Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm extremely sorry I hadn't been able to write for the last few months. I was extremely busy with my studies and spending time with my family. Here's the next bit continuing off where Austin finds out that Ally had spent the day with David.

I'd like to wish those who celebrate Christmas, a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday!

Enjoy!

PS. I don't own A&A :)

Austin's jaw was clenched. He started making his way to the tables located at the far end of the hall.

I followed after him.

"It's not as bad as it seems, really!"

"Really, cause what it looks like is that you spent the entire day dodging our calls, coming late to this ball — to which I thought we were going together — to hang out with your ex? But more than that, you lied about your whereabouts."

I was rendered speechless. Not in a good way.

"Your points are valid. But—" I became quiet. I was trying to find a reason for my actions.

"That's all you have to say?" He glared.

That was not all I had to say. I was trying to remember what had compelled me to lie.

By the time I looked up, Austin had already moved ten paces away from me and was headed to the dance floor.

Shit.

"Ally!" Trish screeched. She could not have worse timing.

She approached me and began to talk my ear off about her day and how we haven't been spending as much time lately. As much as I tried to converse with her politely, my concentration was diverted as I focused on Austin.

I noticed one of my classmates heading towards Austin.

She began talking to him and oddly enough, his expression was completely pleasant. He even grinned at some things she said, and laughed wholeheartedly.

I realized it was selfish of me to say his reaction was 'odd', mostly because I had expected him to remain upset for a while. No doubt that seeing him laugh the next second had surprised me. It meant that he reserved his emotions and would unleash it to whomever caused them, not to the next person in sight.

Christ, he earned some points for that.

This goddamn dance was the worst possible night of my life. It had been twenty minutes since Austin and I had talked (sometimes arguments and talking are synonymous, I swear!) and now I was sitting at the sidelines watching him dance his night away. That too, with beautiful women forming an inch of radius around him. Attempting to maintain my nonchalant demeanour, I merely muttered profanity.

Unfortunately, that wasn't even the worst part of this night. The realization that I was the reason for this mess was a greater burden to uphold.

That thought dissipated the second I saw someone's lips unbearably close to his ears.

What the fuck?

I was glaring daggers at them, when my phone buzzed. As a reflex, I picked up and seethed "what the hell."

"Dude, what did I do?"

"Get the fufkfsjkdf away from him."

"Ally?"

"Her lips are so close to him, I'm going to do something, I swear!" I whisper-yelled into the phone.

David started laughing so hard, I think he may have cried.

"Ally's jealous!"

"Shut up! I don't care."

"I'm at the entrance, come on we have to go!"

"David, we can't! I need to know how this plays out."

Christ, was this how he felt when he found out I spent the entire day with David? If so, his anger was completely viable.

I headed towards the punch table.

If this night is going to be a bust, might as well be quenched while I'm at it, I thought.

While I poured my drink, something tugged on my leg from beneath the table. I was infinitesimally close to dropping the punch on my dress from that action. I left the drink on the table and lifted the tablecloth. Before I could see who was under the table, I was pulled underneath it myself.

"Listen. We need to go. My parents are wondering where you are and I've said you've gone to the washroom about fifty times. My mother is starting to worry."

While he was ranting, my heart was having a problem calming down.

"David! Are you out of your mind?! Why would you do something so serial-killerish?"

"Serial-killerish? Way to exaggerate an innocent gesture. Any-who, I'm technically not allowed to be in here, since I don't attend this university. So I snuck in. Luckily, you came to grab a drink, I was just going to call you here otherwise."

"I really cannot come. My friends were already upset I ditched them this morning."

He sighed.

"But I probably won't be able to see you until you come back to town. You can see them tomorrow as well!"

He did have a point there. As compelling as it was, I gave him my best apologetic look.

"Alright, alright. I know its a lot to ask. But I just missed this." He smiled at the ground. "But I'll head back. Your ass better come visit me next time though, not just Lauren."

I laughed at that.

"Of course, but what are you going to tell your parents? Probably going to be knocked off of their good-child-list right?"

"Doubt it, but I'll probably say that you weren't feeling well so I dropped you back to res. It's going to believable with all your bathroom trips."

"Hey!" I protested.

"Hey, you're the one that's ditching me. I don't think you get a say in how you're getting out of this one."

"Fair enough," I said.

"How are you holding out with the girl and your guy?"

"Not so well, but I'm going to figure it out."

"Good luck, I'll let you get back to your magical evening then."

I leaned in and gave him a hug.

"Bye David."

"Bye Alls."

He got up and left the dance, hopefully unnoticed.

I decided to stay for a minute to get my thoughts together.

I realized I had hurt Austin and needed to make my amends. I had no plan, nothing extravagant but I had to tell him.

I texted, well bombarded, him with messages to meet me outside.

In the past half hour, it had started to snow and there was a fresh white layer outside.

I made my way past the building. In attempt to calm my nerves, my breathing was evident and extremely controlled. The cool weather outside caused a white cloud to be formed every time I exhaled.

I walked towards the benches a few meters away from the doors. I was very fidgety, and unknowingly, I had climbed a bench. I was pacing it trying to plan what I was going to say.

Would he show up? I wondered.

I continued pacing, my eyes glancing the door frequently.

Five minutes had passed.

If I kept waiting for the door to open, I would go mental. Hence, I tore my eyes and turned the other way.

I noticed the breathtaking tree before me. Snow glistening in the street lights, close intricate details of the fluffy snow.

That's when I heard someone clearing their throat.

I closed my eyes and remained still.

"You called?" He broke the silence.

"Yes. I need to get something off my chest." I replied.

He remained still and silent.

I turned around and began, "I, foremost, want to apologize. It was very dishonest and disloyal of me to fabricate my whereabouts and hang out with David when we already had plans for tonight. I realize that it was also quite hypocritical of me to expect you to be alright with David, when I, myself, have conflicting feelings about your relationship with Theo. Also, the perfume was due to the fact that I was late for tonight and did not have enough time to head to residence and get my usual perfume."

"Conflicting feelings about my relationship with Theo?" He reiterates.

"Conflicting feelings- connotes to jealousy, uneasiness, mild anger, envious, slight grudging."

"Jealousy?"

"Of course, you idiot and I hate it. I'm never the one who behaves irrationally, yet that nonsense-of-a-feeling consumes me." I stepped down from the bench and approached him.

For a brief moment, we stood staring at one another. He reached for my hand.

"For one, I accept your apology." He placed a light kiss on my palm. "But you could have introduced us you know, we would not have had some testosterone battle like primates. We are civilized."

I nodded, acknowledging his stance.

"Two, jealous Dawson is my favorite—" He winked, then repeated the previous action with my second hand. "and third, for the sake of my mental health could we confirm that we're more than just friends?"

That earned a grin, and something else confirmatory.

The next day, I sat in my chemistry lecture with Lia on one side and Austin on the other. Austin was engaged in conversation with one of his buddies beside him whereas I was preoccupied with Lia.

"I didn't get to see you last night." Lia pouted.

"Oh, I got there late and left early, probably why," I replied, a smile slowly creeping on my face as I remembered how the events of last night unfolded.

"Still, you could have said hi— any who, so this weekend, there's this gathering at my friend's apartment. You should come."

"And bring bae," she whispered mischievously, then winked.

Ever since Christmas, Lia insistently refers to Austin as my "bae." When we are in private I laugh off the matter; however, today "bae" is mere inches away from our conversation.

Our conversation stopped abruptly when the lights dimmed and the professor began his lecture on molecular orbital theory.

Ten minutes into it, I felt a note being placed on my desk.

It read, "FYI, I love the code-name you guys have chosen for me." He took the liberty to sign it as "bae" as well.

Magnificent.

Author's Note: Thank you lovely people who read this story! I really appreciate it :D I'd also like to thank those who reviewed and read this story at a later point and still insisted that I update! :)