Stay With Me
Chapter 11
Ally's POV
A week has passed since that night. We haven't had a conversation since then. I know that they broke up from the gossip that's going around school. Everyone has their own theories about why they broke up. Some say Cassidy dumped him for some pop star. Others say that Austin dumped her for some super model. Most say that they broke up because all they did was argue. I know that I was the reason they broke up, luckily no one else knew that.
The tension between us is so thick that you can't even cut it with a knife. Every time we walk past each other in the hallway, we both look away. We make sure that were never at work at the same time. And he sits 4 rows away from me in music. He's giving me space and space is making things worse. I really want to talk to him. I know that if I talk to him to soon it will make things worse. I know that if I talk to him to late it won't be worth trying. Do I want to try?
It's Friday afternoon and I'm in my room with Trish. I had just finished telling her every thing that happened. Her eyes were wide the whole time. "Wow, I can't believe you two!"
"What do you mean? It was all his fault!"
"You both are stupid! He told you that he thinks about you all the time and you say that you could have feelings for him. You almost kiss, and now you haven't spoken to each other since. Stupid!" She threw her hands in the air.
"Actually when he bumped into me in the hall way yesterday he said he was sorry." I point out to her.
"Wow, it's like you guys are practically engaged!" she sarcastically says.
"Very funny."
"Look, Austin shouldn't have said what he did. In fact the next time I see him he's going to hear some very colorful words. But you should really let him in."
"I did! Then he said what he said. I almost forgave him but then I found out that he was going to kiss me when he was still dating Cassidy! I don't need to let someone in who is just going to hurt me."
Trish sighs, coming over to give me a hug. "I'm sorry that he made you feel that way. I also am sorry that you can't see that he wants to be there for you. What's one thing you've always wanted?"
"To get rid of my stage fright and become a pop star?"
"No, to know who your mom is. I bet that if you asked him, he would help you."
"While I would love to find my mom, and to know why she left, how do you expect me to do that?"
"How do you ever expect to be happy again if you don't talk to Austin? You don't have to forgive him, but at least talk to him, you know you want to."
Trish was right. I say it a lot but she's always right.
After she left my dad came home and told me that we were going to eat dinner at his friends, Mimi and Mike. I had never meant them before so I was nervous.
Even our parents tried to set us up. Going into that dinner I had no idea that it was Austins parents. He said he didn't know that I was coming either, but I know him well enough to know that he was lying. The dinner changed a lot of things.
As we pull into the drive away that leads to a nice house, I can sense that this was going to be an interesting evening. We walk up to the front door and a blonde women opens it.
"Hello! You must be Ally, it's so nice to meet you!" She pulls me into a hug. Her hug was comforting, it reminded me of another blonde's hug. "Mike! They're here!" A man, Mike, comes out from the kitchen.
"Lester!" Mike and my dad give each other a hug, then Mike pulls me in for one to. I feel like I've seen him before.
We walk into the living room and I admittedly spot all the family pictures. Oh my God. I know why I recognize Mike, and Mimi's hug. Mimi walks over to where I'm standing with my mouth agape. "You okay Ally? Isn't our son Austin adorable in his first grade picture?"
"Yeah, adorable." I turn around to look at her. "Is Austin coming to dinner?"
She nods. "Yes, he's at his friend's house. He's been in the dumps lately. Him and his girlfriend broke up and he's been sad about a girl. Apparently he broke her heart, and he's giving her space. You know the typical high school romance." She laughs and I feel sick.
I pretend to laugh. "So you and Austin work together right?" I nod. "He's always talking about this girl who works there, he won't tell me her name though. Do you know?" I can't belive the situation I'm in right now.
"No I don't sorry." Does Austin talk about me to his parents? He really does like me.
"Mike and I have known your father since high school. You look a lot like him." If she has known my father since high school that means that she has to know my mother.
"Did you know my mother?" Her eyes go wide,they look so much like Austin's.
"I think dinners ready, let's go!" I'm guessing that means that she did.
I take my seat at the table when the front door opens. "Mom! I'm home."
"In here Austin." Austin walks into the kitchen. When eyes land on me, he drops the phone that was in his hands.
"Ally!" He looks at me like a deer caught in the head lights.
"Hey, Austin. I'm joining you for dinner." I give him a look that says 'act cool'.
"Oh right, I forgot!" He sat down in the open seat across from me. I was beside Mimi who was across from Mike. My dad was the head of the table. Mimi made lasagna that was amazing. The dinner conversation was simple. Austin and I hadn't said a word to each other, but we weren't being cold. The tension that has surrounded us for the past week was slowly dissolving.
"So, Ally, what do you enjoy?" Mimi asks me when she takes a sip of her drink.
"I like music. I song write sometimes to." Austin whispers something under his breath.
"Did you say something sweetie?" Mimi asks her son.
"Just that Ally is an amazing song writer, if only she didn't have stage fright."
Mimi's face lights up. "You have stage fright?" I nod, her reaction is not what I was expecting.
She mouths something to Austin. I can't make out what she said. Austin mouths back, 'Drop it mom'. I wonder what she said.
"So, any bad habits?" The conversation is taking a turn to weird.
"Um, I guess. I chew on my hair when I'm nervous?" I'm completely confused.
"This is the girl!" Mimi shouts, pointing at Austin then at me.
"Mom, let it go." he angrily whispers. Mike and my dad look very confused.
"Ally's heart is the one you broke!" I'm frozen in place. My hair wants to go into my mouth, but I control the urge.
I start to say something but Mimi cuts me off. "I can't believe that you would say all those hurtful things to poor Ally!"
"I also told her some nice things to! She just couldn't accept them."
I can't hold my tongue any longer. "You do not get to say that it's my fault! I'm sorry that I don't have feelings for people who say they feel sorry for me!" I jump out of my seat, and Austin does the same. "If you would excuse me, I'm done with dinner." I leave the kitchen angrily. I know Austin and he will follow me.
Austin told his mom everything. It was kind of cute. Also kind of creepy. Apparently his mom was his number one woman. Well until I showed up. One day, early in our relationship, we went to his parents for dinner. His mom pulled me to the side and gave me a hug. She said that she was so happy that her son finally found someone who he actually said good things about. She told me that when he talked about me he would get a look in his eyes and a smile on his face. She said that she could see us being together forever. That obviously didn't happen. A few weeks ago, right after everything, she asked me to lunch. I knew that I couldn't say no. She had tears in her eyes when she told me that she hated what happened. I told her that it wasn't her fault. She said that she had never been more disappointed in her son before. She also said that she was sort of disappointed in me. And at the time I didn't want to believe that, but she was right. It was just as much my fault.
I'm standing outside on the patio when I hear the sliding door open. "So, you met my mom." Austin comes to stand beside me, and I'm reminded of the last time we stood this close.
"Yeah, but she already knew everything about me."
"I kind of told my mom about you. I didn't tell her about your mom or your name since I knew that she knew your dad, but I told her how crazy I am for you."
I look over at him. "Are we seriously going to do this again?"
"Do what?"
"Another argument?"
"Who said we had to argue?"
I run my fingers through my hair. "We can't have a conversation without arguing."
Austin grabs my hands to hold them. "Ally, I am so incredibly sorry. I'm so sorry that I haven't had a single pancake since that night." I laugh at how serious he's being. "Did you just laugh? I'm making progress. I would love if we could be friends again."
"You're not going to force me to say anything I don't want to?"
"No, but I'm not going to hide my feelings for you. Because I have feelings for you."
I take my hands away from his and turn around. "I've never done this before, so you're going to have to be patient." I turn back to look at him. "I'm not saying that I forgive you but I am saying that I could, maybe, possibly, have feelings for you to. So, if you asked me out on, lets say a date, I might say yes. But if you ever say anything like what you did, I won't forget so easily."
He has the biggest smile on his face. For once were making each other happy, not sad.
We stand there smiling for a few moments, until Mimi interrupts us.
"I hate to interrupt, but it's time for desert." I start to follow her when Austin grabs my hand.
"So were good now, right? We don't have to avoid each other? And we can talk on the phone at night again?"
I smile at him. I decide to answer his question with a kiss on the cheek. Austin blushes for the first time.
We are good now.
Why did I forgive Austin? Why could I forgive him then and not now? The way I see love, and life in general, is everyone's bound to get hurt by something or someone. It's inevitable. What would life be if you didn't get hurt every once in a while. Well it wouldn't be as painful, but if you didn't ever get hurt, you would never know the real joy of being in love. If I hadn't forgave Austin then, than I wouldn't be so hurt right now. But if I hadn't forgave him then I wouldn't know what it was like to be in love. Or what ever we were in. Either way I know that I was stupid to forgive him so fast, but I don't regret it. What I do regret is getting hurt again, and this time even worse.
After desert, Austin and I went for a walk. We didn't hold hands, but we walked close enough that our arms touched. The conversation was light at first, we haven't had a real one in a while.
"I know that were finally good, and I don't want to ruin that, but why do you forgive me for being a major jerk?" We stopped walking so he could look me in the eyes.
"I don't forgive you exactly, I just don't see a point in being mad at you from a distance, when I can be mad at you up close." He has a confused look on his beautiful face. "What I mean is how will I ever forgive you if I keep my distance? It's easier to forgive someone if you talk to them, that's just my opinion."
"How are you so smart and amazing?"
"It just happened."
We joked the rest of the way home. Things were back to normal, but a better normal.
Things are getting better for Austin and Ally! That's see how long it will last.
Thank you so much for the reviews :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's the longest one.
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Edited on September 13, 2014
I do not own Austin and Ally.