Those In Glass Houses [An Austin Carlile Love Story]

A Trophy Fathers Trophy Son

When we got back into the room, I felt much more uncomfortable then when we had first been in it. There were a lot more people in the room now, and drinks were being passed around like they were going out of style. I ended up sitting in a chair that was placed in a corner. I watched as people made their way around the room, complimenting each other on their sets that they played. Austin approached me, pulling up a chair and sitting next to me. I looked at him and sighed, playing my head against the wall that I was next to.  “I think I’m gonna get going. I don’t belong here.” I mumbled and started to get up, but he reached out and took my hand and pulled me back down into my chair.

“Don’t go yet.” He said quietly, his voice sounding strained and upset. I didn’t know who he was so upset about the fact that I wanted to leave, but I didn’t want him to be hurt. I looked into his eyes and they looked tired, and weary.  I held his eye contact for almost ten seconds before we both looked away.

“I really do need to go outside, though.” I whispered, looking down at my shaking hands. My anxiety level had already gone through the roof, and as the group of people got louder and more rowdy due to their drunkenness, I got more and more anxious. He nodded and stood, holding his hand out for me as he did. I took his hand and he helped me up, but he didn’t release it. We walked through the room and out into the dark alley that was the back of the venue. It was chilly, and I was only wearing a tank top and skinny jeans, but I dealt with it. We walked down the street that was once lined with hundreds of fans.

“Why did you need to come out here so bad?” He was looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he took a drink of his diet coke. I sighed and looked down, embarrassed.

“I get really anxious around large groups of people. I start to shake and if I’m around it for too long I’ll have a panic attack.” He shook his head and continued walking with me. I shivered as the wind blew and he pulled me against him and wrapped his arm around me.

“Do you have a jacket in your car?” I shook my head no, and he turned and began to pull me towards where the tour busses were parked.  He brought me to the Of Mice and Men bus and opened the door, leading me onto the infamous bus that I had seen in many interviews. “Wait here” He left me in the front lounge. I looked around, taking in the fact that I was standing in the mobile home of my favorite band. When Austin came back out into the lounge, he was holding a jacket out to me.

“What’s this?” I asked and he smiled.

“It’s the only jacket I have with me that isn’t a parka, but put it on.  If we’re going to be outside I don’t want you freezing your ass off.”  I blushed and looked down at the worn Slipknot jacket that Austin had presented me with. I smiled wide as I slipped it on, zipping it halfway up. It practically went down to my knees because I was so short.

“Thank you.” He nodded as he looked at me from head to toe. He had a smile on his face that made me really happy. Something about his smile gave me the courage to walk up to him and wrap my arms around his waist. I pulled him into a tight hug and he hugged me back. When I looked up and him he was looking down at me, a huge smile plastered across his face. I didn’t know what I was doing to this boy, or what he was doing to me. Something about Austin Carlile and I, Scarlett Hale, wasn’t normal. The connection that we had wasn’t something that you typically had with someone you had just met.

He kissed me, and when I opened my eyes his were still closed. They opened slowly and he simply looked down at me. We didn’t speak, we didn’t look away from each other. His dark brown eyes were piercing my one green and one blue eyes. He kissed my forehead and pulled me against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“I don’t know what it is about you that makes me feel a way that I haven’t felt in a long time.” He murmured. I almost felt as if I wasn’t supposed to hear what he had said. I looked at him and smiled. I couldn’t help blush like an idiot. He grabbed my hands and laced my fingers with his, squeezing them softly. I looked towards the window, longing to go outside and go on a long walk with this man.