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Chapter 14
As soon as I got back to the car, Austin was opening the door and looking at me expectantly. I just looked at him, tears of joy in my eyes, and nodded, before grinning hugely and throwing my arms around him. He hugged me back, laughing.
"See, I told you he would never hate you!" he said, making me giggle.
"I know. Thanks, Austin. You're the best. Can we please go back to your place to get my stuff?" I asked him. He nodded, smiling as he got back into the driver's seat and started the car, driving off before I had eve shut the door. I smiled, rolling my eyes at his obvious enthusiasm.
"So, what happened?" he asked, and I grinned as I explained what my dad had said and done. He smiled along with me, and listened to every word. And considering how much I babble on, that is no easy feat.
"Well, sounds like you're going to be okay. I knew he would get over it in time; he just lost his wife, he isn't going to want to lose his daughter too." He said gently. I smiled, nodding in agreement. Mentioning my mom didn't tear me apart inside like I thought it might, but it still hurt pretty badly. He seemed to realise his blunder since he shot me an apologetic glance and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
"Austin, my boy! Where you been?" his dad shouted as we walked in. I was surprised to see he was dressed quite presentably, in a white shirt and clean jeans. He didn't look drunk, which was the most shocking thing, and apparently Austin thought so too.
"Dad? Are you…are you drunk?" he asked. His dad smiled proudly and shook his head.
"Nope. Go on upstairs, you're mother isn't either. And she has a guest." He said, with a sparkle in his eye that I hadn't seen before. Austin nodded hesitantly and walked across the room. I followed him, smiling shyly at his dad who smiled back kindly. I felt like pinching myself to make sure this wasn't a dream.
When we got upstairs Austin went down the hall a little and into a room I hadn't been in before. His mother was sat on the bed, hair brushed, make-up applied perfectly and wearing a long flowery shirt with a belt and black skinny jeans. She looked less like a mom and more like a model. When we walked in she turned and beamed at us, along with the other woman in the room. I was taken aback by this woman's appearance.
She was beautiful, too, like Austin's mom, and I could see a resemblance that could only be between sisters. Only she was wearing a flowing white dress-shirt, with baggy patterned trousers and brown sandals. She had a headband on and her hair was tied back in a messy bun, strand hanging loose to frame her thin face. She smiled knowingly at us both.
"Austin! It's so good to see you! What's my favourite nephew been up to lately?" she asked, voice low and calm although I could hear an excited undertone. His mom smiled as Austin stood, frozen in shock, and his aunt wrapped him in a bear hug. After a couple seconds he hugged her back, still looking shocked.
"Aunt Bella? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I finally found out where you lived. You know, your mother didn't tell anyone where you were moving to? I've been trying to track you down since you left. I had a terrible feeling that things would go wrong, especially with all the stress from Addison's unfortunate accident. And I was right; when I got here your father was passed out on the couch and for a second I worried your mother was dead. When your father woke he was sober, if a little hungover, and at first he wasn't too happy to see me. Then I made him get a wash and dress himself, which he did. I poured every last trace of alcohol I could find in this hellhole down the kitchen sink, and then I woke your mom up. She had a couple mugs of coffee to wake her up, and then she was positively radiant."
"I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life. I think you saved me, Bella. All of us. I'm so glad you're here." His mom sighed, getting up to walk over and hug Bella. Austin stood there, still frozen in shock, and I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He seemed to snap out of it then, and turned to smile at me warmly, intertwining our fingers. Bella saw this, and beamed.
"How rude of me! Hello, pretty girly, I'm Bella, Austin's aunt. I'm assuming you're his girlfriend?"
"I…erm…yeah." I managed to squeak out. It wasn't that this woman made me nervous, really, just the fact that Austin seemed frozen in complete shock, and I had a feeling there was a reason for that. Austin snapped out of it, though, to put an arm around my shoulders and smile at his aunt charmingly.
"Yeah, Aunt Bella, this is Ally, my girl." He told her. I felt an undeniable heat running through my body when he called me his girl. His aunt smiled fondly.
"It's good to see you've found someone real to be with. I remember those girls you used to see before…horrible, really." She said, shuddering. Austin chuckled.
"I'll admit, a few of them were a little stuck up, but some of them were okay." He protested. She nodded her head sarcastically, if that's eve possible, and looked away.
"Anyway, I have decided that you people are not living this way anymore. Austin, as a seventeen year old boy you need parents that love you, and look after you." She said, looking pointedly at his mother who looked down, ashamed.
"I am sorry, Austin. I let everything go too far, and I hope one day you'll be able to think of me as your mother again." She said softly. I felt like crying; I had been so caught up in losing my mom, I hadn't considered the fact that Austin had lost both his parents in a way, and now I felt guilty for not considering his feelings. I felt Austin tense up, then he pulled away from me and walked over to his mom.
"Mom? I still think of you as my mom. You did some stupid stuff, and so did dad. But you'll always be my mom." He whispered, choked up. She grinned, looking at him finally. He smiled back, genuinely, and then they hugged. I jumped at the sound of a cough from the doorway and whirled around to see his dad in the doorway. Austin looked at him too, and smiled a little.
"I know I'm not your real dad. And I guess I used that fact to justify the way I acted. But your real dad was never there, and I should have taken his place. When your sister died…you needed us. And we let you down. And I will never stop hating myself for that." He said, and even though his voice was gruff and I could tell he was fighting back the emotion, I knew he meant every word and I smiled. Austin smiled too, walking over and hugging him quickly.
"Thank you. It means a lot." He whispered.
A little while later, I was sat on Austin's bed, making sure I had everything I had brought here. Not that I minded leaving a couple of things; it would only make our relationship fee more real. And if Austin's parents managed to stay true to their word now, I would be happy to spend a lot more time here.
I jumped as Austin, who had been downstairs talking things out, burst in and jumped on the bed, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I smiled.
"You seem to be in a good mood." I said, grinning as I felt his lips on my neck. He laughed a little into my skin.
"Aunt Bella is spending the day helping them to clean the house, set it straight. Then she's taking them to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, just so they can get some tips and stuff. And she's staying here for a while, just to make sure they don't stray. After that she's insisting they'll be able to help each other through it. She's moving into an apartment not far from here anyway. I think this is it, Ally. I think they're actually going to get better!" he exclaimed, and I grinned at his enthusiasm. Looks like things are looking up for us both.
I smiled and finished zipping up my bag, groaning as I felt Austin plant a kiss on my neck.
"Austin!"
"Mmm?" he grunted, his lips still against my neck. The sound sent vibrations through my body and I fought back a moan.
"Stop, Austin." I said sternly. He sighed, resting his chin on my shoulder and looking up at me through long lashed. I laughed, pushing him away and getting up.
"Aw, come on Ally, I just wanted a kiss." He pouted. I laughed.
"Maybe later. Now come on, I need to move back home." I sighed, looking towards the doorway and almost jumping out of my skin when I saw Bella stood there, smiling.
"Hey kids." She said, smiling warmly but I couldn't help but detect a hint of warning in her tone. I smiled sheepishly.
"Hi, Bella. How are you?" I asked her.
"Nice try, but you aren't changing the subject. I saw that, Austin Monica Moon. Don't you dare try to take advantage of this young girl. She's worth waiting for." She said, looking at Austin pointedly. He looked down, blushing, and I quickly jumped to his defence.
"Oh, he wasn't…wait, did you say Monica? Your middle name is Monica?" I asked him incredulously. He glared at his aunt before nodding at me, cheeks even redder. I laughed.
"Aw, Austin Monica Moon. Has a nice ring to it, actually." I giggled. He threw a pillow at me.
"Austin! Don't you dare!" shouted his aunt, mock-angry. I laughed harder, then composed myself.
"But seriously, Bella, Austin would never try to take advantage of me. Actually, he's done the opposite. Countless times." I blabbed, before realising what I had said and mentally face-palming. She winced, shaking her head as if to get rid of the thought.
"A little too much information, there, honey. But okay, as long as he's not trying to push you…and please, be careful. I'm not old enough to be a great Aunt. Hell, I'm not old enough to be an aunt, not to a seventeen year old boy." She tutted. Austin laughed.
"And mom's not old enough to be a mother to a seventeen year old boy. But she is." He said. She nodded.
"Yeah, I suppose. But I'm only twenty-three, Austin. I'm six years older than my nephew. That's a little odd." He chuckled.
"I've heard of worse." He shrugged. She laughed.
"Yeah, well, twenty-three is not old enough to be a 'great' anything." She said sternly. He nodded in agreement.
"Am I the only one who finds this a little awkward?" I asked. Austin and Bella laughed.
"I would have found it awkward a while ago, but trust me, aunt Bella isn't exactly a prude when it comes to talking about sex..." he said, looking a little horrified. I laughed.
"Well, I really need to get home Austin." I said, smiling at Bella apologetically. She smiled understandingly.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later." She said, reaching forward and hugging me tightly. I was surprised for a second, but then I relaxed into her embrace, breathing in her sweet scent of vanilla and something too subtle for me to recognise. She pulled away and looked me up and down.
"Austin really did well with you, you know. You're a real stunner. Don't give up on him, though. There will be times when he makes you want to pull all your hair out and scream, but never give up on him, okay? He's special, that boy. He deserves a girl like you." She said, and I felt myself tear up at the care and love in her voice. I nodded and she hugged me again quickly.
"Okay, come on Ally. Let's get back to your place before your dad gets worried." He said, pecking his aunt on the cheek and dragging me out of the bedroom. I heard her chuckling behind us and I wondered why Austin was suddenly in such a rush. He said a quick 'see you later' to his parents and then we left the house. When we got to his car he followed me around to the passenger side and pushed me up against the door, kissing me hard. I was surprised, but I kissed him back almost straight away, sighing as his hands slid to my waist. He pulled away after a minute and grinned.
"What was that for?" I asked him.
"Don't know. I just really, really wanted to kiss you. And I couldn't while my aunt was in the house." He said, shrugging. I laughed, shaking my head at him as I climbed into the car. He flashed me a cocky smile.
"Don't try to tell me you didn't enjoy it." He said, and I laughed.
"I never said that." I replied. He chuckled, slamming the driver's side door and starting the engine. I slung my bag into the back and leant against the seat.
I put the radio on, but the radio was on advertisements. I rolled my eyes and opened the glove compartment, looking for CD's. My eyebrows shot up and I looked at him as I pulled out a box of condoms. He glanced at them and smiled sheepishly.
"Most guys I know keep emergency supplies in their car." I said. He laughed.
"Well, you never know when you might need a condom." He said logically. I laughed.
"I suppose…although it wouldn't be much help if you got a flat tyre." I pointed out. He grinned and licked his lips.
"Well, if we were stranded on some highway, all alone, unable to go anywhere, nothing to keep us entertained…" he hinted. I slapped his arm playfully.
"Shut up. Sheesh, is that the only thing you ever think about?" I asked him.
"I am a teenage guy, Ally. Besides, before we became friends, I had a need for those." He said. My face fell and I slumped in my seat, hurt.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I wish I didn't have to…I hate doing this to you." I sighed. He glanced at me, joking expression gone.
"No, don't be sorry. I didn't mean it like that, Ally. Trust me, I wouldn't change a thing about our relationship. Honest. And you're not doing anything to me."
"I am. I'm such a tease. I always kiss you like I really mean it, and then we start to undress, and then it sort of…stops. And I feel like I'm leading you on." I said, ashamed of myself. He chuckled.
"Yeah, and who is it that stops you most of the time?" he asked. I smiled. He had a point; it was usually him.
"You,, I guess."
"Exactly. Because I'm not in this for the sex. I mean, we're both nearly eighteen, so it's a big part of the relationship. But that doesn't mean we have to rush into it. And yeah, sometimes it drives me insane to see you and not be able to have you, you now, that way…but I know I will sometime. And I would be willing to wait a hundred years if it would make it any easier or better for you." He shrugged. I smiled, the frowned.
"Thanks, Austin. But, seriously, we don't have to wait a hundred years…right?"
"No, not if you don't want to." He chuckled. I sighed, wiping my forehead exaggeratedly.
"Good. You had me worried then." I laughed.
"Sounds like you're looking forward to this too…" he said. I nodded, surprising him.
"Well, I'm not going to lie. I want to have sex with you, Austin. And honestly, if we already had I wouldn't regret it. But it makes me feel special when you say you don't want to rush me." I smiled.
"Good, because I want to have sex with you too."
"Oh, I know. You've made that pretty obvious." I joked, rolling my eyes. He laughed.
"Yeah, I guess I have."
I finished searching through the compartment, finding four CD's. Taylor Swift Speak Now, a rock group I'd never heard of and two compilation CD's. I slid the Speak Now album into the player and skipped to my favourite track.
Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did.
I said along to Taylor's voice. I always laugh at that part. Then the melody started, and I bobbed my head along with it. Austin looked at me, one eyebrow raised, but I shut my eyes and ignored him, singing along as loudly as I could.
The story starts when it was hot and it was summer and
I had it all I had him right there where I wanted him
She came along, got him alone and let's hear the applause
She took him faster than you could say sabotage
I never saw it coming, wouldn't have suspected it
I underestimated just who I was dealing with
She had to know the pain was beating on me like a drum
She underestimated just who she was stealing from
She's not a saint and she's not what you think she's an actress
She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress
Soon she's gonna find stealing other peoples toys
On the playground won't make you many friends
She should keep in mind she should keep in mind
There is nothing I do better than revenge
She looks at life like it's a party and she's on the list
She looks at me like I'm a trend and she's so over it
I think her ever-present frown is a little troubling and
She thinks I'm psyco 'cause I lie to rhyme her name with things
But sophistication isn't what you wear or who you know
Or pushing people down to get you where you wanna go
Oh they didn't teach you that in prep school so it's up to me
'Cause no amount of vintage dresses give you dignity
She's not a saint and she's not what you think she's an actress
She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress
Soon she's gonna find stealing other peoples toys
On the playground won't make you many friends
She should keep in mind she should keep in mind
There is nothing I do better than revenge
I'm just another thing for you to roll your eyes at, honey
You might have him, but haven't you heard?
I'm just another thing for you to roll your eyes at, honey
You might have him, but I always get the last word
She's not a saint, and she's not what you think she's an actress
She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress
Soon she's gonna find stealing other people's toys
On the playground won't make you many friends
She should keep in mind, she should keep in mind
There is nothing I do better than revenge, ha
And do you still feel like you know what you're doing?
'Cause I don't think you do, oh
Do you still feel like you know what you're doing?
I don't think you do, I don't think you do
Let's hear the applause
C'mon show me how much better you are
See you deserve some applause
'Cause you're so much better
She took him faster than you can say sabotage
I giggled as I finished the song. Austin was looking at me, one eyebrow raised.
"Impressive. I've heard you sing before, but not like that. That was amazing." He said honestly. I smiled.
"Thanks. I guess if it's a song I really love, I just get so into it…I love that song." I sighed. He laughed.
"I hadn't heard it before, but it's one of my new favourites. As long as your singing along, that is." He said softly as he pulled the car into the driveway, I smiled, kissing his cheek gratefully.
I spent so many years hating this boy, but honestly?
I had no idea what I was missing.
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