The Step In Girlfriend

Chapter 2

"Austin is just having one of his many crises but it's nothing that you need to worry about, this will help me deal with the many others that will follow while you're away, just focus on packing" I tell him placing a kiss on his lips, I don't like lying to him, but Austin does need help. "On the way back I'll grab some pizza, happy packing" I smile picking up my purse before walking out the door before he could question me.

Our apartment is a complex, when you walk out the door it's all open plan with a bunch of staircases, we're on the top floor. As I walk down the stairs, Austin pulls up right in front of the entrance which tells me I need to hurry up. I run down the steps and over to the passenger side of the door, as I climb in Austin was clutching onto the steering while his other was in his lap. Before I had time to question if this was safe, we were already driving down the road and towards the local pharmacy.

I leave the shop with my bag full of things to patch his arm up, the woman on the desk asked me what this was for where I had to lie and tell her I was stocking up my first aid kit. Once I climb in the car, I see Austin just cradling his arm. I open up the bag whilst telling him to give me his arm, I honestly didn't know what I was doing but I knew I needed to try.

His whole arm was covered in blood that I couldn't actually see where the cut started and ended, I reach in the bag and pull some antiseptic wipes out. I apologise in advance before cleaning around the cut, he would punch the car door a few times when the wipe would go over the cut. Once the area was fully cleaned, I could actually see what I was dealing with, he had quite a huge cut running down his forearm.

"I'm no doctor, but this might need stickers" I tell him looking at how deep the cut looked, but he shook his head telling me he wasn't going to hospital. "Okay, I'll wrap it up, but we'll need to check on it tomorrow" I say digging into the bag once more pulling out a square of a bandage.

I place it over where the cut was before picking up at bandage, where I begin to wrap it around his arm making sure it was tight so the bleeding would stop. I lastly, get a little plaster and stick that to the end so it wouldn't fall off.

"Thank you so much Payton, not just for helping me but also not telling Roman" he smiles as I clean everything away and putting it all in the bag, people are going to think we killed someone with all this blood.

"Don't mention it, now Roman's gonna be away for two months we're gonna need to stick together" I smile nudging him slightly as he pulls the car away. "Oh, I told Roman we'll get pizza for dinner, so on the way we need to stop, and I'll get some" I say pulling out my phone to see where the closest one was, it would look suspicious if we arrived home without the pizza.

"I'll get it, I mean you've done enough for me today" he smiles before he turns back to the road, I smile too looking out the window.

Maybe Austin isn't too bad after all.

Chapter 3

Just You And Me

Last night when we arrived home, Roman had a whole lot of questions. Austin told him how he had a huge nosebleed and needed my help, it didn't really explain why we needed to leave the house but thankfully, Roman never questioned us about that part. It was early the next morning, the day Roman's leaving for his two-month business trip. I roll out of bed to say goodbye at 4am! He needed to be at the airport for 7am and apparently, he needs to be there that many hours earlier, don't ask me why. While still half asleep, I follow him out the bedroom where Austin was waiting outside his room with a sleepy smile. We all head outside and down to Roman's car, the freezing night making me shiver and hug myself.

"Tell me again why you need to leave for this long?" Austin asks as we watch Roman put his bags in the car, I offered to help but he said he didn't need any.

"Because we want to see as many companies as we can, the more sponsors we can get the more of the product we can make" Roman explains for the hundred time, Austin for some reason can't wrap his head around that fact. "Are you sure you two are going to be okay, I won't come back to world war 3, will I?" He asks with a smile looking between us both, I roll my eyes while taking a look to Austin.

"As much as it may be hard, I'll think we'll get along" I smile knowing how hard I'm gonna have to try to achieve that goal, I just need to remember it's better to have a peaceful life.

"I'll watch her for you, we all know how Payton can be" Austin says whilst Roman's pulls me in for a hug, I hold so tightly onto him knowing how long it's gonna be until we can do this again.

"I'll be back before you know it" he whispers placing a kiss on my lips before pulling away, where I immediately have to hug myself again due to the cold.

"Don't party too hard without me" Austin jokes while they do that weird guy handshake thing, even at 4am he's still got energy to be sarcastic.

"I promise I won't" Roman laughs climbing into the car as we back away to stand on the pavement, Austin nudging me slightly with a smile causes me to laugh a little. "Don't get too close, I'll call you later!" Roman shouts before he pulls his car out the parking space and fully out the carpark.

"It's just me and you" Austin smiles as I turn to walk up the stairs, I had two more hours of time to sleep before I needed to wake up for work. "I'll drop you off to work today, I won't do a Roman and leave you to walk in the rain" he laughs as we arrive back in the apartment, I laugh thanking him before heading to bed to get a few more hours sleep before work.

When I walk into work a few hours later, my best friend Brooke was cleaning the counter. Her and I met when she started working here 5 years ago, as I'd already been working here a year earlier, I had to train her up and teach her the ropes. I walk around the back to hang my coat up, where she joins me with her hands on her hips.

"Who was that?" She asks with a raised eyebrow; I send her a confused look whilst tying my apron around my back. “The man that dropped you off, he wasn't Roman?" She asks still standing in the doorway, luckily, I still had to tie my hair in a bun, so she wasn't blocking my way.

"That's Roman's best friend and our roommate Austin, you know him I've told him about you" I say now having to push passed her to sign myself in, once that was done, I head out to the front to start working, like she should be doing.

"I thought you said Austin was super annoying and you wouldn't be able to stand being in the same room as him alone" she says following me out while her arms were still crossed, I take a woman's order whilst Brooke still stood behind me.

"Austin is annoying but Roman's on that business trip so I'm trying to get along with Austin, it'll just be me and him alone in the apartment for two months, normally Roman acts like the peace maker" I explain putting the little ticket through to the kitchen so they could make the food, whilst also pouring another person some coffee.

"Does Roman know he's dropping you off to work?" She asks which only confirms what she's implying, does she really think I'd cheat on Roman?

"Okay first off, Austin and I are just friends even if you could call us that, second of all, Roman and I have been together for years now and I haven't even once had the urge to cheat on him, so why would I do it now? And lastly, my private business about my love life and the people I choose to surround myself with has nothing to do with you" I tell her point blank, yes, she is my best friend but I'm not having her imply things that would suggest that I would ever cheat on Roman. "Now how about you go and do the job you're currently being paid to do" I say whilst the woman at the counter smiles agreeing with me, Brooke looks majorly shocked before she turns to clean off another table.

"Don't worry hun, she's obviously jealous" the woman I was serving smiles, I thank her before getting the food that was ready from the kitchen and hand it over to her.

The day dragged on a little at work, Brooke didn't speak to me the entire time. But I couldn't just sit back and allow her to imply things that obviously aren't true. We both clock out at the same time, whereas like a baby she barges passed me and out the door without saying a word. I roll my eyes signing out before grabbing my stuff and leaving, I didn't have the energy to deal with her schoolgirl type drama. I wave goodbye to Johnson who was standing at the counter before leaving, where surprisingly Austin's car was sat outside waiting for me.

I walk over kind of confused, I know he dropped me off, but I didn't know he'd pick me up too. Once I reach the door he smiles at me, okay the thought that maybe he wasn't here to pick me up had left my mind.

"How was work?" He asks as I climb in the car, he was still in his work clothes which told me he's also just left work, I give him one of my looks with a smile.

“That bad huh?" He asks pulling the car out of the carpark, as I take a look out the window, I spot Brooke climbing in her car who doesn't give me the happiest look.

"I had a mini disagreement with one of my work friends, she thought she could voice her opinion on something when it really wasn't her place" I say remembering her of accusing me of cheating, once again it's only been a day where me and Austin haven't been at each other throats! "how's your cut?" I ask looking over at the bandage, which was now covered in black oil, I know he works in a garage but that doesn't mean he can cause himself an infection.

"Yeah, I might need a new bandage" he says holding his arm up awkwardly, I just laugh shaking my head feeling quite glad that I brought a few packets of bandages. “Oh, and on the way here I grabbed us some takeout for dinner, we don't have our at home housewife for two months!" He says reaching in the back and pulling out a bag of food, I laugh once again taking the bag from his hands to take a look at what he brought.

I pull a chip out placing it in my mouth as he opens his mouth up, with a laugh I take another out and place it into his mouth.