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Austin sat in his car, a few doors down from the address Ally had text him. It wasn't an apartment. It was a house. It was a nice neighbourhood. He was sure he had driven past it a few times, but it wasn't that familiar to him. He gazed on at her front door, not entirely sure what he was waiting for. He glanced down at her bag again. How could someone like her be in so much trouble? She certainly didn't let it show. He admired that. He sighed to himself and grabbed the bag getting out of his car. As he approached the house he saw what he assumed was a neighbour sitting out on the front porch. She looked elderly, but smiled at him when he walked past. "Hello young man." She said.
"Hey." He smiled and awkwardly waved at her.
"Visiting miss Dawson?" The woman asked.
"Uh.. yeah."
"Lovely girl." The woman said sitting back in her chair. Austin smiled once more and walked to the front gate. He slowly opened the gate, hoping it wouldn't make a sound. The garden looked nice. A lot nicer than he expected. He approached the door and knocked, giving her bag one final glance.
"Austin." She smiled opening the door. "Thank you for bringing it here."
"It's cool." He said handing the bag over.
"You didn't go through it, did you?"
"No, of course not." He lied.
"Do you wanna come in?" She offered.
"Yeah sure." He smiled and stepped in. "I thought you said you lived in a flat?"
"We did, but we moved here after.. well.. the incident." Ally said closing the door.
"I see. Is that a cat?" He asked.
"Yeah." Ally smiled. "His name is Garfield."
"No way." Austin laughed. "That's the name of Dez's cat as well."
"Who's Dez?" She asked.
"A friend." He informed her.
"Can I get you a coffee?"
"Sure." He smiled. "Where's Charlie?" He asked looking at the picture frames on the counter.
"Outback with a friend." She smiled grabbing some mugs.
"So, how come you ran off like that? You don't seem busy right now."
"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I saw Paul… I just couldn't let him see us together. He would just jump to conclusions and I didn't want him to make a scene." She shrugged.
"I was worried I had said something."
"Don't be silly." Ally smiled and handed him the cup of coffee. "Sorry about the mess, I was really expecting guests." She said throwing some toys into the box that sat in the corner.
"It's alright." He shrugged. "Oh, I forgot to say back at the cafe, but your lawyer did contact my lawyer. So I guess things are starting to move along."
"For the best." She said.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Okay I can't keep quiet." He said and Ally looked at him in confusion. "I.. I looked through your bag."
"Austin!" Ally said slamming her mug down on the messy coffee table.
"I know, I know and I'm sorry." He held his hands up. "I was just curious."
"That isn't a reason to go through someones bag!"
"I'm sorry." He sighed. "Look, I saw the debt letters.." He said trying to keep his voice down realizing that the back door was open.
"That's none of your business."
"Ally that's a lot of money… why didn't you just move back into an apartment?" He asked and Ally closed the back door. "You don't think I've tried?" She said. "I've looked and looked and everything is either just as expensive or not available to a single parent! I've looked for a better job, I've tried to save but nothing works. I can't ask Paul for money because he'll just see it as an excuse to take Charlie. I can't ask my parents either."
"Why not?" He asked.
"Austin I dropped out of college because I thought I could become something big. My parents hated the idea and they warned me it was a mistake. But I thought I could prove them wrong. I love them and I know they love me, but if I was to tell them that I'm not the big shot I make out to be they would be so disappointed. They are harsh.. it would just damage what is left of my relationship with them."
Austin remained silent. He didn't know what to say. He barely knew her, but he felt sorry for her. "I don't know what to do." She shrugged as tears formed in her eyes. She was going to start crying. He shouldn't have opened his big mouth he thought to himself. "Don't cry." He said placing his coffee down on the table beside her. He slowly made his way over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He had no idea what possessed him to do it, but it felt right and she wasn't complaining. She wrapped her arms around his waist and quietly sobbed into his chest. He was much taller than her, but she fit into his arms perfectly. They remained like that for a moment before the were interrupted by Charlie.
"Mommy!" he called running it, still clutching the action figure Austin had bought him.
"Charlie." Ally said pulling away from Austin and wiping her eyes.
"Can Daniel stay for dinner?" He asked sweetly looking up at Ally.
"Of course baby." Ally said patting his head.
"Hi." The little boy said looking up at Austin.
"Hey little dude." Austin smiled.
"Is he staying for dinner too?"
"No." Ally said. "In fact he was just leaving."
"Uh.. yeah.." Austin smiled.
"Aww." The little boy looked down at the floor.
"Maybe next time." Austin said trying to cheer him up.
"We'll see." Ally said. "Char, go get Danny and go to your room. I'll call you when dinners ready. I'll tell his parents."
"Okay." Charlie said, before skipping off towards his friend.
"Uh.. I'll see you around then I guess.."
"Yeah.." She said as he turned to the door. She watched him as he began to walk towards the front door, but something stopped him on his way. He turned to face her. "Let me help you." He said.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"With the debt. Let me help you."
"I don't think so." She shook her head.
"Look I'm not just going to give you it for free, of course it will be a loan. But you don't have to pay it back until your back on your feet." He explained.
"No it's not happening."
"Ally I have money. It's not going to affect me.. just let me help you out."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just a nice guy.." He laughed a little. "Look, I know we barely know each other.. but as of right now we are technically married. What kind of a husband would I be if I didn't at least try and help you?"
"I don't know." She looked down.
"Look I don't even care how long it takes you to pay it back."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Okay.." She sighed.
"Good." He smiled and reached for his wallet. "Take this for now." He said pulling out some notes and handing them to her.
"Thank you." She said her voice almost a whisper. "I will pay you back, I promise.."
"I know." He smiled. "I can come by tomorrow and we can go over how much it is you actually need?" He suggested.
"Charlie has school so that would be ideal." Ally said.
"Awesome. I will see you then.." He smiled once more and her and left.
"Was that your moms boyfriend?" Ally heard come from behind her.
"No he's a stranger." Charlie shrugged and led his friend up the stairs. Ally just shook her head.
"I just cracked I don't know." Austin shrugged. "I mean she has that kid and she just looks like she's holding it all in. How could I not do something?"
"I think it's sweet." Dez shrugged.
"I still don't think she likes me."
"She can't be that bad. You married her after all." Dez smirked.
"I honestly still remember nothing from that night.. I never thought I'd do that. I'm still trying to get over Piper." Austin shook his head.
"You were drunk, you both were. Things like this happens in Vegas all the time. Oh by the way Gavin called asking if I had seen you. I said no.. but you should probably make an appearance at some point before they think you're missing."
"I'll go now I guess." Austin sighed. "Thanks for letting me stay."
"Anytime." Dez smiled. "Call me if anything exciting happens."
"Where the hell have you been?" Mike asked.
"I was just staying at a friends." Austin shrugged.
"I knew Dez was lying." Gavin said. "So what was that girl back at the restaurant?"
"No one."
"Didn't seem like no one." Gavin pushed.
"Wait what girl?" Mike looked confused.
"Austin was on a date." Gavin smiled.
"I wasn't on a date." Austin shook his head. "She's just a friend."
"Aren't they all just friends." Mike winked.
"Dad. Leave it." Austin sighed.
"Alright, alright. Oh, your mom is coming into town for a visit."
"Great." Austin smiled.
Austin missed his mom, more than he cared to admit. Her and his father had gotten a divorce when he was younger. She wanted a quiet life and his father wanted anything but that. Austin was heartbroken when she left, but she never once lost contact with him. Unlike his father, Mimi wasn't entirely fond of Gavin. She had never quite forgiven for the entire Piper situation.
"Thanks for coming over." Ally smiled.
"It's been ages since we done this, of course I was going to agree." Trish smiled. "What's the occasion though?" Trish asked stepping in the house.
"Well.." Ally looked around to make sure Charlie was out of sight and in his room. "I spoke to Austin.."
"You did?" Trish asked sitting down. "I thought you didn't like him?"
"I didn't… I don't.. well.. he's not a bad guy." Ally sighed sitting beside her friend. "I bumped into him at the store and he bought Charlie this toy.. then he offered to take us to lunch. I couldn't say no."
"Lunch, eh?" Trish smirked.
"I told him about the whole Paul thing. He was actually really nice about it." Ally explained. "Anyway, I saw Paul and I freaked out. I left in a hurry and I must have left my bag." Ally sighed. "I guess he looked through it.."
"He did what?" Trish said sounding a little angry.
"I know, I already had a go at him for it.. he found the debt letters."
"Oh god.."
"He offered to pay." Ally said quietly.
"What?" Trish looked at her friend in confusion.
"He offered to help with it.." Ally shrugged. "I don't know why, but he did."
"Did you accept?"
"I said no but he just kept going on.. and maybe it won't be so bad? I mean I will pay him back.. that was the deal we made."
"Well that's good I guess. See, I bet you're glad you went of Vegas after all." Trish laughed.
"I could think of better ways to get help than accidently marry someone I hardly know." Ally joined in with the laughter. "I'll go get Charlie, keep the movie selection PG."
"So something from the disney channel then... again." Trish joked.
"I know there's something going on with you and that girl." Gavin said leaning against the door.
"There is nothing going on between me and her." Austin shook his head and looked back at the computer screen.
"Really? Cause she seemed pretty upset back at the restaurant."
"Look it was nothing, we just got each others credit cards mixed up." Austin lied.
"Uh huh. Not buying it."
"Well I don't care if you do or don't, it's the truth." Austin stood up and looked at his watch.
"Where are you going?" Gavin asked.
"I have a meeting, because I'm actually doing my job."
"Rightttt."
"Look how about you just back off and butt out of my life, okay?"
"Buddy, what the hells your problem? You've been hanging out with the Dez guy too much."
"Just leave him out of this. Look, I don't have time for you. Why don't you go take Piper for lunch or some shit." Austin sighed.
"Oh come on you aren't seriously still salty about that? I thought we were over it."
"Over it? Of course, you knew exactly what I was going to do and you still done that to me."
"I said I was sorry." Gavin put his hands up.
"I'll see you tonight." Austin said pushing past him. "I have somewhere to be."
