Trish jumped when a dart came flying past her face.
She looked to her best friend who didn't acknowledge her and continued with his game of darts. He stopped for a quick moment to take a long gulp of whatever liquor was in his cup and then continued with the throwing of darts.
Trish glanced at the board and then looked back at Austin. "Wow. You've almost gotten every bull's eye." Trish said, impression leaking into her tone as she stepped further into the room.
"Uh huh," he grunted, closing one eye as he focused on the board and tossing the next dart.
"Intoxicated, too! There's the talent." Trish grinned at him.
Austin laughed and nodded his head, tossing another dart. He shrugged when he saw where each of them had landed, surrounding the small red dot. He walked towards the board and retrieved the darts. He returned to his original spot and began the dart throwing once again.
Trish watched him throw each dart. "How long have you been doing this?"
He shrugged, "I don't know. About two hours now."
"You know, this could have totally been avoided." Trish said, watching him.
He tossed another dart.
"She would've forgiven you. You know that." Trish said.
His next dart missed the board completely and pierced the wall. Austin glanced at his best friend quickly and then focused on tossing another dart.
He gave her a wry look. "Guess I'm a quitter."
"I thought you said you were serious this time." Trish said.
"Ah, see, I was serious, but that was before I messed it all up." Austin replied, tossing another dart. The strength he'd exerted into that one made the board quiver.
"You could've fixed it." Trish replied.
"No, I couldn't have." Austin shook his head. When he felt her eyes burning into the side of his face. He turned to her. "You don't think I wanted to?"
Trish sighed. "That's not what I meant."
He shook his head and threw another dart.
He suddenly wasn't getting any bull's eye's anymore.
"Well, I guess we can just forget about it now." He grabbed his cup and drowned the contents down his throat.
"She misses you." Trish told him, quietly.
He glanced at her sideways and tossed another dart. "You've talked to her?"
Trish nodded.
Austin hesitated and didn't throw a dart this time. "How is she?"
"I said she misses you." Trish repeated.
"Well," Another dart tossed, "she'll have to get over it."
"Kind of like how you're over it?" She lifted a brow.
"Exactly." Austin replied, throwing his last dart. He turned to his drink and gulped the rest of it down, letting out a loud exhale when he was finished.
Trish rolled her eyes. "I thought the whole reason you lied to her was because you didn't want to lose her."
"It was." Austin said.
"But you broke up with her?"
Austin sighed, "I lied, because I didn't want to lose her, but then I realized, I was going to lose her anyway and I wasn't going to sit around and wait for her to hate me, so I broke it off. Besides, I heard Jimmy finally signed her. It wouldn't of happened if I was still around."
"It could have." Trish said.
"She deserves more than me, Trish." Austin said.
"But you were what she wanted," Trish replied, "And she deserves to get what she wants and that was you."
"Can we not talk about this...about her?" Austin questioned.
"Fine," Trish replied, "You have an outfit fitting in an hour. You've avoided work for a week. It's time to get back on track."
He sighed as he watched her leave the room.
x
"You know, I don't see why you didn't just try to work it out." Cassidy said.
Austin was standing on the platform. The women next to him adjusting the way the clothes sat on his body.
"There was no working it out." Austin replied, nonchalantly. "Good things don't last, Cass."
"Only because you don't let them." Cassidy retorted.
"If the shoe fits, walk in it." Austin gave her a small smirk.
"See, you don't even smirk the same." Cassidy told him. "You're really hurting, aren't you?" She fake pouted.
"You know, you're supposed to be admiring my wonderful physique, not taunting my broken heart." Austin shot back.
"I don't know what Ally saw in you. You're revolting." Cassidy said.
"Ah, you see, Ally knew what good taste was." Austin responded.
Cassidy clicked her tongue and shook her head.
Cassidy sighed longingly. "As much as I hate to admit it, I feel bad for you."
"That's interesting, but I don't want your pity. I just need you to sit there and tell me if this jacket makes me look lame." Austin said.
"You look lame in everything." Cassidy remarked.
Austin gave her a sarcastic smile for a second before it faded and he went back to scowling at his reflection.
"What I was going to say," Cassidy rolled her eyes, "was that I know you loved her. A lot. You were different while you were with her. And now you're back to the same old, ignorant slob. What a pity."
"Look, I appreciate the counseling sessions between you and Trish, but I don't need it. In case you've forgotten, I was the dumper, not the dumpee." Austin gave her a wry smile.
"Alright, alright." Cassidy said. "Just trying to get you to see that you're not really the bad guy. You just don't know how to hold onto good things or make them last."
Austin looked at her through the reflection. She gave him a tight smile and wiggled her fingers at him in the mirror. He shook his head and loosened his collar.
"Yeah, I was great," Austin said, voice suddenly soaked in sarcasm, "Broke up with the girl before she could do it to me. Where's my award? I think I have a good speech for it."
Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Austin, please. We all know how you felt about her and how you still feel. You're not fooling anybody, but yourself. Maybe if you stopped running for once, things might actually turn out pretty darn good."
"Good things aren't supposed to happen to people like me. My life is proof of that." Austin replied.
This time, Cassidy didn't reply.
x
Austin sighed as he collapsed back on his couch and ran his hands over his face.
He heard footsteps and he glanced through the gaps of his fingers to see a dark man walking towards him. He rolled his eyes. He removed his hands and sat up. "Well, I'm sure word got to you, didn't it?"
"If you would have trusted her, you wouldn't be in this mess." Jimmy told him, folding his arms.
Austin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. Everybody has told me about how much I screwed up. I wonder if they realize how much I already know that."
The wry tone was gone and was replaced with something irritated and on the edge.
"Actually, I'm not here to talk about the thousands of ways you've made a mess." Jimmy said. Austin looked at him confused. "I'm here to do this." Jimmy approached him and slapped a palm on the backside of Austin's head.
"Jimmy, what the hell?" Austin howled.
"You're a special kind of stupid." Jimmy told him.
Austin scowled and rubbed the back of his head. "You know, this is your fault."
"And how exactly am I at fault?" Jimmy questioned.
"If you would have signed her without showing me the damn recording, I'd never have known and none of this would have happened. I would've been forced to deal with it." Austin replied.
"Or," Jimmy began, "You could've let me sign her and then celebrated with your girlfriend."
Austin looked up at Jimmy, a cold look in his eyes.
"I know how you felt about her, Austin. I'm just sorry that you think you're so undeserving of happiness, because you're not. I know who you were before your mother passed away and before your father became a drunk. I want to see that kid again." Jimmy said.
"Well, sucks to be you." Austin replied, dryly, "Because you're not seeing him again. You're stuck with me."
Jimmy shook his head and began walking away. He stopped and looked at Austin. "You know, Austin, things don't have to be the same to be good again."
Jimmy shut the door behind him and Austin was left alone. He shook his head and collapsed back against the couch again.
"Well," he said to no one in particular, "That was the best fucking advice I've heard all day."
x
Short, but you guys were anticipating another update.