Chapter 19

He let her go! He fricking let her go! TWICE! Twice in his life, ten years apart, he met with the love of his life. And twice, ten years apart, he let her go! What was wrong with him? Was he going to have to wait another ten years to see her again? But she wouldn't have left. She wouldn't. She left once, something told him she wouldn't leave twice.

He needed to get her back. He had to.

He quickly changed and flew out the door. Across the hall he ran, stopping at her place. He pounded heavily, waiting for her to pull the door open.

He pounded heavily on the door as he panted to catch his breath. Again and again he knocked loudly. One after the other, but she wouldn't open the door. He rang the doorbell several times and he could hear it echoing in the apartment, but still no answer. After five minutes of pounding on her door with the mind-set to break it down if she didn't answer and pressing the doorbell so that it probably wouldn't sound right after, he concluded that Ally wasn't there.

Plus when he was making all that noise Ally's neighbor some big blurry guy stormed out and yelled at him. "Hey you! Quiet down there! Not all of us have all the time in the world to test the doorbell five straight dang minutes!" Austin nodded and ran to his car.

Either Ally knew it was him and was now ignoring him and the world or she just wasn't there. Probably the latter.

So he tired to go look for her. He ran to the big editorial building in town and asked the security guard if Ally was in.

"Hey! It's you again!" the guy exclaimed.

But Austin was impatient. "Yeah, yeah. I know me too. But is Ally here today?"

"Uh..." He looked down at his computer, typed a few things before saying, "Um, no. Today's her day off."

Austin nodded. "Thanks." And was gone and out the door already.

The security guard shook his head and smiled. He knew Austin Moon was way-in head over heels in love with Ally Dawson. He knew it.

Next Austin tried the library. The usual town librarian an old frail Spanish lady wasn't there. "Um, where's Miss May?" Austin asked the girl behind the desk, referring to May Leandro the librarian.

The lady shook her head gravely. "She's not here."

But he was too busy thinking about Ally to care. "Okay, never mind. Do you know who Ally Dawson is?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, she used to-"

But instantly got cut off by Austin. "Okay, whatever. Do you know where she is?"

The woman shook her head. "She's supposed to be here today, but she didn't show. Outside of that, I really don't know much about Miss Dawson's personal life."

Austin slammed his hands on the counter. "Damn it!" he muttered under his breath. "Well thanks anyway."

She nodded. Lauren didn't mind his behavior. She knew Ally Dawson and she knew Ally was a great catch. And she thinks its sweet that a guy would actually go looking for Ally. She sure is lucky to have a guy who yearns for her and loves her that much. Lauren smiles at Austin's retreating figure and laughs inwardly and remembered how her husband was like that.

So if Ally wasn't at the library or her work office, where could she be? Then he thought of their first meeting.

Of course! How could he be so stupid?

Lighthouse Book Café!

Austin forgot all about his car and ran with all his might. He saw Dez and his sister walking and eating some caramel apples, but he just waved at them as he jogged past. He was not far. Lighthouse Book Café was just several blocks away. But then again blocks vary in distance.

By the time he got there, he was breathing hard. He looked up and smiled at the familiar sign. Then he stopped dead in his tracks.

Watching for a few more minutes, he hung his head and made the long trek back to his car. So much for Ally. The roads were icy, but he managed to drive back to his apartment. Not in any mood, he flung his keeps to the counter and just dropped himself on his bed to sleep.

Elliot stared at the clock. He'd be staring at it for hours end and it ceased to intrigue him. Watching time tick by can be interesting.

Then after the hours past by, you'll be wondering where you're life went.

Oh, my god. What was he turning into?! He was a hard-wired lawyer from Oregon when he came to Vermont! What had happened since then?

Auslly, that's what happened.

Plus he couldn't bear to see his little sister hurt. She meant the world to him, even though she probably didn't know it. She was his savior. Ally had taught him so many things and made him a better person. That's why he became a lawyer. Lawyers helped people and stuck with them no matter what. And Elliot felt that if he helped other people, he'd be repaying back what his sister taught him.

To always look ahead.

And so many times did she make that clear. Time after time, Ally had become more than his sister. His sister had become his closest friend and person to his heart. She didn't know. She never did. Because he was... he was too ashamed. Their sibling relationship had always been a complicated one; not one way to explain it, but in a way it made sense to the both of them.

And there were so many time when she had saved him from his own mistakes. He couldn't have asked for a better sister look how he repaid her? Now he was trying to spend the rest of his life to repay her, just... not directly.

He groaned in frustration and looked down at the bags of chips he apparently had been staring at for the past five minutes at the store. How'd he get here? Never mind, but he did need food. So grabbing a bag of chips and some other sweets, he headed out.

With the cold November weather, some snow was falling. It was just light flakes one after the other.

Smiling to himself he walked around town, deep in thoughts.

"Hey! Would you like one?" Dez asked holding up a caramel apple.

She smiled. "That'd be great. Thanks Dez."

"No problem." He returned the smile and paid the lady for two treats. Walking back to her, he gave her one.

"I love the winter," she commented watching snow fall from the sky.

Dez watched her every move. She was beautiful. "Yeah, yeah, it is," he breathed. "Oh, I meant yeah, me too."

"Wanna go outside? I love the cool, crisp winter air."

How could he refuse? Dez nodded and followed her out. He watched holding the sweets as she sighed happily in full content and held out her arms as she ran through the streets over the piles of snow that was beginning to build. Holding his caramel apple and hers he quickly followed her. Rounding the corner he found her laughing and looking up at the sky. Watching snow fall in her hair, how could she look any more beautiful?

"Thanks," she said as she grabbed her caramel apple from him.

He nodded and smiled in return.

"Don't you love snow?" she asked as she fell in step with him walking down Main Street.

"I grew up in Canada so I guess I grew up with it."

She gasped. "You did? So lucky."

"Yeah, but then it'd always be so cold. As I kid, I loved the snow. The magic and beauty of it. And building snowmen, throwing snowballs, pushing and shoving with slight scuffles in the snow. I loved it. I always seem to look back at that, but now," he sighed before continuing, ".. all I can do is think back. Growing up. Why does that have to happen. Then I moved to Miami and became best friends with your brother and well... the rest is history."

She smiled sadly at him. Not knowing if it would be comforting, but she took his arm and placed a hand on it and leaned against him. She felt right now, Dez needed someone to be there for him; someone to lean on.

This was a side she never saw of Dez. When she was growing up, she'd always perceive him as loud, crazy, weird with not-matching clothes. She chuckled at that memory.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Remember when you first moved to Miami? And when I first met you?"

They both thought back and laughed merrily at that memory. It'd been so many years since then.

Dez took one final bite of his apple and looked at her. Could he... could he be falling for his best friend's sister?

"Cass?!"

She stopped. That voice. It was so familiar. She pulled away from Dez, much to his dismay and turned around. A gasp escaped her lips and she stood there, frozen.

Ally sat on her usual seat in the Lighthouse Book Café. It's been a few days since the break-up and she was in a mood.

"Here you are, Ally." Dallas sat down across from her, in Austin's regular seat and presenter her with her mug of hot coffee.

She smiled up at him gratefully. "Thanks, Dallas." Then she noticed where he was sitting. Those pesky feelings of her started to rise back up. She chocked back a sob, as tears started to well up in her eyes. No, she can't. She wont.

Dallas noticed her sudden behavior and instinctively jumped from his seat. "Oh, I'm sorry. I think I'll just... I'll just go."

"No!" Ally pleaded. "I mean, you don't have to. I need.. need some company."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he cautiously sat back down into the seat.

Ally nodded. "I'm sure."

"Yeah, I know. Break-ups are always hard. But you'll get over. I promise you. There was this one girl, who was the center of my world. That is until she tore my heart in two. But wounds heal with time, so I guess I'm over it."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Nah, it was a while back. And looking back she wasn't that great of a person."

Ally giggled. "Well look at you now. You got over it."

"Yeah, and so will you." He was trying to comfort her, but that line didn't really help. Once he said it, he knew he had to take it back, but that was impossible. "Oh my god. Ally, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I just..."

Ally was first shocked by his words, but once it sunk in, it stayed there. "It's fine Dallas."

"Ugh! I'm doing so many things wrong today. I was trying to help you, but all I do is make it worse," he said shaking his head. "I think I'll go."

"Don't. I appreciate your company and your efforts. Trust me, right now I'm an emotion wreck and only you seem to help with that," Ally smiled at him and grabbed him arm as he stood to leave and pulled him back down.

Suddenly the bell alarmed signaling an arrival of a customer and both turned to see who it was.

Brady Nickleson.

May's grandson. Oh, god! She completely forgot!

"Hey Dallas, Ally," he greeted and grabbed a chair and added himself to the group.

Ally smiled as she packed her things. "I completely forgot! Jeez, what is happening to me these days?" she mumbled to herself.

"Where you going?" Brady asked.

"The library. I was supposed to volunteer there today and I so forgot!" Ally said, scolding herself. "I have to go. I'll say hi to your grandmother while I'm there Brady or you want to come with?"

A grave smile appeared on his face. "Ally."

"I forgot! I forgot! I forgot!" she chanted to herself as she continued to pack. "I have to go. Thanks Dallas and I'll see you Brady."

"Ally," Brady repeated. "Ally!"

She stopped moving around and faced him. "Yes?"

"There's no need to go to the library," he started slowly.

"Why? Oh, you're just playing with me." She made to leave, but Brady continued.

"No, I'm not. I'm sorry Ally, but Lauren's there today. Grandmomma May is..." He chocked over his own words. Tears stared to stream down his face as he quickly wiped them away as they returned just as fast.

Ally took in his behavior and suddenly it clicked inside of her. She sat back down blindly and stared outside. "She's... she's passed?"

She turned to look at Brady. He nodded.

"But she... how... May was... I... Sorry," Was all she could muster. "I'm sorry," she whispered offering some condolences to Brady.

He nodded again. "Yeah, this... this morn-morning."

Ally nodded. "I'm sorry. She would've loved the Christmas season."

"We're having the family fly up here within the next few weeks. It'll be a tight season, but I don't want.." He couldn't continue.

"Who's helping prepare the uh... the ceremony?" Ally asked.

"My cousin. She's already here. She just arrived about an hour ago and she's at a store next door to grab some things and meet me here."

"I.. okay. Can I help?"

Brady nodded. "Of course." The bell sounded again. "That's probably her." He wiped his tears away and looked at Ally then to the girl who just arrived. "Ally, meet my cousin Pa-"

A growl could be heard. "Don't you dare say it! How many times do I have to tell you?! It's..."

Ally knew that voice. She followed Brady's gaze. "Trish?!"

A/N: So. We meet again. Well looks like Trish is here and my! That was such a chapter. But oohhh! Drama has only begun.

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