Everything I Don't Deserve

•twelve•

I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep again until I felt the blanket being pulled from my face and Austin's hand on my back as he sat down behind me.

"Hey baby... dinner is here if you feel like eating, if I feed you now and get your medicine in you, maybe you won't be in pain tonight like you were this morning." He said softly, rubbing my back.

"It's already dark out? Oh.. I slept so long."
I said as I sat up. He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"You are supposed to rest. I let you. It was just a couple hours. Careful.. are you still dizzy?" He asked me as I went to stand.

"Actually I'm ok I think. If I move pretty slow it doesn't seem to be too bad. I'm hungry too. Dinner sounds great." I said as I followed him into the kitchen.

"Wanna eat out back? Get some fresh air? I got you that chicken sandwich you like from Bandit's and sweet potato fries. Is that ok?" He asked as he grabbed a bag from the counter.

"Sounds great baby.." I grinned at him as he lit up. "They have the best sweet potato fries."

"You say that every time." He said with a flash of that killer smile. "I had forgotten these lights were still up" he said as we sat down at a small table outside in the backyard. The strings of lights from Cathy's party were still hanging in the trees all around the yard and they cast the whole area in soft yellow light. "They aren't as bright as the big flood lights out here."

"You should keep them up. It's really pretty out here like this." I said as he passed me my food.

"You are pretty out here like this.." he said shooting me a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Such a charmer. Big lies, I'm in unbrushed hair, rumpled pajamas, no deodorant and looking like I've gone rounds in an MMA fight. You are sweet though."

"No lies. It's true...If you need to go to your house we can in the morning. I know you want your stuff. Pack for the rest of the week, you aren't staying by yourself until I feel better about it." He said looking up at me.

"Well, I guess I get no say in the matter huh?" I said with a laugh.

"I'm not forcing you..." he said quickly.

"I'm kidding. I want to stay." I said quietly. He grinned and snatched a fry from my plate, popping it in his mouth.

"Good." He said as I grinned at him.

"How was your call?" I asked as we settled into dinner.

He just grunted and shook his head, I could see the shift in his mood almost immediately. "Bullshit. Always with the bullshit.."

"Wanna talk about it?" I said as I wiped my hands on a napkin and took a drink of water.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking a deep drink from his beer. "I'd rather ignore it, but it's becoming clear that's not an option anymore."

"Probably wasn't the best idea to begin with.."

He just grunted again and shook his head. "I didn't ignore it at first." He sighed and sat his drink back down, returning to his dinner. "It's my label, I have a deadline coming up and they are breathing down my neck about it. Them stressing me out about it doesn't help."

"You worked on some new stuff the other day didn't you?" I asked.

"I did, I have a few things rumbling around, but...They want the album." He cut his eyes up at me from his dinner and I knew he was talking about the Nashville project.

"Dre has always talked highly about it, he says it's a shame you walked away from it. Is it not finished?" I asked, treading lightly. This isn't something he's ever discussed with me.