A/N: Hello, all! I'm back. This time with a more timely update. As usual, thanks again for the reviews; they're bright spot in my stressful, complicated life at the moment. So, thanks a million.
Onwards- Chapter 10:
They all settled into the table and a charged silence settled upon them. Cal couldn't help but notice how Austin and Gillian kept looking at one another. Austin folded his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair, finally breaking the silence.
"So, how've you been, Gill?" He queried, his tone light, his eyes full of a warmth that Gillian responded to.
"I've been really great, Austin." She said, smiling at him, leaning forward slightly.
Cal rolled his eyes. "I've been wonderful, too." He said, and both Gillian and Austin turned to look at him. Austin smiled tightly, and Gillian let out a little laugh.
"You two work together, then?" He asked, taking a drink of his wine.
"Yes," Cal answered, "We do."
"And what kind of work do you do?"
Cal was a bit surprised, not to mention pleased, that Austin didn't already know.
"We're deception experts," Gillian supplied, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. Austin's eyebrows rose, "Cal reads faces." She explained, before chuckling at Austin's reactions.
"And so does Gillian." Cal said, "Though she's really more of voice expert."
Austin looked surprised, "A voice expert?"
Gillian nodded, and Cal listened as she explained what The Lightman Group did to Austin Gilchrist. He seemed genuinely interested—and he asked Cal surprisingly good questions.
"That's fascinating." He said, looking between Cal and Gillian. It was a compliment they could both tell he meant.
Gillian smiled, "It has its moments."
Cal sighed, "Blessing and a curse." He said, pursing his lips. At Austin's confused expression, Cal elaborated. "People conceal things constantly. It's exhausting to see it all. Unfortunately, there's no off button." Cal took a sip from is drink, "And you're only the second tonight to refrain from asking me to discern whether or not you're telling the truth." He added, wryly.
Austin smiled, "I can see where all of that would be problematic." He set his wine glass on the table and played with the stem.
"How have you been, Austin?" Gillian asked, genuinely curious.
Austin smiled, "I've been well."
"Good." Gillian said, her tone soft. "How's Annabel?"
Austin chuckled, "She and her boyfriend are both fine."
Gillian's eyebrows shot up—"Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't…" She fumbled for words.
"It's alright. We divorced a year and a half ago." Austin clarified.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Gillian said.
"It's the nature of the beast," Austin said, his eyes sad as he looked at Gillian. Cal watched as something passed between them. Austin wasn't saying something—the metaphor was specific, and he could tell Gillian understood his meaning, because she dropped her eyes to her lap, and wound her hands together tightly.
The tension at the table was palpable, and Cal spoke into it—cutting it with his own peculiar and particular brand of humor, "So, how do you two know each other then?"
Cal's voice brought Gillian back from whatever place she had gone, and she looked at Cal to find him grinning.
"On the debate team together?" He asked, and Gillian laughed.
"We're old friends." Gillian said, smiling into her glass. When Cal and Austin both looked at her with incredulity, she sighed, "Austin was my first serious boyfriend," She explained, before taking a drink from her glass. As soon as she finished, she changed the subject, "How are Dylan and Olivia?" She queried.
Cal watched as sadness flashed over Gillian's face, and he wondered at the cause of it.
Austin smiled, "They're great. Dylan is ten, and he always wants to go to class with me," he looked at Cal, "I'm a professor," He interjected, Cal nodded, "Olivia is fourteen, which is hard to believe. I cringe every time I think about the fact that she's a teenager."
Cal chuckled, "It just gets better, mate." He said.
Austin smiled, "I take it you have a daughter?"
Cal nodded, "Seventeen. Wait until her first date. You don't know the meaning of the word panic until that day."
Austin shook his head, "I can imagine—and if she's anything like her mother…" He trailed off and Cal laughed.
"I know that feeling, too."
The men laughed, and Gillian watched as they both radiated love for their daughters. She felt a pang of sadness in her stomach, but she pushed it aside and blinked back the tears that threatened to form in the burning behind her eyes. She'd had a daughter once, too. But she didn't get to worry about her first date—and that fact never ceased to knock the wind out of her.
"How's teaching?" Gillian asked.
"It's great," Austin said, "Everything I'd hoped it would be—and more. My father's still angry that I gave up the job at his firm. But, he's dealing."
Cal suddenly felt uncomfortable, as though he were intruding—as though he should give them a chance to catch up without his interjections. He was normally not so diplomatic, but since he'd dragged Gillian here, he thought it was the least he could do. With a nod, he excused himself from the table, and went to find the restroom.
When he came back, he found their table empty. He scanned the room for Austin and Gillian, but to no avail. Melinda saw his search and headed toward him.
She smiled, "They went outside." She pointed toward the door, and Cal looked conflicted. Melinda laughed, "Go." Cal nodded and made his way outside.
He felt the cool night air on his face, and looked around in the dim lighting for Austin and Gillian. He saw their shadows before he saw them. He started to come around the corner and announce his presence, but stopped short when he realized they were in the middle of a conversation. He turned to walk back inside, but something stopped him in his tracks.
Cal had never been one to eavesdrop. Well, that wasn't precisely true. He had never been one to eavesdrop on Gillian, but the way she looked at Austin made him change his mind.
Austin's voice was heavy and full of emotion when he spoke softly, "Why didn't you stay, Gilly?" He queried.
Gillian sighed and averted her gaze. Austin placed his thumb under her chin and brought her eyes to his before dropping his hand back to his side. Gillian took a steadying breath, "Because… I knew I'd marry you."
"That was such a bad thing?" Austin asked, shaking his head.
Gillian smiled, "No. Of course not. But I wanted out."
Austin furrowed his brow, "Of?"
"God, Austin, out of this town—out of this tiny town where everyone knew every damn thing about me."
"And the need to escape outweighed… everything." It wasn't a question—and Austin's voice was wrought with emotion that even Cal could read.
Gillian felt the tears pricking the backs of her eyes, "Barely."
Austin nodded, then brought his palm to her face. He cupped her cheek and when he spoke his voice was nearly a whisper, "I nearly followed you to Cornell the day you left."
Gillian smiled, thinking about the day she'd broken up with Austin—the day she left for Brown and never came back. She'd lied and told him she didn't love him anymore. "Part of me wanted you to." She admitted.
Austin smiled, "I got halfway there and turned around." His finger caressed Gillian's cheek. Gillian brought her hand up and placed it over Austin's. "I loved you so much." He said.
"I loved you, too." Gillian said, her voice soft. At his look, she shook her head, "I did." She gave him a sad smile, Cal had to strain to hear what she said next, "You deserved more."
Austin dropped his hand from her cheek, "Bullshit." He said, suddenly teeming with a quiet sort of anger.
Gillian squeezed her eyes shut.
"That's bullshit, Gillian." Austin said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I'm sorry, but it is."
Gillian's eyes welled up with tears, "Is it, Austin?" He nodded his head, "Is it?" She asked again, as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen. "You have things now that I… couldn't have given you."
Austin shook his head and stepped closer to her, "We could've figured something out, Gillian."
Gillian refused to meet his gaze, "No—you deserved more."
Austin dipped his head to meet her gaze, "No, Gillian, you deserved more." Austin leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her lips, "There was nothing I wanted more than you." He pulled back from her, "Nothing. God knows I'm thankful for everything I have, but what I wanted? Was you." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead and she could no longer keep the tears at bay.
Austin wiped one away with his thumb before he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Gillian's. It was tender and gentle at the start before he deepened the kiss, running his hands through her hair before he pulled back from her and smiled.
From his observational position, Cal felt his heart drop into his stomach just before a powerful wave of nausea overtook him. He knew he shouldn't be eavesdropping—that he shouldn't be watching them like this, but he simply couldn't help it. He turned to walk away twice, but something—that tug in his heart when he thought of Gillian—kept him firmly in place.
He watched as Austin brushed the pad of his thumb against Gillian's cheek. The tears still glistened in Gillian's eyes as she looked at Austin, the silence between them old and comfortable.
"I missed you." Austin said, his voice filled with a tenderness that even Cal could hear.
Gillian didn't respond. Instead, she nuzzled her face into Austin's palm, enjoying the familiarity as it rushed back to her. After a long moment, Gillian finally spoke.
"We'd better get back," She cleared her throat, "Cal will be wondering where we are."
Austin nodded his head once and stepped back from her. Cal took that as his cue and headed back inside, making his way back to the table, trying to fight the sense of panic that gripped his heart and stomach.
TBC