Trouble

Chapter 6

Mondays weren't one of Ally's favorite days. These were the first days to start her work week. She wouldn't see her son for six hours because of his kindergarten class. She released a sigh as she laid in her bed, staring at her ceiling. The dinner from last night flashed through her mind as she remembered the fight between her and Austin.

" Can I have a chance now? Can I get to know my son?" Austin requested quietly, turning his gaze to Ally. He watched as her normally warm cinnamon brown eyes hardened, a cold glint settling in them. This was a side he always hated seeing, always hated being on the receiving end of. She was distant, cold.

" Let's make one thing clear. Devon is my son. Mine. I raised him. If you want to get to know him, that is his choice. I won't deny you that right. However, you'll have to ask him," Ally spoke, straightening her posture as she shrugged away from the door. Austin watched as her hand reached for the door knob before his own shot out, firmly keeping the door shut. He waited for her to move her hand before he dropped his own, taking a step closer until only a few inches separated their bodies.

" Ally, I want to repair our relationship as well. Will you give me another chance?" he spoke softly, waiting for any indication.

She had told him no. Did she honestly mean it? Did she want things to stay the way they were, even if he gets to know their son? She was so confused. With a forceful shake of her head she pushed off her bed, deciding she needed to finally get ready so she could start breakfast for Devon. She tugged her large sleeping shirt over her head, dropping it onto her floor as she danced around her room, one of the few places she felt comfortable in her own skin. She dressed quickly, pulling on a simple black shirt and a pair of old cut off shorts, the inseam only a couple of inches long. She pulled her still straight hair into a high ponytail, moving out of her room. Devon was sitting at the kitchen table, coloring in a book Trish bought him yesterday.

" Are you ready for school, Baby?" Ally questioned as she entered the kitchen pulling down two glasses from the cabinet.

" Yep," he answered, popping the 'p'. Ally danced around the kitchen, standing in front of her fridge to pull out a half gallon of orange juice.

" Do you want pancakes for breakfast?" she questioned, looking up from the two glasses to see her son thinking.

" No, not today. I want a fried egg sandwich," he answered finally, happy with his decision. Ally chuckled at her son, shaking her head as she bent low to reach a small frying pan. A knock on the door startled her as she glanced at the time on her microwave.

" Baby, you want to get the door for me, shout who it is as soon as you see, alright?" she requested, watching her son jump from his seat and run down the hall to the front door. She twisted her body, placing the frying pan on the stove before pivoting towards the fridge once more to reach a carton of eggs. After a few moments of silence, Ally glanced over her shoulder, her brows furrowed as she listened to hushed voices in her hall way.

" Baby, who's here?" she called out, setting the carton of eggs on the granite counter top before reaching for one of her medium glass bowels.

" It's your friend, Austin," Devon answered as he rounded the corner, Austin right behind him.

Ally's eyes narrowed fractionally as Devon climbed into his chair once more, focusing on his coloring book. Austin followed his lead, folding his hands in front of him as he met Ally's look with a bright smile.

" Did you need something Austin?" she questioned, controlling her voice so she wouldn't upset her son.

" I wanted to talk to you alone, but I can wait," Austin answered with a shrug, watching as Ally shook her head. His eyes never left her body as she began to heat up the frying pan, seasoning her eggs before sliding them in. She was graceful as she moved around the kitchen, talking to her son, their son. He was still getting used to the idea, but he liked the sound it had. He had a son, a bright, talented son. He shook his head, returning his attention to Ally as she slid from behind the counter, carrying two plates. She set one in front of Devon, kissing his head as she ran her fingers through his baby fine hair.

The second one she placed in front of Austin, moving away until she was on the other side of the table, resting her back against the high counter top. She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes softening when they landed on Devon. Austin ate his sandwich quietly, watching how Devon demolished the food before scurrying off to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

" Do you need to drive him to school?" Austin finally asked, causing Ally's eyes to meet his own.

" Yes. It's a five minute drive. Do you want to wait here?" Ally was silently praying he would. Her hopes were shot down as he shook his head, wild strands of golden blonde falling across his forehead.

" I was actually wondering if I could go with you, see his school…" Austin trailed off, watching as Ally released a breath before looking to the side. She chewed her bottom lip between her teeth, before deciding on her answer.

" Don't say anything out of line Austin. I don't want my son going to school upset," he nodded his head at her warning, smirking at the emphasis she put on my.

He had almost forgotten how protective Ally could get, almost. He smiled lightly at a memory, reminding him that Ally used to be that protective over him, once upon a time.

" Leave Austin alone," it was Austin's seventeenth birthday and a girl was being particularly clingy. She just sneered at the petite brunette, flipping her coppery red hair over her shoulder.

" Go away geek. Austin doesn't have time for you today," the girl, he couldn't remember her name, snarled. Austin's entire body went tense, his fists clenching at his sides. He had to keep reminding himself, she was still learning about him. She didn't know he despised it when others told him what he had time for. It was his time, no one else's. She meant well, he knew that. Ally however didn't like the girl to begin with, he should have listened to his best friend's voice, she was his voice of reason after all.

Before anyone could blink, he saw Ally's tiny fist connecting with the girl's nose. She released her vice like grip on Austin's arm, her hands rushing to stop the blood that was gushing from her nose. She was gasping, yelling things that sounded like some one broke her nose. Austin could only shake his head before turning his attention to his petite brunette. Wait, his? When has Ally ever been his? He shook the thoughts from his mind grabbing her hand that she was cradling to her chest. His thumb lightly grazed over the bruising knuckles, shaking his head.

" I really need to show you how to throw a punch, don't I?" he teased, watching a light blush tint her cheeks.

" Hey, I can punch," she argued, before realization settled in.

" Shouldn't you be checking on your girlfriend? I mean I did punch her, and from the looks of it, I might have broken her nose," Ally spoke, her voice quiet. Austin could only shrug his shoulders before glancing at the girl in question.

" Her nose isn't broken. Besides I wanted to break up with her today, she was to clingy for my taste," Austin explained, forcing Ally to shake her head, however he saw the small smile dancing on her pink lips.

" I promise, Ally, I will be on my best behavior," he answered, grinning as she cast him a cautious glance. She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on the uneasy feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach before calling out for her son.

" Little Man? Are you done yet? We need to get going or you'll be late," Ally voice was like Austin's favorite song he lost, replaying over in his head. He really had missed her, no matter what he tried to say other wise.

" Little Man?" Austin questioned, trying to converse before he started thinking about the past, thoughts he really needed to censor before he did something idiotic.

" It's a mixture of…" he noticed her brows furrow before she stopped herself, shaking her head as she turned her eyes to the male sitting across from her. He knew she was keeping something from him as she answered, her words carefully picked.

" I wanted a nickname, I only could call him. Little Man just seemed to fit him," Ally answered, shrugging her shoulders. Austin didn't push her, he would wait until she trusted him enough with that information.

Devon came running down the hall at the thought of being late, pulling his back pack higher unto his shoulders as he reached the front door.

" Come on Mama! I can't be late," Devon called over his shoulder, waiting for his mother to open the door. Austin chuckled at the little boy's enthusiasm, glancing between the two. Ally rolled her eyes, following behind her son as she opened the front door. She glanced up, noticing the Austin was still sitting which caused her to cock an eyebrow. He jumped from his chair, following behind her. His eyes drifted to her rear, shaking his head. His little Ally-Cat certainly grew up. He slid into the passenger seat after Ally buckled Devon into his booster seat, leaving the child to stare curiously at the young man.

" Do you like my Mama, Mister Austin?" Devon questioned, before his mother entered the car. Austin turned in his seat to answer, not caring if Ally understood what he was talking about or not.

" Very, very much," Austin replied honestly as Ally pulled open the driver's door, sliding into her seat.

The drive to the elementary school was short, something Austin noticed. He watched as the two finished their morning routine, Devon climbing out of his booster seat and leaving the car through Ally's door. His fist clenched in his lap as he noticed the fathers of other children turn their heads to watch as she dropped into a crouch in front of their son. His body relaxed slightly as he watched her kiss the top of his head before he wrapped his arms around her neck. The corner of his lips quirked upward in a gentle smile, watching as she released him, sending him in the direction of his class before pulling her door open once more and sliding into her seat.

" Do you do this every morning?" Austin questioned, not realizing his body was still tense from the jealousy he had felt. Ally, however, was a very observant person, her eyes darting to his clenched fist that rested on top of his thigh. She decided to answer him, offer him a proposition.

" Yes. How about we play a game, Austin. You obviously want to know more about Devon, I want to know if I can trust you with my son. We can play twenty questions," She watched as Austin thought over his answer before nodding his head in agreement.

" That sounds fair," he spoke, watching as she returned her gaze to the street.

" What has you so tense?" he was surprised by her question, forcing him to look at his hands which were still balled into tight fists.

He turned his gaze to the window, knowing he would need to answer, otherwise he wouldn't get to know his son.

" Nothing important," he brushed it off, watching as Ally slowed to a stop at a traffic light before twisting her body to face him.

" Austin, I am not with holding any information from you. You said you wanted a chance to get to know your son, this is the only time I'll willingly share this information. I want the same respect from you. I want you to be honest. Tell me, what has you so tense," The car lurched forward as Austin released a sigh. He knew Ally deserved his honesty, yet it was so hard to tell her things, little things like he was jealous.

" I… Jealousy," he finally answered, watching as Ally's grip on the steering wheel tighten.

" What's his favorite color?" He watched as her features relaxed slightly, thinking of her son before releasing a breath as she turned into her apartment's parking lot.

" Currently it is yellow," she answered, shutting off her engine, unbuckling her seat belt, and pushing her door open. Austin grinned, shaking his head as he followed behind her.

" Have you gotten arrested before?" she spoke, turning to look over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs. Austin shook his head, his hands stuffed into the pockets of the jeans he wore.

" Why did you say currently? Does his favorite color change often?" He hadn't realized he asked two questions, but Ally did.

" That's two. But because they tie together, I'll treat it as one. His favorite color changes every week, he likes to copy me, saying I know all the colors, and he doesn't want any to feel left out," she shrugged her shoulders, walking into the kitchen. Austin nodded, watching as Ally reached for two mugs. The tight shirt she wore rode up, revealing a couple inches of creamy skin. She placed the mugs on the counter, turning to her coffee maker and pushing the power button.

" Do you have company often?" he forgotten it wasn't his turn, but he wanted to know more about her life, not just their son's. Ally glanced over her shoulder, shaking her head. She decided not to chide him, twisting her body so she could lean back against the counter, arms crossed over her chest as she watched him with a careful eye.

" Why were you jealous?" she spoke, the words causing Austin to run his fingers through his messy strands.

" I… You know how I get Als. You of all people know how irrational I can be. I just… I saw the way those men were looking at you at the school and…" he trailed off, not knowing how else to continue. Ally's tense shoulders relaxed slightly as she met his gaze, shaking her head.

" Austin, I have dated any one since I was pregnant with Devon. Dallas couldn't handle the pressure of raising a child at such a young age, I thought every other guy would be like that. Devon is my Little Man, my only man. They look, they're men. It doesn't mean I look at them. It doesn't mean I encourage them," Ally responded gently, turning to look out the living room window.

Austin's eyes widened in surprise at her confession, causing him to shake his head as he thought of another question.

" What's his favorite food?" his voice was quiet as the beeping of the coffee maker filled the tense air. Ally turned, fixing the mugs how she remembered, the only difference, her taste had changed. Instead of sugar and cream, she kept her coffee black, Austin had to much of a sweet tooth to cut back, she knew that much. She handed him the finished mug, watching the bright grin on his face before he glanced at her own mug. He wrinkled his nose as he saw the dark liquid.

" You used to hate black coffee," he commented, watching as she nodded her head, not denying the fact.

" I learned, it's better to have pure caffeine rather than sugar. Devon kept odd hours as a baby, my body still hasn't made the time switch. I stay up late, wake up early. Black coffee has a longer effect on me," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders before answering his question.

" He loves pancakes," he nodded, his grin returning, waiting for her question.

" After five years, why did you come back?" he wasn't expecting that, nor was he ready to answer it. He sipped his coffee lightly, trying to think of his answer. He couldn't lie to her, and he couldn't no answer. But did he honestly want to tell her the truth? She deserved the truth, but could he honestly voice it, the boy who refused to believe in love, returning to his home town for the girl who stole his heart when he was fifteen?

" I…" he couldn't do it. She deserved to know, but he just couldn't tell her, not yet.