Chapter 7. A Bully’s Past

I took Austin to the grocery store as promised before taking him home. It was already past 4 o’clock when we arrived, so he started cooking right away. I sat on a barstool at his counter and watched as he prepared two steaks, fresh peas, and homemade mashed potatoes. All the food he prepared looked delicious when it was piled on the plate together at the end.

“We are eating at the table,” Austin instructed as he handed me my plate. He grabbed a bottle of white wine and two wine glasses before leading me over to his glass dining table. I sat down as he set up the wine glasses, poured them, and then returned to the kitchen to get his own plate.

“Enjoy,” Austin said as he sat down to eat with me, positioning himself across from me on the other side of the large square glass table. The chairs were much more comfortable than the barstool, and the food looked stunning, but a sadness filled my chest. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times Austin had sat at this table alone.