TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING

When Elliot and Ally had arrived back from their day at the beach yesterday, their smiles lit up the room and even though Austin loved more than anything to see Ally smile, he couldn't forget the pain that came with it because it wasn't him that put it there. Austin and Trish lied when they asked if anything interesting had happened and they just went about their days. While everyone else was downstairs watching movies, Austin decided to go to bed early, a 10 hour sleep he was just waking up from.

The sound of laughter downstairs was what had woken him. He got up and threw on some jeans and a simple white T-shirt before going downstairs to join everyone else. They were all seated on the outside patio, laughing at something that Dez had just said. "Hey you guys," Austin greeted them ,taking the empty seat next to Ally and pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

"Good morning sleepy head," Ally laughed, grabbing him a plate and putting some waffles and bacon on it for him to eat. He smiled graciously at her as he took the plate from her hands.

"You ready for tonight, Elliot," Austin asked him, trying to make small conversation as he tried not to look at how amazing Ally's legs looked in the white summer dress she was wearing.

"Totally," he answered, fist bumping Dez and Dallas. Austin noticed a small hint of sadness in Ally's eyes ,but decided not to ask about it, instead asking her what her plans were for the night. Trish explained to him that they were just going to go out to eat and then rent some chick flicks and stay in for the night. Considering it was just Ally and Trish, it was understandable why they weren't going to make a big deal out of her bachelorette party.


Austin buttoned up his black shirt, giving himself one last self check in the mirror. The guys were all waiting for him downstairs to go to the club. The time had arrived and there was no way Austin could back out now. He could fake a headache but then the guys would call him a wuss. Or he could pretend something unexpected came up ,but then again that wasn't possible considering he was on vacation. Nope, there was no way out of it.

He went downstairs, said goodbye to Ally and Trish and got in the backseat of Elliot's car with Dez. He sat unusually quiet, tapping his fingers along to the rhythm of the music playing through the radio and tuning out the conversations that were going on. His friends noticed but didn't say anything ,instead talking about last night's basketball game.

Once they got to the club, Austin felt even worse than before. He felt his stomach grow into knots and the sight of the scantily clad woman in neon lights moving her leg up and down next to the equally bright "Wild Card" sign above the building made him want to barf. Excited. He should be excited ,but no ,he felt guilty. There was a group of guys lined up across the club, waiting desperately to get in. According to Elliot,this was one of the most exclusive hangout places and everyone wanted to get in.

Elliot led them in, giving the security guard his name before entering the building. The place was dark with only the the dim lights give off by some table lamps to guide them. They walked past booth after booth of men excitingly shouting at the women in lingerie in front of them before finally entering "The Bachelor Room." It was a large room behind velvet curtains that had a poker table in the back, a pool table, a fridge with beers, and a sofa that was placed right in front of a stage with a stripper pole.

"We get a private show tonight," Elliot told them, beaming proudly as he walked over to the fridge and grabbed them each a beer. If Austin was going to make it through the night, he was going to need something to down it quickly chugged the beer and grabbed another, sitting down at the poker table and waiting for Dallas to deal the cards. After an hour or so, the lights of the room began blinking on and off and they all made their way over to the sofa, waiting for the stripper to come out.

"The name's Cassidy," she said in a sultry voice as she entered the room. It was a thin woman with her auburn hair in pin up curls. She was wearing a black bustier from what looked like an expensive lingerie collection and a very small skirt to match. She wore black "hooker heels" that laced up above her ankles and made it seem like her legs went on for miles. She was pretty, Austin admitted, but she had on way too much red lipstick and dark eyeliner. He preferred a girl with natural beauty ,like Ally. (Or was it that he just preferred Ally, all together?)

But the stripper wasn't for him after all, it was for Elliot and he seemed to enjoy her. She got on stage and began to do her routine to the sound of the sensual music in the background before she came down to begin her lap dance. It seemed as if she was approaching Elliot but last minute ,she began to walk towards Austin and before he knew it she was straddling him. Before thinking twice, he quickly got up and tossed her on the couch.

"What's wrong with you," he yelled at her, offended that she would even think about doing that to him.

"I'm sorry," she explained, baffled at his reaction ,"I thought you were-."

"Yeah well I'm not," he snarled, unknowingly sending a death glare to Elliot ,who was to entertained with their exchange to notice. "I'm out of here."

Austin picked up his leather jacket from the coat rack and marched outside ,hailing a taxi and ordering him to take him back to the house. The alcoholic effects of the five beers he had consumed were finally starting to settle in. And while Dez was a serious drunk and Dallas was an emotional drunk, Austin was much worse. He was an "adrenaline junkie" drunk that made every decision in the heat of the moment. It'd gotten him into trouble before but he was always to far in to notice what was going in before it was too late.

The taxi driver pulled up into the driveway and Austin paid him the $20 he owed him before going out. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. He knew going to the party was going to end up badly and now all he wanted to do was going inside, see Ally and go to sleep. He knocked again before Ally stepped out and opened it.

She looked so beautiful in her light pink nightgown and her hair styled to the side in a fishtail braid. "What are you doing back so soon," she asked, obviously concerned, "Where's everyone else?"

"I need to talk to you," Austin told her, pulling her outside and shutting the door. He looked at her deep brown eyes and felt mesmerized, as if he were in a trance or falling down a rabbit hole. He brought his hand to rest upon her cheek and with his other hand he pulled her closer to him. He tilted his head down and before he could stop himself, he kissed her.

It was everything he thought it would be and more. She tasted like popcorn and smelled like raspberries and her lips were so soft against his. He felt her hands move from her side to wrap around his waist. They both stopped to take a breath, opening their eyes to look at each other and take in everything that had happened.

"I thought you just wanted to talk," she told him breathlessly.

"Action speak louder than words," he smirked, trying to lean forward to kiss her again but this time she stopped him.

"We can't," she paused, "I'm getting married in two days ,Austin. And you're making me feel unsure about wanting to do it."

"It's a sign! If you were really meant to marry Elliot then nothing would make you doubt your marriage but this is! Stop trying to avoid me, Ally. Stop trying to avoid this."

He tried once again to kiss her ,just to convince her once more and to feel her against him but she pushed him away. This time instead of a verbal explanation she just shook her head and walked back inside, her head hung low and feet dragging on the floor.

Actions speak louder than words.


My computer crashed so I had to re-write this chapter! SO sorry for the wait but I hope it was worth it!

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Only two more chapters to go! :O