Page 5 of Back to Me
“I don’t know, Tye, maybe some things do happen for a reason, and Ally and I just weren’t meant to be together.”
“For the second time, I call bullshit. It’s why when you dated, it never worked out. What was the one thing that you always told me? ‘They aren’t Ally.’ You stayed with Holly because you knew that it would never be serious. It was just sex, no matter how you tried to spin it. Don’t sit here and kid yourself that there is nothing still there. You have been comparing every potential relationship to her and now that she is back, you don’t want to try again?” I shrugged.
“That is something the two of us will have to work out for ourselves. Let the dust settle and see what happens.”
“Just don’t close that door, Austin, you will regret this.” I didn’t say a word. Instead, I just finished off my drink. When he held up the bottle, I shook my head.
“No, I think it’s time to call it a night and go home. I will see you tomorrow for my truck.” He nodded and held out a fist to me. Tapping mine against his, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and unlocked it. Pulling up my call list, I tapped my thumb against Cash’s name.
“Austin.”
“Hey, you at home?”
“No, just leaving work, why?”
“Can you swing past Tye’s bar and pick me up? I have been drinking so leaving my truck here.”
“Yeah, no problem. I will be there soon.” Moving to my truck, I grabbed the cupcakes for Vannah and locked my truck. Leaning against it, I waited for Cash to come get me. At least it would kill two birds with one stone, and I wouldn’t have to see him later.
“Austin…” Turning and looking over my shoulder, I saw Ally standing there. Her eyes were red, so I knew she had been crying. That sight gutted me. It always had.
“Are you okay?” She shook her head.
“I just wanted to say again how sorry I am. I fucked up and I don’t blame you if you hate me. I came back but Holly found me before I could see you. She told me that you had moved on and I wasn’t wanted here. After that, I couldn’t stand the thought that I would run into the two of you, so I just stayed away. I hurt you and Dallas more than anyone and I can’t take that away. I should never have kept things from you. You aren’t entirely blameless but despite everything, I still love you.”
Before I could say anything, Ally moved to get into her car. As she reversed out of her spot, Cash pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of me. She’s right, I wasn’t blameless. This whole thing was a giant mess. One that we needed to find our way out of if we were going to live in the same town. No one was going to want to see her leave again, especially not me. Getting into Cash’s truck, I passed him the cupcakes.
“For Savannah.”
“Thanks. You good?”
“Not even close.”
ChapterFour
Ally
I hated this.So much hurt and pain surrounded me, and I knew it would. I was a coward. It’s why I put off coming home or dealing with this for as long as I did. I just wanted to make this right but “I’m sorry” was not going to fix things. These people were my family. Dallas said she needed time and I respected that. Austin would as well, that much I knew. I just prayed we could find our way out of this or me coming home was all for nothing. Our mothers were best friends. We had been in each other’s lives since we were kids. When Tye joined our little trio in high school, the four of us were inseparable until I went and broke us. While Tye and Austin were fine, it's the original three that would never be the same.
Wiping the tears from my eyes, I pulled into my driveway. I was thankful in that moment that I had moved out of my parents’ spare room. There is no way I could have dealt with my mom tonight. Getting out of my car and inside the house, I made my way toward the kitchen. Dropping my things on the counter, I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and went upstairs to my bedroom and into my bathroom. Setting my water bottle down on the side of the bath, I turned on the taps and got the perfect temperature before adding bath salts and stepping away. Running downstairs, I grabbed my phone and opened my music app before heading back into my room. Turning on the speaker, I found my relaxation playlist and set my phone on the dresser. Stripping out of my clothes, I got into the bath. No matter how long I stayed in this bath though, there was no washing away today or the mistakes I had made.
Laying my head back, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Dallas’s words as we fought ran through my head. By the end of it, we were both in tears, and I had to get out of there.
“Dallas, I’m sorry. I know I haven’t acted like you are one of the most important people in my life but trust me, you are. Coming back and facing you after everything I did, I was a coward. I should have called or come back to see you at the very least, but I didn’t. There is nothing I could do or say to take it away, so I am not going to sit here and try. I love you, Dallas, you were the sister that I never had, my person. I just hope that one day you can forgive me for all the hurt I caused you.”
“Ally, Austin was right. We never would have stopped you from going if you had told us that you wanted to do this, but you didn’t. It’s your life so you don’t need to explain anything to us, but you are family to me. The one who is supposed to stand up beside me when Tye and I get married. I didn’t think anything would change that, but I was clearly wrong. How do I know that you won’t wake up one day and decide that Harrison isn’t where you want to be anymore? Austin and I can’t go through that again.”
“I understand that, I do, but believe me I wouldn’t have come back if I planned on leaving again. I thought about it long and hard before making my decision. I am here because this is where I want to be.”
“Yeah, well, actions will have to speak louder than words. Things between Austin and I are strained and now you are added back to the mix. I just don’t know, Ally.”
I knew coming back would be hard. I was hoping that I could find my feet before I needed to deal with this. How was I supposed to show both Austin and Dallas that I was back for good? I guess only time would do it.
When the water went cold, I got out of the bathtub with a sigh and pulled the plug out. Wrapping a towel around my body, I went into my bedroom and dried myself off before pulling on my pajamas. Heading to the kitchen, I opened the fridge and pulled out leftover Chinese from last night. I couldn’t be bothered to cook anything so it would do for tonight. After scooping some into a bowl, I put it in the microwave and set the time and went to get my phone from the bedroom. When I came back down, I poured myself a glass of juice. When the microwave was finished, I took the bowl out and grabbed a fork. Going into the living room, I put my juice and bowl on the table. Taking a pillow from the couch, I sat down on the floor. Reaching over and grabbing the remote, I turned on the television. lowering the volume. Anything to stop this house being so quiet. It was still early so it wasn’t like I could go to bed, no matter how badly I wanted to go and hide in it right now. If I fell asleep this early, I would be awake at two in the morning and that would just throw off my whole day.
I was just about to take another mouthful of my dinner when my phone rang. Seeing Savannah’s number on the screen, I couldn’t help but groan. I considered ignoring it, but I knew how relentless she could be. With a sigh, I slid my thumb over the screen.
“Hey, Savannah.”
