Every Time You Fall Apart You Can Hide Here In My Arms

"What are we doing?" Austin climbed out of the passenger seat of Matt's car when he parked in her driveway.

By the time she rounded the front of the car he was talking on his cell, holding up his finger indicating to wait for a moment before she began asking more questions.

Austin recognized her adress when he mumbled it into the phone and deducted that they were going to wait for someone. Matt closed his cell and tossed it back into his car before locking the doors. "You have your phone?"

She nodded and indicated toward her purse. "Who are we waiting for?"

He smiled, "a taxi."

Austin set her purse down on the hood of his car, she was in a simple white spring dress that tied around the neck and and white Billabong flip flops. She leaned against the car and jumped forward just as quickly when the backs of her thighs pressed against the hot metal.

He laughed softly and came towards her, "hot?"

She nodded as his hands found her hips, "so why do we need a cab to go to the beach?" she asked him, placing her hands on the backs of his biceps.

The zipper on his jeans pressed into her stomach through the thin fabric of her dress as he closed the distance between them. It was weird to be this close to someone in her driveway where everyone could see, yet part of it was comforting because he was Matt. Her Matt. A little older, a little taller, and more muscular, but that was it, everything else was the same.

He grinned down at her. "I thought we'd walk along the beach, maybe take a walk through a few of those cool little stores."

"Cool little stores?" she mocked him, "there isn't anything in there M. Shadows would find interesting."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. He was hoping that she was joking because he didn't want her thinking he was just playing out his persona for her. "Maybe Ms. Shadows will find something she likes," he grinned.

Austin laughed, "Maddison isn't with us."

"That wasn't what..."

Austin cut him off, "I know, but we're not married, Matt. And we've only been together, like...15 hours, so let's not rush it."

He smiled and nodded. The cab pulled up and he released her, waiting for her to grab her purse before following her down the driveway and holding the cab door open for her before climbing in behind her.

***

"So I ummm, have some news for you," Michelle DiBenedetto spoke softly as she helped her twin sister Val round up Maddison and a couple toys to take to Suzy and Brian Haner Sr.'s.

"What's that?" Val pulled a t-shirt down over top of Maddison's head.

"Where are we going that I have to get so dressed up for?" Maddison asked grumpily, still clasping onto her toy horse in one hand while Val moved on to help her into a pair of shorts.

"We're going to see Papa G," Michelle ruffled her niece's hair and she beamed in excitement.

"What do you have to tell me?" Val asked again as she stood up and ran her fingers through her own hair.

"It's about Austin," Michelle said cautiously.

"What about her?"

"Well, Brian said her and Matt are together again."

Val stood silent for a moment before nodding her head slightly. She was fighting back her own emotions and Michelle could see it.

"Good," she smiled softly.

Michelle breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid her sister was going to break down, and she didn't deal well with those who were crying. "So you're alright with it?"

Val nodded again. "Yeah I mean, if it wasn't for me, they may have never broken up you know," she smiled at her sister, "I'm glad they were able to get back together."

Michelle nodded and waited by the front door as Val urged Mattie to put her sandals on.

"Are you worried about how Matt's going to work Maddison into the situation?"

Mattie stopped dead and looked up at her aunt, "what's dad doing?"

"Nothing sweetie," Val began running her fingers through Maddison's thin hair, "now hold still so mom can put a pony tail in."

"Like star?" Mattie quickly changed subjects and held up the black toy horse in her hands.

Val laughed, "yeah like star."

"Matt loves Maddison," Val began speaking to her sister again, "she'll always be first to him, and if Austin's still the same girl she use to be," Val finished up Maddison's pony tail and stood up straight, "then she'll understand and treat Mattie like her own."

***

"So who's all going to be at Papa G's tonight?" Austin asked casually as her and Matt walked hand in hand along the sidewalk passed a couple of restaurants.

"Ummmm," Matt was gawking around at stores and restaurants on both sides of the street, "probably everyone."

She was so nervous about the whole deal she couldn't think of anything else. "Do you think Val and Mattie will be there?"

Matt stopped all together and looked at her. "Nost likely," his eyes locked on hers, "does that bother you?"

She nodded. "Bother me? It scares the hell out of me," she corrected him.

"Why?" Matt began walking slowly again, lacing his fingers even tighter with hers.

"Because I can't help but get the feeling that she strongly dislikes me."

"She doesn't dislike you, Austin," Matt spoke softly but firmly, he wanted her to know that she had nothing to fear, "I think she's more afraid of you. After all, she's the reason I left in the first place right. The whole best friend trust thing was shot to shit because of her, and I."

Austin nodded. "Well even if she doesn't hate me, Maddison will, and everyone else will wonder what the hell I'm doing back here. Everyone will think I took you away from Val."

That thought scared the hell out of her. She didn't want everyone thinking that's why she's suddenly back in their lives.

Matt sighed, but stayed on subject, "Austin. It's not like you just came back to California, and Val and I were on the rocks before I left on tour, and that was long before I ran into you again."

She was about to speak again but he cut her off, "and Maddison doesn't understand yet. She'll grow to love you don't worry."

Austin bit her bottom lip, holding back any more questions as she followed Matt into a flower shop, but she couldn't help it, "why are we going in here?"

He laughed. "Is that all you do is ask questions?" he began walking through the rows of flowers that didn't need to be refridgerated.

"No, it's not all I do," she muttered.

"Good," he stopped momentarily before starting to walk again, "I'm looking for some flowers as pretty as you."

That made her laugh out loud. "Well good luck with that," she grinned and it caused his warm laughter to fill the area.

"Well you are that damn beautiful, I may never find a flower that compares."

She rolled her eyes, "now you just sound like you're trying to get in my pants."

He stopped, "is it working?"

"Nope," she urged him forward, "keep walking, babe."

In the end, Matt bought her five white roses, claiming there was one for every year that he missed with her, and vowed to make it up to her. She found the line quite cheesy, but utterly irrisistable at the same time and so did she cashier because all she could muster was 'awwwwh".

Before leaving the store completely, she bought a pre-made bouquet of flowers for Suzy since she hadn't seen her and Papa G in five years as well. And since it was growing hotter by the minute, she and Matt didn't spend much more time window shopping before returning back to her house.

"Is there anything that I should be bringing to this supper?" Austin asked as she rinsed out a vase that hadn't been occupied by flowers in years.

"Booze," Matt leaned against the counter and smiled, "and you have a message."

Austin glanced over her shoulder and sure enough there was a number two flashing on the front of the machine. She didn't know who would call her other than Mica, "can you play them for me?"

Matt nodded and reached over to press the button while she filled up her vase and added half of the small package of flower food to the water.

You have two new messages,
Message One,
"Hey Austin it's Mica, I was just phoning to see how your day off was going, but I'll talk to you later. Oh, and say hi to Matt for me,"
Message Two
"Hey Austin this is James Hart again. God, I'm starting to feel like a stalker haha but I was just wondering if you were still coming to see us play this weekend since I haven't heard from you. Ummm, if you are, or if you're not, give me a call alright. Okay, talk to you later."

"Wow," Matt muttered sourly, "didn't know you and James had a thing going on."

Austin was in the middle of cursing herself out for letting Matt play her messages for her. She should have known one would be James because she hadn't called him back. She'd plain forgot. She finished cutting the end of the last rose and stuck it into her vase, before pushing it to the middle of the counter and turning around to face Matt.

"We don't have a thing going on."

"You don't?" Matt asked her again.

"We don't," she repeated, "if you don't recall I did some advertising for them, he was the one who took me to that party that we happened to bump into each other at."

"So you did have something?"

What was his problem?

"Even if we did, Matt, what does it matter? I'm not with him."

Matt was starting at her intently and it was driving her crazy, "are you going to their show this weekend?"

"I would like to," she admitted, just because she was dating Matt, he'd be damned if he was going to think he could control what she can and can't do.

Matt wasn't sure what he was more mad at. The fact that James had moved in on Austin. Or the fact that James had moved in on Austin first.

"Are we seriously going to stand her and fight about this?" she asked suddenly.

He didn't really have a reply. The truth was, there wasn't really anything to fight about. "No," he muttered finally reaching out to delete her messages for her, "but we should go."

Austin nodded and cleaned up her mess quickly. Matt waited and soon they were both headed out to his car. The interior was insanely hot and she was glad when the first thing Matt did was roll down the windows. He turned on the stereo and Pantera's 'Walk' poured through the speakers.

Austin beat him to it by reaching out and turning it up. He glanced at her and her smile washed away most of the anger he had been feeling. He grabbed her hand in his right hand and slid his fingers through hers, resting his elbow on the console as he drove to Suzy and Papa G's.