He Deserved It

Every pedestrian turned to look. Austyn’s hands fell to his sides. He stepped back. Kira’s right hand hurt, but she didn’t regret it. Austyn deserved it. He deserved more than one slap, in fact. Austyn fixed his gaze on Kira’s stony face. A trace of anger flashed across his eyes. He was bone-tired from the forty-hour flight. The moment he left the airport, he headed straight home, wanting to see her face. Elsie told him she’d moved out. He asked Kai to drive him to Stamford University. But he got cold feet at the last moment. He stood outside the main entrance, dithering. Should he call her first? What if she was in class? What if she refused to see him? The surgery and the three-day stay at the hospital had disrupted his plan to shop for an apology gift. He had come home empty-handed. Would she forgive him? Austyn stood on the pavement, unable to make up his mind. Then something told him to look up. There she was, standing on the other side of the street, staring right at him. He aban