Looks Can Be Deceiving

Austin’s POV-
I sat outside of Pandora’s house, staring at her front door from the passenger window of my car, hoping that she’d come back out and tell me that everything she just told me was a lie; that I was a good guy. That she was wrong about me. I waited there for fifteen minutes before completely loosing hope. I drove over to Hannah and Oli’s house, knocking on their front door. I know it was around ten, but Oli always stayed up late anyways. I leaned my hand against the side of their house, looking down to my shoes. The door opened revealing Hannah standing in front of me in a pair of shorts and a tank top.
“Austin?” she looked around outside. “Where’s Pandora.” I shrugged and sighed.
“I don’t know what I did wrong…” She frowned.
“Oh no, what happened?” Oli showed up behind Hannah with a beer.
“Hey Austin,” he smiled. Hannah looked up to him.
“Things didn’t go well,” she muttered. He glanced at me.
“Come in,” he smiled, holding the door open. I followed Hannah into the living room and sat down on the couch opposite of the two, clasping my hands together.
“So what happened?” Hannah asked, sitting cross legged.
“I don’t really know… I took her to dinner. We had lobster and she let loose a little bit. Everything went fine until I asked to take her home. She wanted me to drop her off here and I ended up taking her to her house; or to what I thought was her house. When I got there she told me that she didn’t have a good night, and that I’m a pig who just wants to use her for her body and then got out and proceeded to walk a block or two to her house.” I looked between Hannah and Oli who sighed like they knew this would happen. “Is there something I’m missing? Is there something she’s not telling me? I feel like you two know something I don’t know.” Oli set down his beer on the glass coffee table in front of him before looking over at me. “I want to get to know her… but it seems like all she wants to do is run away from me… like I’m a bad guy or something.”
“Did you order a beer?” Oli asked softly. I shook my head.
“I got tea because I know she doesn’t drink. What’s the big deal with that?” Oli looked down at Hannah and frowned.
“He’s asking…” she whispered. “You should tell him.” He nodded and glanced at me.
“What? What is it?” I sighed. “I know she has a hard time trusting people, but if she just gives me more time, I can show her that she can trust me. I’m not going to hurt her. Was she in an abusive relationship?”
“Eh… something a little different. Her dad is a crazy alcoholic. He’d get blackout drunk and beat her and her mother on a daily basis. She stays away from anything and everything that has to do with alcohol; even the smallest things.” I looked down and felt my heart sink.
“She thinks I’m gonna get drunk and hit her?”
“It’s not just you, Austin. It’s everyone. She doesn’t like men in general. She doesn’t trust them nor will she allow herself to get close to them.”
“I barely even drink. The occasional beer or two on a Saturday night or a drink at the club, but that’s all my heart will allow. I would never hurt her.”
“She doesn’t believe that though. She’s incapable of thinking that a relationship as a fun and loving thing. She thinks all relationships are violent so she just avoids them all the way around.”
“Does she think you have a violent relationship with Hannah?”
“No, but she knows me.”
“How can I prove to her that she can trust me? I’ll do anything. I just want to get to know her.”
“Why don’t you sit down with her and talk about it.”
“She won’t listen. She told me she never wants to see me again.”
“I’ll talk to her tomorrow, okay?” Hannah smiled. I nodded, hoping that she could get her to go on another date with me. I needed to prove to her that I was one of the good guys.

Notes