Second Go

The constant sound of an iPhone getting text messages finally began to stir me from my heavy slumber. Sitting up slowly, I blinked looking around the dark room realizing I was in Austin’s room. It had been two weeks since our little talk and we had settled on one day a week to hang out and get dinner or something. Slow. We were taking things slow. Last night had been the first time in months I had stayed at his house and I realized how much I had missed being in his bed with him as I put my head down on the pillow last night, his arm draped around my waist keeping me close to him and his gentle snores tickling the back of my neck.

The phone went off again and I sighed looking at the nightstand. Austin’s phone was lit up with a notification. I leaned over and grabbed it, sliding my finger across to read the message he had received on Twitter. The light around the bathroom door and the gentle sound of the shower let me know where he had disappeared to as the app loaded.

I fell back against the pillow with a yawn as the messages loaded. He had three messages from a girl named Michelle and my eye brows knitted together with confusion and worry filled my stomach as I read the messages.

“Austin, I’m sorry to bother you but is there any way you could take a minute to talk to me tonight?”

“I got in a huge fight with my dad and I don’t know if I can keep my promises tonight…”

“I’m so sorry Austin….I have to break my promise to you. I’m not strong enough for this.”

The door of the bathroom swung open and the light poured into the room. I slowly lifted my eyes from his phone as he came in the room holding the towel around his waist.

“Morning, babe…” He yawned heading for his dresser.

“Hey, your phone was going off and some girl Michelle has been direct messaging you on Twitter…” I said watching as he stumbled around trying to get into a brand new pair of Hanes boxer briefs.

“She okay?”

“I don’t think so…”

He quickly made his way to me, taking the phone from me and scanning the messages with his eyes.

“Fuck…” He mumbled to himself. A moment later he placed the phone to his ear and ran a hand through his hair.

“Hey, Michelle? It’s Austin…” His voice softened and he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. “What happened?” He listened to her talk for a while, nodding his head and mumbling in agreement. Then finally he said, “Listen to me, you’re going to get through this. I know you can. Just because you had a moment of weakness doesn’t mean you’re not strong enough to overcome this, okay? Send me something on Twitter when you’re home or need someone to talk to. I love you!”

He hung up his phone and placed it next to him on the mattress. He fell backwards, stretching his body out across the bed and running his hands over his face.

“What happened?” I asked slowly.

“That was a fan…” He said looking up at the ceiling and blinking, dropping his hands to his sides. “Her parents pay no attention to her. She’s been to so many of our shows, since like way back when we started. I was helping her try and make it a year without cutting and last night she relapsed.”

“That’s not your fault, Aust.”

“No, I know it’s not…” He said looking over at me with a sigh. “I just don’t understand how someone can do that to their child…put them in that much pain and not give a fuck. It makes me so angry.”

“What do they do to her?”

“I know her dad used to hit her when she was younger, but they tell her she’s worthless all the time and pay no attention to her. She just has a really fucked up family life.”

“We’re not going to be like that…” He said suddenly breaking the silence that had surrounded us for a few moments.

“Be like what?”

“We’re going to be amazing parents.” He said sitting up and looking at me.

“I know…” I said with a giggle. “Of course we are.”

“I just hope…”

“What?”

“I just hope I didn’t pass Marfans on…”

“Austin, even if you did, it’s going to be okay. We’ll get through it. It will be treated and we’ll love her so much.”

“Oh is it a girl?” He said with a laugh standing up and grabbing his phone.

I laughed realizing what I just said. “We don’t find out for another few weeks.”

“Hey, I have to meet the guys at the studio. Do you wanna come?”

“Sure! I miss them!” I said smiling and standing to get dressed and ready for the day.

Alan’s jaw dropped when we walked in and it took me a moment to realize Austin and I had accidentally announced to the whole room we were kind of together by walking in holding hands.

“Why didn’t you tell me!” Alan yelled grabbing his coffee that we had picked up for him and everyone else on the way.

“No one knows!” I said sitting on the couch with a roll of my eyes.

“I should have been first to know.”

“You were, basically! We’re not even really together, we’re just working things out.”

As the guys began to get to work on the new music for the new album, I pulled out my laptop and looked up some flights to Costa Rica. I booked one, sent Austin’s dad an email that we would be down at the end of next week if that was okay, and smiled to myself at the thought of surprising Austin at the next doctor’s appointment with the plane tickets.