn't miss the look they exchanged and that reminded me that even though it was fun to catch up with them and cuddle their sweet dog, they were in trouble and on the run, for real.

I gave Bear a few more strokes over his soft fur and got to my feet.

"Yeah. A couple of boats fishing on the lake, otherwise nothing," Alex responded.

Austin nodded and shut the frying pan off. "Help yourself," he said to me and handed me a plate.

We took our food over to the cramped dining table where we had to share the space with a couple of huge computer monitors. Alex took the chair in front of them and I got the impression that he ate a lot of his meals there while he worked. Austin gestured for me to take the chair on the left side and after moving some bags around he sat on the opposite end.

There were bags and boxes all over the room. Most of them neatly stacked along the walls but a few things had just been left haphazardly near the couch. I assumed it was the stuff they'd brought the night before and that made me sad. All their belongings were packed into boxes and bags and considering there were two of them and a dog, it wasn't that much.

"What happens to the stuff you left behind in Boston?" I asked once we finished eating.

Alex shrugged his shoulders, but Austin answered. "We have the important stuff with us. Whatever got left is lost. We can't go back for it."

"Wow." I couldn't imagine what they'd been through and how they remained so calm about it. Like it was normal. "So what's next?" I asked.

"We start all over again," Alex responded with a sigh.

Austin rolled his eyes. "First, we need to go to the store. We don't have enough food."

"Alright," Alex responded with a nod. "I'll go after I shower."

"Should we all go?" I asked.

"It's better if he goes by himself. He'll blend in easier by himself and we'll be here to keep an eye on the cabin and Bear."

"Oh." As much as I'd liked the idea of having some time alone with Austin -much more than I should- it made me feel guilty. I couldn't help but find it very strange that, at least as far as I could tell, he was okay with it. Shouldn't he be the one that felt guilty? He hadn't contacted his girlfriend at all since we'd been forced to leave Boston. And if they were leaving the state like he said, wouldn't she want to know? And also wouldn't she be upset that I was with them?

Alex pushed back on his chair to bring his plate and utensils into the kitchen.

I decided to just be frank about it and ask. "What about your girlfriend? Where is she and what are you telling her?"

Austin's eyes widened like he'd forgotten all about her and when he didn't respond, I got annoyed on her behalf. "You mean to tell me you are going to just blow her off? And leave her like you did with me?"

The reaction I got was not what I had expected. At least not from Alex. He snorted out an amused "bro," and began to laugh.

I turned from Alex to Austin and found him looking ashamed, yet a bit smug.

"Austin?" I asked.

"Trust me, Ellie, there's no girl," Alex said from the kitchen where he shut the dishwasher with a soft click.

"What? Why? What do you mean?"

"This is all you, man," Alex said with a grin, and walked over to slap Austin on the shoulder. "I'm taking a shower."

Austin grumbled something about stirring up shit as Alex opened the door to the only bathroom.

"Austin," I probed when he didn't immediately respond.

He sighed loudly and when he answered, his shoulders slumped forward. "Dana is not my girlfriend. I just acted like an asshole that day so you'd leave."

My mouth fell open. "What? Why?"

That time, his response was instant. "To keep you safe."

"Austin..."

I probably shouldn't like the response as much as I did. But it was Austin, and he didn't have a girlfriend... My pulse quickened and out of habit I reached for his hand. Part of me didn't even realize I'd done it until his hand clasped around mine. It was large, warm and comforting. Just like it had been back when he was mine.

I swallowed hard. There were so many emotions and so many questions swirling around inside my head. "This is so fucked up."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"How do you deal with it?"

The look he gave me was devastating. I could see the sadness in his eyes as he asked, "what's the alternative?"

That was a very good question I had no answer for. So instead of responding, I squeezed his hand.

We sat quietly for a while, just holding hands. It was easy, and it felt like it did back when he was the most important person in my life.

"When are you leaving?" I whispered softly, not quite ready to break the moment but also needing to know.

He hesitated before he answered. "Tomorrow."

That hurt more than I thought it would. Our time together was so limited, and the more time I spent with him, the more I wanted.

"Where are you going?"

"Ellie," he groaned, and I realized he didn't want to tell me because he figured not knowing would keep me safe. And while that might be true, it would also drive me insane.

"Please, Austin..." I begged.

His eyes closed, and I knew from experience that he was evaluating the risk.

"The Midwest," he responded a minute later. "Can we leave it at that?"

I hesitated, but nodded. We could leave it at that.

For now.