A/N: Okay I was honestly so excited to write this chapter, along with the next few that come after this. :) Honestly, the story will not last much longer. It will have maybe thirty chapters in all. Hey, the fun stuff is just getting started, though. ;) Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Austin & Ally, nor am I associated wih Disney in any way. None of the characters except Ian and Tenley and other occasional drop-ins belong to me. I also do not own "Already Gone" by Sugarland, nor am I associated with Sugarland. I also do not own "Never Say Never" by The Fray, nor am I associated with The Fray.
Ally...
After I compose myself, I decide to go back home. I've already been gone two hours, and I'm sure Austin will be lonely at home alone on his day off. Tenley tells me goodbye, and I can't help but find the flash of pity in her eyes.
When I reach my car, Ian pulls up the driveway. I wave to him, and he does the same before I climb in my car and he parks his. I can hear Micah and Leila bickering in the backseat.
I take a deep breath before stepping through my front door when I get home.
Austin is nowhere to be found, but I can hear the television echoing through the mansion, he must be in the living room.
I step to the doorway, to find him laying on the couch with the remote in his hand. His face is emotionless, and I can't help but be thankful that I have arrived unnoticed.
I begin to quietly walk away, and up the stairs to change...
"Where are you going?"
I guess I wasn't unnoticed after all.
"To change." I answer nonchalantly, but I've stopped moving. I hear him get off the couch and I start walking again.
"How come you went to Tenley's so early?" He asks, but I can't seem to detect an edge behind his voice.
"Umm... We were just having a girl talk." I answer honestly.
"Talking shit about me?" He says, and I still can't hear an edge. It sends chills down my spine, and I glance at him leaning in the doorway of our bedroom, his expression blank. He looks tired.
I sigh and shake my head, "No, Austin."
He gives me a curt nod before turning on his heel and heading back down the hallway, "I'll be in the living room." He calls.
Memories flood my head of just a short while ago, when I would come home and he would meet me at the door with a hug and a kiss and I would do the same for him. We would eat meals together and do chores together, and one time he even took the faucet off the sink and sprayed me with it, resulting in a water fight that took forever to clean up, but we laughed the entire time. He would always stand in the doorway when I announced that I was changing, just as he had right now. Except he would stay and watch me, and tell me I was beautiful whether I was wearing sweatpants and one of his old shirts or a dress that hugged my curves.
What happened to those days? I wonder hopelessly, and when I go in to the bathroom to put my hair up I find that I'm crying once more. I quickly wipe my face dry and calm myself down. Maybe I should just take a shower.
I strip off my clothes before turning on the faucet to let it warm up. I consider locking the door so Austin can't come in, something neither of us has ever done before. But I leave it unlocked and even crack the door in hopes that maybe he'll come in to the bathroom, and laugh and talk and maybe even climb in the shower with me, like he used to.
Austin...
I huff when I sit back down on the couch, and I hear the water on the shower start to run a few minutes later. My instincts tell me to go upstairs, but I decide against it. We seem really far apart these days, and I don't want to make her uncomfortable.
My phone begins to buzz, and I'm surprised to see that the call is from Dez. I answer swiftly.
"Hey, what's up?" I say.
"Hey, Austin. It's been a while, I was just calling to see how you were."
I'n still not used to this professional, all-business Dez.
"Good, I guess..." I say with a sigh.
"You guess?"
I bite my lip, not sure how much to discuss. I check to make sure I can still hear the water running before I continue.
"Ally and I... We aren't really on the best terms." I admit.
"Have a fight?" He asks.
"Yeah, last night... I ended up sleeping in a different room. It's more than that, though... Ever since i started working again she's been acting like I don't have time for her. I'm trying though, and I just can't be home all the time... We're not the way we used to be." I run a hand through my hair, it hurts even more to say out loud.
"I'm sorry to hear that... I know how wives can be, it just takes some adjusting, I'd say. How much longer will you be working every day?"
"About a month, and then Ally and I will be going on my three month tour."
"Just hang in there, both of you. A tour will be good for you guys, because you'll be spending virtually every second together to catch up on lost time."
I know he's right. I thank him before we finally say our goodbyes. It feels good to discuss problems with Dez, like we used to. I don't hear the water running anymore, so I assume that Ally is out of the shower and probably going to be down here pretty soon.
I check the time... Almost lunch time. I turn the television off before getting up to cook something for Ally and I.
After I finish making grilled cheese and tomato soup, she's still not downstairs. I sigh before hitting the button on the sound system.
"Ally... I made lunch."
I hear movement upstairs, and a few minutes later she comes and joins me at the table. We eat in silence.
When she finishes, she says, "That was good, nice job." She smiles at me, and it warms my heart.
Then she puts her dish in dishwasher and goes back upstairs. I'm alone, again.
I put my own dish in the dishwasher before my feet carry me to the piano. I begin playing some small tunes before my fingers start playing the familiar keys of "Never Say Never"... Out first song.
Tears prick at my eyes, but I hold them back. I play and play and play, until I realize it's beginning to get dark outside. The house is quiet, so quiet that I can hear crickets chirping outside. I sigh, deciding to go upstairs and find Ally. I really miss her.
Ally...
I hear it, the song. He plays it for what seems like forever, hours even. It's the most beautiful and heartbreaking sound. I find myself crying and singing along more than once, reminiscing for the millionth time today.
I'm thankful that I'm not crying anymore when he comes in to our room. I'm actually sitting on my bed, looking through my song book. I haven't written in so long, I miss it a lot. I go through some of the songs that I used to play in New York and make a mental note that I will make a demo out of them when I get the chance. Heck, I may even send them into a record company.
"Whatcha doing?" He asks, and I shrug, closing the leather book.
His eyes travel to the album that we have framed and hanging on the wall above our bed. Our only album.
He catches me watching his eyes and looks away quickly, his cheeks turning red. "I, uh... One more month." He says.
I raise an eyebrow, confused. "Until what?"
"Until I'm finished working. And then we go on tour."
"... We?"
"Well, yeah... I had assumed you were going to come with me."
"Who will watch the house?"
"The maids that come when I call them... The same people that always do when I'm away?"
I honestly hadn't thought about going on tour with Austin in a long time, but I guess it would make sense... Plus, I would be with him all the time. That sounded nice.
"Okay." Is all I say.
He nods before pulling off his shirt, leaving him in only sweatpants. I intake a sharp breath at the sight of his perfect body, it's been a while since I've seen it, oddly enough. My eyes travel to that tattoo, and a small park of me can't help but wondering if he regrets getting my name permanently inked onto his body. I shake the thought away.
I look away before he can catch me staring, and he comes and climbs under the covers. I can't help but notice that he is laying much further away than usual.
I sigh, turning off the light, and scooting further onto my side of the bed as well.
The distance between us is cold and unwelcoming.
A/N: I'm going to try and double update today! Fingers crossed. :) Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow. I'm glad the story is finally going somewhere, and I hope you all don't hate me too much!
Are you glad that there's finally some drama, or upset that things are no longer perfect for Austin and Ally? Tell me in a review!