Chapter 24

"Hey Dallas," Ally greet with a slight smile as she walked through the doors of Lighthouse Book Café.

Dallas looked up from the coffee strained he was cleaning. "Hey Als."

Ally cringed at that nickname. Austin had always called her that and it kind of sickened her. But she let if fly past her and smiled a bit brighter to cover up her hesitation. "So..." she began but trailed off. It was kind of awkward and both hated it. "What's up?"

"The usual," he simply answered.

Ally sighed. She really didn't like simple replies when no conversation could be led from there, but she had to deal with it. "So... Dallas, um what's it like to work here, at the famous Lighthouse Book Café?"

He shrugged in response. "Okay, I'd guess. I mean, I could be paid more and less shift hours, but other than that, just fine."

A dismal smile from Ally was the response. But he couldn't care less. The only reason he wasn't really himself at the moment was because he was at war with himself. Dallas was debating where he should just break up with Ally. Technically they aren't even dating. But then again, he'd been waiting for years.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be...

"Dallas? Hello?" Ally waved a hand across his face which was frozen looking out the glass windows of the café.

He shook his head and out of his thoughts. "What? Huh? Hey, Ally!"

"Um, hey. Has something been eating your mind? You're a bit distracted," she noted.

"Nope. Not at all!" he chirped a bit too happy to be normal.

Ally looked at him in disbelief. "Okay..." But she believed him anyway.

"So what are you doing here?" he hastily asked to change the subject.

Ally shrugged. "Needed to clear my head, too much going on." Too much in fact. "And..." she sighed. "I had to talk to you."

Dallas sighed. Here it comes. The moment of truth. "Oh, really?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

Silence. It was quite between them for another minute.

But it Dallas who broke the silence. "So... what did you come to see me for?"

"That's the thing..." Ally heaved another sigh. She found herself to be in that mood for the past couple weeks. Why was that? Oh yeah... she knew why.

'She is going to break up with me,' Dallas thought to himself. 'I know. I just know it. But do I really want this?' he asked himself. I mean, take a look at it. Ally was much happier when she was with Austin. She was more herself. But was he ready to sacrifice his own happiness?

"Ally wait." Dallas raised his hand to pause her speech. He was pretty sure she had a whole lecture prepared, but he knew he had to intercept the speech before he got hurt himself.

She already had opened her mouth to begin her monologue, but was paused. "Um, yeah?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Wait." He lowered his hand and shoved it in his pocket. He sighed, closed his eyes then opened them to face Ally's doe eyes.

Ally looked more-ever confused. "What?"

"Let me say something first," he urged. "Please?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

Ally nodded in assent. "Sure."

"Okay." He sighed in relief. "You're probably here to talk to me about the condition that we both agreed to in order for last night's date to happen, right? How we'd go on that date only if you could decide after if we should continue on dates. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"And this is what you wanted to talk about? The condition and how you feel?"

"Correct."

"I just wanted to say..." He sighed again. He was ready. He knew it. Dallas had been preparing for this moment since last night's date had ended. He knew it was right.

Ally waited. There were only two clear-cut ways that he would go. She knew by the math logic which was more probable and she didn't want to disappoint him. But then there was her own happiness to sacrifice.

Here goes. "I have been waiting for this chance since like ever. Well, not ever, since I laid eyes on you, but then years does seem like forever. Not the point," he added with a sheepish smile. "Ten years, I've waited, ten years too long."

"Is there a point to this?" she (quite rudely) interrupted.

"Yes," he quickly replied before ranting on. "As I've said, I've waited ten years for last night to finally happen. The date was amazing, by the way. I've never felt this happy since... like ever. You are my world."

There went her chance to break away from him. Up in flames into ashes.

Dallas noticed her shoulders sagged with every passing word that he said. He looked past it and continued. "Even though I was the most happiest, I noticed something. A feeling of emptiness in my heart."

"What are you -"

"Let me finish," he cut off. "The condition was that you decide how you felt after the date. So let me guess. You want to break off any ties in this relationship. Am I right? Or am I wrong?" Ally said nothing which infuriated him. "AM I RIGHT?!"

She nodded. "Yes, you are right."

He sat down in defeat on a near-by bar stool and ran a hand through his brown, now curly hair. But he stood up immediately and looked Ally squarely in the eyes. "I knew this was going to happen."

"Then why'd you ask me out in the first place?" Ally quiet demanded.

"Because!" Dallas exclaimed. "As you know, I've liked you for years. And when my chance came around, I had to take it. Even though it was no use."

Ally thought for a minute, trying to process all of this. She gently placed a hand on his arm and probably asked one of the most stupidest questions that fitted the moment. "Why?"

Dallas looked at her as if she was crazy. "W-why?! Y-you're asking m-me why?" he sputtered.

She shrugged innocently with a helpless face. "Um, yeah?"

Dallas sighed. Maybe because she was this blind, she hadn't realized who she was meant for. And he wasn't going to step in her way, but help her out. Though it meant sacrificing his happiness to be with her, just seeing her happy meant everything to him. He'd rather see her happy with him being a tinge miserable than her being so depressed.

"Hey Dallas," she said.

Dallas broke away from his thoughts and looked at her. He raised a hand to her face to caress her cheek, but brought it down I second thoughts. "You've lost your beautiful smile," he commented. "Why?" he breathed.

She shrugged.

"I know you, Ally. For ten years actually. I've never seen you without that beautiful smile of yours. You always brightened the room when you walked in. When Austin came around, your smile brightened to the point that a smile couldn't be as bright and as wide." They both chuckled in agreement to Dallas's statement. "You were happy. I admit, I was jealous of Austin because he had you. When you two broke up, you looked like a drizzle of darkness. You no longer looked happy and cheerful like how you usually are. That made me miserable to see you like that. But then I had realized; now was my chance to jump the boat. I could make you happy, make you feel that I'm your world. What I had been dreaming of for the past ten years."

He paused to catch his breath whilst Ally opened her mouth to say something, but Dallas continued.

"When you finally accepted, I was elated; the most happinest man in the world. But something was missing. Even though you looked happy, I could feel that you were a bit distant. Or it was just an act. Late last night when I was thinking of you, I realized that you'd never be genuinely happy with every ounce of your heart with me. You needed to be with the man you love. No, that isn't me which slightly angers me, but I accept it. We weren't meant to be anything but friends. And I'm fine with that," he concluded.

One last breath, with one last line. "Don't you see? You belong with Austin."

Dead silence. Ally refused to accept that statement. She shook her head in denial. "No, Dallas. No, I don't see it. And I don't belong with Austin." She gave him one last look and walked out the doors of Lighthouse Book Café.

Dallas sighed watching Ally's retreating figure. She was so blind; no wonder it had taken Austin ten years. Just like it had take her ten years to notice him. He shook his head and picked up the cloth that he had forgotten and resumed cleaning the tables.

One last thought ran though his head. "When will she understand?" he muttered to himself.

Three times her heart had been broken by three guys who were close to her in the past few weeks. Her brother, her friend, her... best friend... Elliot, Dallas, Austin. And all their stories and reasons connected one way or another. Who was next? Brady? No, she was just getting paranoid. Brady was a sweetheart, he'd never break her heart.

Ally furiously kicked a patch of snow which did nothing but send snow flying in the air. It was useless. Just like how her life was. She was pathetic. Or she felt like she was. Everything always went wrong. She had decided to renew her life, but her past always caught up.

"Cheer up Ally," Trish soothed as Ally slumped onto the sofa. Brady had left to work on their project, so it was just the two of them.

Ally nonchalantly shrugged and pushed herself to stand. But Trish intervened and pushed her back down. "Allyson Marie Dawson!" she exclaimed. "You snap out of that behavior! You need to talk!"

Ally shrugged in response, which enraged Trish. "Come on Ally," she encouraged desperately. "Please, talk to me."

Ally sighed and looked up desperately at her best friend. "Sorry Trish. Just haven't been in the mood."

Trish nodded. "But you gotta get up someday. Don't worry everything will get better."

"Doubt it," Ally pessimistically replied staring at the wall. "My whole life's been miserable. I just can't escape it. I don't know what to do, Trish."

"You know what?!" Trish said, thinking of a great idea.

"What?" Ally croaks.

"When this week is over, we're going to get you out!"

Ally looks at her. "Out?"

"Away! On a trip! Trust me, you'll feel better. You can get away and I'll go with you! It's been years since we've hung out. This trip will do us some good. Just after my great aunt's funeral because Brady will have my head and yours if we miss it," she added.

Ally chuckled. "I don't know Trish..." Ally said. But she thought about it. "Okay... maybe I'm warming up to it. But still, I'll have to think about that Trish."

"Sure." Trish smiled. "But we could go on a world tour. Rome! Paris! London! New York! L.A.! Tokyo! Seattle! Hong Kong! It's be great."

A sudden knocking at the door interrupted them. Ally had repressed from her sullen mood so she got up from her position to answer the door. She opened the door with a smile, but it was wiped off her face within seconds once she saw who was there.

"Austin?!"

"Hey Als," he greeted. "You look great."

She got to the point. "What are you doing here?"

He had expected that. At least she wasn't yelling and screaming at him, which he had expected more than her calm, rational behavior. Sure, he was thinking of the worst possible scenarios, but he just couldn't help it.

"Oh, yeah." He lifted his hand to give her something. "Here. I got this a while ago, but I never had the chance..."

It was a book. Ally quickly scanned the cover and instantly knew why he had picked that title. It was one that meant a lot to the both of them. She gingerly accepted it. "Thanks," she breathed.

He grimly smiled. "Your welcome. And I think I'll just go now. Bye Ally."

She quickly closed the door behind him and leaned against the frame of the door, hugging the book close to her heart. She was certainly going to read this book. Finally, after all these years.

A/N: Sorry for the late update! It was only a day late though. But I've just been so busy. Essays and a huge project for Social Studies. But once November is over, I'm free! Which reminds me: the holidays are near! My favorite time of year!

Anyway, its a bit short, but tell me what you think.

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