All That Remains Read Online Free Page B

been and if he’s even home yet. But she can’t. Asking would mean she is interested, and she’s spent the past seven months since he left trying to get over him.
    “Can I ask you to dance?”
    Jules allows herself to nod and puts her hand in his as they weave their way through the crowd and find a space large enough for their bodies to fit. They smile timidly at each other as they move to the synthesizer beat of an old Duran Duran song, and Jules is grateful for all of the eighties songs she’s listened to with her parents on road trips. She hums along to the catchy tune as they dance around in circles. No one in the room is dancing in a fashion that makes any sense. Instead, they are mimicking moves seen in old movies and television episodes. The dancing breaks the ice as Austin scrutinizes her face.
    “What?” she finally asks when she catches him staring at her for the third time in one song.
    “Nothing.”
    She lifts her brow, and he shrugs. The tempo of their dancing begins to slow as the current song morphs into a slow rock beat and Jules finds herself standing there unsure of what to do next. Austin isn’t bothered one bit. Holding his volleyball between his hands, he lifts his arms and lassos her in the middle, pulling her closer to his chest.
    She stiffens as his volleyball pushes at her back pressing her closer to him before she relents and carefully wraps her hands around his neck. His bare skin is hot, and she feels somewhat awkward touching him this way.
    “I’ve never slow danced with a volleyball before.”
    His lips twitch. “Yeah, I guess I don’t need it.” He looks around and nods at something, releasing one arm from around her and tosses the ball behind her back.
    “You didn’t have to get rid of it.”
    “Nah, I’d rather hold onto you than my ball.”
    Austin’s eyes widen at his own comment, and the silent pause that follows is rife with tension. Jules’ chest rises as she takes a deep breath, biting her tongue at the dirty joke she wants to blurt out while processing the meaning of his words.
    “Let’s not make a joke about balls, okay?” He sighs with a shake of his head, and the dam is broken.
    Throwing her head back, Jules falls into another fit of laughter at Austin Rutledge’s expense. When he offers her a ride home several hours later, she agrees. Debbie had left early with a guy Jules didn’t know and Lisa is sitting in a corner chatting and doesn’t look ready to leave anytime soon.
    When they walk out to his car, he pulls a tee shirt out and slips it on, much to Jules relief, and maybe a small amount of disappointment. Hot abs and strong muscles are nice to look at. Why does it matter if they belong to your ex’s brother?
    “You know, Maverick, this scene really calls for a motorcycle.” Jules quips, thinking of his Top Gun inspired costume and the motorcycle Tom Cruise rides around on in the movie. “What happened to yours?” she asks, taking in his little blue sports car.
    “Oh, I still have it. It’s at home. I don’t typically ride it to parties.”
    “No? I guess it’s not the best vehicle to have when you're trying to bring home girls, huh?”
    His eyes narrow at the way she says ‘girls,’ but he doesn’t rise to her bait. She wants to kick herself for insinuating that he is used to picking up girls and bringing them home. She’d meant it, and she wouldn’t deny it, but he’s been nice to her and she has no reason to be snarky with him.
    She pulls her door handle to get in the car and mumbles, “Sorry, I-.”
    “Jules, don’t.” Austin interrupts her action. Leaning against the car with his elbows propped on the top, he stares at her across the vehicle. “I’m sure West told you enough about me to know that what you said was accurate. You’re right, a motorcycle isn’t the best way to get half drunk girls home from a party, but truth is I don’t bring it to parties because it’s been stolen more than once and I usually find it in some