CH. 6: BLANK SPACE

'Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar

I want to scream my head off when I look at myself in the mirror.

The black tie around my neck keeps getting tighter, and tighter. Making it harder to breathe with each passing moment. The black suit I'm wearing only makes me feel like I'm going to a funeral. More specifically to MY funeral. Yet my appearance is cool and collected.

The more I think about it, the longer I know tonight is going to be.

Because being stuck in a restaurant with Zayn, Halley, and Ally... only screams DANGER in big red letters! Something is bound to happen. And there are only so many times I can excuse myself to the bathroom to hide.

"Austin, you ready?"

I let out a deep breath before turning around to see Halley. As always she looks breathtaking in a simple, flirty dress. Her hair is beautifully done in a loose bun, and her smile adds a nice touch.

"Wow Halley! You look beautiful," as my eyes shine with admiration.

She only smiles more at my comment and says, "Well you don't look half bad yourself handsome. Now, come on, lets go! Don't want to be late."

When we reach the restaurant, I can feel a weight slowly crushing me down. And something tells me, tonight is going to be much more interesting than the family reunion. After all, we're going to get to know each other on a "deep level." At least that's what Halley told me earlier.

Before I know it, we're sitting at our table waiting for Ally and Zayn to show up. Halley keeps talking about how wonderful tonight is going to be. But I keep taking too many sips of water to look calm.

I'm starting to believe that they aren't going to show up. I'm even feeling a bit free with this idea when I hear our waiter say, "Of course. They are sitting right at this table."

I look up from my hands and the sight in front of me takes my breath away, literally.

Ally walks in casually with Zayn by her side. She's simply dressed in a black tank top that has golden buttons going down the middle with high waisted white jeans. But she has never looked more beautiful as she moves a strand of hair from her face.

And it takes everything of me to not stare.

When they finally reach our table and settle down, I feel my heart start to panic at how close I am to Ally. For some reason, sitting across the table from her seems more intimate than it should be. It's like I'm having a deja vu of our first date and feel like everything I say and do will be held against me.

Of course Halley and Zayn start chatting away as Ally and I stay in the sidelines. I keep fiddling with my hands in an attempt to distract myself when the waitress comes to ask for our orders.

We all quickly say what we want as the waitress nicely lets us know that our drinks and salads will be coming shortly.
I try my best to zone out the conversation and look anywhere but Zayn and Ally. I make sure to nod at the right time, and say a few words to not seem suspicious when Halley forces me to socialize.

"So Austin what did you think of the family reunion?"

She has a smirk on her face. Almost as if she knows I am going to say it was the best thing I've done in my entire existence. Of course I'm unsure how to shed light onto the fact that my ex-girlfriend attend the party.

So I decide to settle for, "All I know is that your family definitely knew how to set the bar high!"

In disaster! I think to myself.

I keep drinking my water as I hear her talk about the great impression I've made on her family. I try my best to play the role of a great boyfriend, yet all I really want to do is leave. Ally keeps giving me looks as if she's half annoyed with me yet half curious about what is going on in my mind.

I just ignore everyone altogether. I'm playing with the napkin on my lap when the most annoying person asks me a simple question.

"So Austin, how's your stay in California been? Must be an adventure out there! Of course not including the beautiful fiance you've managed to engage!"

He's smirking right at me. Entirely knowing he's won. Because I might be the one getting engaged but he's with Ally. And whether he knows if I have feelings for Ally or not, he must know that it kills me to know that they got together after I left.

After all, he never wasted an opportunity to let me know how he was going to be the one to end with Ally when I lived here. So why stop now?

I muster the best polite smile I can, but it mostly feels like a scowl. I'm counting in my head the reasons why I shouldn't punch him in the face right at this exact moment. The most important one being he's the cousin of my finance as I reply, "I've been good. You know?"

This only makes his sinister smile grow as he continues to say, "But you must have more to say! You live across the country in sunny California! Surely you have everything you could ever wish for. Good weather, probably a great job, and tons of beautiful girls like my cousin! Now I know why you left Florida!"

Halley is completely oblivious to our silent argument as I just stare at him with pure hatred. He keeps pushing every bit of me as he keeps reminding me how I left the only best thing I've ever had in Florida. And reminds Ally of everything I decided was worth leaving her.

But when he says the next sentence, it's a punch to my face.

"You left Florida because deep down you knew it would always be plain boring. Nothing special to the freedom and rush that California could give you."

With these last words, he sits a bit prouder. As if he's just found out that he's won the lottery. I know that he's ensuing that I decided to leave to Florida because the thought of committing myself to Ally scared me.

And even though that's not the reason why I left, I can't defend myself as I say, "You can think that if you want. But that's not the reason why I left."

And almost like a magnet, my eyes are draw to Ally's. I just stare at her as I wonder how in the world, of all the men who are alive, could she choose someone like Douche Bag as her boyfriend!

ALLY POV

The moment his eyes meet mine, I can't help but glare at him.

Of course he didn't leave to California because he got bored of Florida! He left because he got bored of ME!

I can't help but stab my salad as soon as I tear my gaze away from his. Leave it to him to come back into my life and frustrate me to no end. I mean how hard could it have been to find a fiancee who isn't connected to me in any way what so ever.

Not only did Austin come back to Miami, but he managed to get engage to the only woman from California who happens to be related to my boyfriend!

I still remember what Trish told me when I called her to tell her about Austin.

She thought I was still head over heels with Austin that I had IMAGINED him at the reunion for my own sanity. It took two hours and a call from Dez to prove to her that Austin had in fact been at the reunion.

The nerve of that girl.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part came when she simply stated that I am still in love with him by the way he is aggravating me. Of course I corrected her and told her she was in denial when she just said, "You're either in denial of your feelings, or you are over him, but you just want to go to bed with him one last time."

I quickly steal a glimpse of Austin as he looks down at his salad and quickly shake my head.

There is no way that Trish is right. I do not like Austin. How can I like Austin? It's not like he still makes me nervous by staring at me or makes my heart beat faster when he smiles.

I mean he is still able to leave me speechless but it's only because he's my ex right?

I'm allowed to be angry. After all, he dumped me.

The rest of the meal goes well until Halley starts speaking to the four of us again.

Now I can't tell what it is exactly, but something about her just doesn't seem right. I mean she's just too nice!

Nobody is ever nice without a warning.

When I first met her, I thought we could be best friends. But after the whole fiasco, and her engagement, I just can't see her the same way. I just can't help but instantly dislike her even if it's not fair. And Trish thinks that I'm jealous but I'm not. I mean why would I be jealous of Halley?

I continue to eat and listen as she says, "I still can't believe my cousin has such a good looking girlfriend!"

She beams at right at me, and now I can't help but feel guilty of all the impure thoughts I had about her. Of course Halley is a nice person. Zayn is always talking very high of her and I trust him.

I give her a sweet smile before she continues to say, "And on top of that she has a great personality! I can tell we're going to get right along."

I keep swallowing my entire drink to avoid speaking when she asks Austin, "Don't you think Ally is such an amazing girl?"

Choking a bit on my drink and swallowing an ice, I try my best to look anywhere but him.

And I cringe in my seat when I hear him say, "I can honestly say she left me speechless."

This reminds me of our last conversation and how harsh I sort of was on him. It wasn't fair on my part but I had to put my guard up. Who knows what I would have done if I hadn't.

Halley then says, "And I have some big, exciting news about the wedding!"

We're all waiting to hear what she's got to say when the waitress checks up on us real quickly.

I'm just taking a bit of my pasta when Halley finally tells us, "Ally, as you know, the whole family has fallen in love you, and Zayn is such an important person in my life. So I wanted to welcome you into the family by asking you, if you could please give me the honor of being my Maid of Honor for my wedding?"

And just like that, with those three magical words, this dinner goes from barely enjoyable to pure hell!