Chapter 22
Not too long after, the door bell rang again. Ally groaned, but her head had cleared a small bit and Trish was busy with her hair, so she got up and walked to the door. Cold winter air swirled in, making her shiver, but she looked at the person.
"Elliot? What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Ally," he greeted.
She didn't expect him at her door. Not in this cold weather and this time of day! It was late at night, for Pete's sake! "Oh! It must be freezing! Come in. come in!" she ushered as she closed the door behind him. She left him to take off his thick coat and take a seat as she ran to the kitchen to prepare some tea. You always need something warm to drink after being in the cold, right?
Elliot took a seat by the warm fire as Trish poked her head from a room. "Hey Ally! If you're going to- oh." Trish had just realized they had some company. "Hey Elliot."
"Hey Trish!" he greeted warmly. Better start off great, he thought. "So you staying here for the holiday season?"
Trish removed herself from her position leaning against the door with her head poking out, to take a seat on the couch a few seats away from him. "Well, I'm not really sure. I came here for my great aunt's funeral, but maybe. If Ally's willing to take me in for the next month or so."
He nodded. "That's great! I heard Vermont is a picture perfect wonderland this time of year."
"Yeah," she agreed not knowing where to continue their conversation.
"Would you like some food, too?" Ally called from the kitchen.
Thank god, both of them thought because they were running an awkward conversation then.
"I'm good!" Elliot called.
"How about some chips?" Trish said at the exact same time as Elliot.
Ally looked at her with a stern face and a hand on her hip. "I wasn't asking you Trish."
"But I'm-" Trish began.
"So what type of chips?" Ally interrupted.
"That's why you're my best friend!" She smiled. "You always are there for me. But do you have any Cheetos Puffs?*"
Ally shook her head in laughter and turned around to get some food.
"So Elliot," Trish said turning to him once more. "What's the purpose for your dear visit today? Or in other words, What may we owe you the pleasure of?" she asked with a smile from ear to ear and a glint in her eyes.
Elliot rolled his eyes. "You know I just came down here just to visit my dear, dear sister and her best friend walking twenty minutes in snow," Elliot returned with an equal teasing gaunt.
"Seriously Elliot, get to the point," Trish sighed.
"I will, but I'm here to see Ally," Elliot replied. "Not her bodyguard."
Trish pulled out a grim, uneasy smile. She forced a laugh while keeping her keen stature towards Elliot. "Oh, you are so funny!"
Ally rushed in. Her brother and best friend usually got along. Well, since before she left she knew that Elliot and Trish had no problem getting along. But what the heck was before her? They seemed different. Of course they were! These were ten-years-later Elliot and Trish. "Okay!" she interrupted. "Here Trish, some Cheetos and Elliot, your tea." She set down a platter of cheese and biscuits and another small bowl of Cheetos for Trish and three steaming cups of tea.
Elliot smiled at his sister. "Thanks, sis."
Ally stopped for a moment, but caught herself and sat down in an armchair adjacent to them. She hadn't heard that exact phrase since they were like ten or twelve. Something was sure wrong. Elliot wasn't like this. She looked at him suspiciously then to Trish who was also looking at Elliot with an apprehensive face.
"Um, Elliot. Are you okay?" she asked.
He set down his tea. "Fine. In fact I'm delighted to be here!" But Ally could tell this tugging force of dismay, and... regret in his voice.
"Are you sure?" she asked again.
To cover his nervousness he grabbed a biscuit and some cheese and stuffed it in his mouth so he had an excuse not to talk. Instead he nodded, not to assured of himself. He swallowed a few seconds later and looked at his sister.
Her hands were folded in her lap and she still looked like her sixteen year old self, but with more mature clothes. She hadn't changed. "So may I ask why you had to walk through the snow just to see me?"
"Um, you see... I uh..." he stuttered. He had no idea where to start because there was no idea where this would end.
"Don't worry, Elliot, you can tell me, it can't be that bad."
He just looked at her with sad eyes. She had no idea how bad it could be. He turned to look at Trish. She was carefully watching him with beady eyes. Guess no help from there. But he knew why she was acting so cold to him and that was the exact reason why he had came. Elliot closed his eyes and started. "You remember high school, right?"
"Yeah," Ally replied dragging out the word, skeptical.
Elliot sighed and opened his eyes. Realization flashed through Trish's eyes as they widened and her mouth opened a gap. Elliot nodded to confirm Trish's suspicions and she immediately stood up. "I'm sorry Ally, but I forgot to uh... I don't think I should be here," she said. "Um, I'll just go." She grabbed the bowl of Cheetos Puffs and scrambled out to the room.
Ally stared where her best friend once was. "Elliot what is this about?" she asked once more.
"You remember why you left, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"You remember him, right? What he was part of? The bet?"
She nodded once more. What was Elliot bringing all of this up? Did he just want to hurt her further? But the thought of Austin, cut her, deep.
"Um, well you se... I-I... I'm sorry, Ally," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"Why?" she asked. She had no idea why Elliot was like this... but an idea was dawning to her. "Can't you just tell me?"
He shook his head. "It's hard. I'm afraid th-that I might just hurt you in the end. I can't do that. You're my little sis."
"Elliot," she sighed. "Please just tell me."
"Okay. So much of the bet do you actually know about?"
"Well..." she thought back. "All I know is that Austin was part of a bet to put a rope around my heart and at the pinnacle of our relationship, he'd dump me. And it was all for money!" she spat. "I couldn't believe the nerve to be part of that!"
Elliot cringed at her words because he knew he was going to be the one recieving them soon. "Well, what if I told you that that wasn't the entire bet?"
"What?!" her head snaps toward him. "What do you mean? There's more to it?!"
"Yes." He nods. "Well, more to the story and you didn't understand all aspects of the bet."
"What do you mean?"
"It wasn't to dump you at the pinnacle of your relationship. It was to break your heart at the end of the year, when the person who created the bet called it quits."
"And would you care to explain to me, how you know all that?" Ally insisted.
"Well um, you see... I..." Elliot sighed.
"Elliot," Ally snaps. "Cut with the stalling and tell me!"
He held his arms up in defense. "Okay, okay!" But he looses his smile. "I knew of the bet. I was there when it was created."
"So who was the instigator?" she asked.
Elliot ran his hand through his hair. How was he supposed to tell her, that? "Um..." He meekly looked at her. "Me."
"What?!" she gasps. Then anger flushes through her eyes and composure. "You? You were the one? You were the start of all my pain?! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, ELLIOT!"
"Well, at least, that pain has reduced over the past ten years," he replied weakly.
"Gone?! I don't think so! It's been plaguing me for the past ten years! Every single frigging day!" she exclaimed, rising from her seat.
"I'm sorry," he pleads.
"My own brother," she scoffs. "They're right. You can't trust anyone in this world." She looks at him in disgust. "You? Out of all people?! You?!"
"I'm really sorry," Elliot repeats. "It was dumb. It was foolish. I didn't know a thing back then!"
"You got that right," she muttered.
"But please Ally. I didn't know it'd end up like this! I'm really sorry! If I had know... I wouldn't have done it."
"Well, 'sorry' is not going to cut it." She crosses her arms and turns to him. "Well why didn't you tell me earlier? Or ten years ago?!"
"How could I?" he yelled. "I couldn't just say it out of the blue when you were so in love with him!"
"Well, it would've saved me a lot of pain," she retorted. "I can't believe you."
She shook her head, grabbed her coat, stormed out and slammed the door. She pulled her thick winter coat on the block the harsh weather and ran. Tears ran down her face because she knew that rain fell when the clouds couldn't hold the weight. Now her tears are falling because she couldn't handle the pain anymore. She sighed and continued to run despite the cold winds that cut her face. She had no bearings of her locations, but she didn't care. If she died due to the cold weather, she wouldn't care. All that pain would be erased. Gone. No more. Adios.
"Ally?"
"What?!" she exclaimed snapping her head toward her brother.
"You heard me," Austin said. "Pack your bags; both of you," he said turning to Dez. "You're both leaving tomorrow. I'm sorry its short notice, but I bought the tickets a couple weeks ago and I forgot about it until now and even though I-"
"No," Cassidy interrupted with a defiant stance.
"What?"
"You heard me; no," she repeated. "I'm not leaving."
"Yeah, me too," Dez added joining Austin's sister with his arms folded.
"You've got to be kidding me," Austin muttered. "You both must be kidding with me."
"But we're not!" his sister argued.
"Yeah!" Dez added.
Austin looked warily between his sister and his best friend. "Then why do you want to stay, huh?"
"Well, first of all, its the holiday season. Aren't you supposed to be with family and friends and surround by people who you love and vice versa," Cass said in a quite, amused tone. "Plus we're not letting you stay along during this time of year! We're here to liven up your holidays!"
Austin stared at her. "Oh god. Here it comes..."
"And..." she paused for dramatic effect. "We're not leaving until we help you get Ally back into you arms. You called the both of us down here and we're here to set our purpose. And can you remind us of it?"
"To get Ally back into my arms where she belongs," Austin said slowly and quietly.
"I can't hear you!" Dez said.
"To get Ally back!" Austin said, much more louder with renewed feeling and emphasis.
"Exactly!" Cassidy supported. "So does that mean we get to stay?"
Austin opened his mouth to reply when the doorbell rang. "Hold that thought." He quickly ran to the threshold and opened the door. "Elliot? What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Austin," Elliot replied. "I'm sorry to be intruding this late."
"No, it's okay!" Austin assured. He pulled the door wider. "Why don't you come in? The weather is killer. Come in."
Elliot looked at him uncertainly. Austin nodded encouragingly and followed him into the living room where Dez and Cassidy sat waiting. Elliot took the last empty seat and eyed his companions. "I'm sorry," he blurted out.
"Come again?" Austin asked.
"I'm sorry, Austin," Elliot said. "I'm sorry I ever started that bet. I'm sorry that it caused you to loose Ally when you loved her so much. I'm sorry for having caused you all this pain over the years."
Austin nodded. "Shouldn't you be telling Ally this?"
"I know." Elliot nodded. "I just did."
Austin's mouth dropped as did Dez and Cassidy's. "What?!" all three chorused.
"I just came from her place," he recounted of his stay there. "I told her everything. I apologized."
"So what happened?" Cassidy pressed for him to continue.
"She yelled at me and ran out."
"She just couldn't handle the pain," Dez said. "But thank you for finally telling her."
Elliot grimly smiled. "Well, I've said my piece. I think I should go."
"Elliot," Austin called as he neared the door. "Wait." Elliot turned around to face Austin. Suddenly a blow to his right temple made him stagger backwards. Dez and Cassidy gasped.
"How could you tell her?! Why did you?!" he bellowed.
Elliot felt the bruise that was starting to rise. "I'm sorry. I just thought that better was sooner. I thou-"
"Well you thought wrong!" Austin argued. "How could you?! All the pain she must be feeling! I-"
"Well, I had to! She's my sister! I can't let her die alone! She needs you Austin! Believe it or not! You may have this great life of being a hockey star and all, but I think she needs to be with you! She needs to love again. No matter how much you ignore or turn your back to her, at least she'll get over you! She said all she's done the past ten years is think about you! She needs to love again."
"You think I'd turn my back to her?!" Austin yelled. "My main purpose to coming to Vermont was to look for her!"
"Oh."
"You got that right!" Austin screamed. "All I've done the past ten years is think of her too! I can't let her go! She belongs to no one but ME! I just need her by my side again," he ended in a whisper.
"I'll help you get her back," Elliot said. "I'm sorry I told her."
"It's okay. She needed to know anyway," Austin said apologetic. "I'm sorry I hit you."
"Well at least I know you'll be protective of her and the heavy punch you lay when someone will try and mess with her. Thank you for begin there for her," Elliot said.
"No problem. And I'm sorry about our first fight. The one at the bar. Sorry about that." Austin scratched the back of his head uncertainly.
"Nah, its okay. I'm sorry about that too."
"So how'd Ally take the news?" Austin asked. "Sorry I was spacing out then."
Elliot chuckled. "Not well. She stormed outside and she hasn't come back. I'm worried."
"She hasn't returned?"
Elliot nodded in response. Austin looked between all of them and ran out the door, shouting her name.
*Don't own Cheetos Puffs and I'm not sure how they taste with tea, but yeah I think you get the point.
A/N: That's a wrap for this chapter! and Hello November! Well, Austin and Elliot seem to be getting along now, huh? I'd like to hear your thoughts.
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