the next morning, about 5:30 a.m.
Ally woke up early the next morning solely due to her excitement about Austin's concert that night— not to mention the new announcement she and Austin were supposed to make later that day. There had been tons of confusion on their social media accounts about what was happening, and they had decided to make an official announcement after they called Jimmy and Ronnie.
Shoot. Jimmy and Ronnie.
Ally gulped. Her heart suddenly started to race and she felt her palms get sweaty. She was not looking forward to making that announcement to the heads of both record labels that afternoon. What if they weren't cleared to become an official duo? What if Jimmy and Ronnie got mad at them for not asking first? What if—
Nope. She wasn't going to think about that now. She had to stay positive for Austin's sake. She wasn't going to be the one to make him nervous before the last show of his tour.
Ally climbed out of bed and found some clothes to pull on. She checked her phone, and found there were a ton of new text messages from Austin. She smiled. He was probably just still reeling with excitement from the night before like she was. Ally opened the messages and laughed as she read them all.
12:14 AM: Hey, babe, can't sleep. R u awake?
12:16 AM: Who am I kidding, you're probably fast asleep. Well, I wanted to say that I miss you! I'll see you tomorrow!
12:35 AM: Still sleepless in Miami over here. I've tried everything! There's a chance I'll be a zombie at tomorrow's meeting & at concert. Okay, I'll leave you alone now.
12:47 AM: I've always wondered why buildings are called buildings if they're already built. Any thoughts?
1:34 AM: I don't know why I keep texting you, because you're asleep. But I'm just so excited that we're back together. I can't help myself.
2:07 AM: I just got up and had a bowl of ice cream because I was hungry, but now I'm on a sugar high. Maybe I'll just call Dez and see if he wants to play video games.
Ally shook her head. Video games at 2:00 in the morning? Probably not the best move. She hoped that his zombie-like state wouldn't affect his performance that night. She had tried her best to stay clear of the media these past four years—and avoid any mention of Austin, which had been harder than she'd thought— and now that they were back together, she was looking forward to seeing him perform again.
She was looking forward to a lot of things now that she and Austin were back together— being close to him brought her a kind of comfort she didn't know was possible, which was precisely why they'd been so happy during their senior year of high school. She wanted to hold his hand, to kiss him, to write songs with him, to perform with him... the list went on. After they'd gotten back from the factory the night before, she had lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling and smiling like an idiot thinking about her potential future with Austin. It was hard to contain her excitement.
2:58 AM: Hey, Ally. I texted Dez, but what do you know, he was sleeping too. You won't get these until the morning, but I love you so mu
The message ended abruptly, and Ally sighed, assuming he fell asleep before he could finish it. It was so adorable of him to text her in the middle of the night like that. She had missed him like crazy when she was at Harvard— spent countless nights crying into her pillow, wishing he could come to her door and wrap her in a tight hug as he'd done so many times before— and she had wondered for four years if the feeling was mutual. Evidently, it was. He was probably just making up for lost time. Ally pulled on a shirt and shorts, grabbed a breakfast bar from downstairs, and headed over to the music factory, never letting the smile disappear from her face.
She pulled into the mall parking lot at around 6:30 a.m. The place was a ghost town, just like she assumed it would be. Ally walked past the stores, noting how it was already hot outside though it wasn't yet seven a.m. In the winter and spring, the average temperature in Miami was bearable, comfortable even; but in the summer it was so hot during the day that you either had to be near a body of water or indoors, in the air conditioning, to avoid heat exhaustion or sunburn.
Ally reached into the pocket of her shorts and grabbed the keys, then opened the door of the music factory. As soon as she got inside, she decided it was time to get to work. Her friends wouldn't be here for at least another few hours; they'd been up late the night before discussing plans for the tour and how they were going to make the announcement to their fans. Ally guessed that Austin and Dez would make an appearance around 9:00, which was when they had agreed to meet up. They'd be lucky if Trish got there by 10:00. That girl sure liked her beauty sleep.
She spent the next few hours doing music factory-related work, like double-checking lesson times and taking inventory on the instruments. She still technically owned the factory, but she had hired people to work there before she left for college, and every once in a while, she liked to check and make sure they were doing everything right. Then, she took out her notebook and continued writing lyrics to a song she had been working on. At 9:30, she checked her watch. None of her friends were there yet. Shocker.
Ally decided to call Trish and see where she and Dez were. It rang three times before she picked up.
"Trish! Where are you? It's 9:30!"
"Wait, what?" Ally heard some shuffling in the background and could tell that her phone call had woken Trish up. "It's that late already? Why didn't you call me?"
"Because I was busy working," Ally replied. "Just try to be here by 10:00, it's no big deal. Our phone call with Jimmy and Ronnie is at 11, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah, I remember. I'm getting ready to leave as we speak. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Ally laughed. "Okay, see you then." She hung up and then tapped Austin's number. She was pretty sure she was going to get the same response from him, especially since he had been up until 3 AM.
Austin answered the phone, the grogginess evident in his voice. "Hello?"
"Hey," she bit back a smile, blushing a little. "I got your messages last night."
"Oh, those?" Austin laughed. "Yeah, I barely remember sending those. It was weird, because I was so tired from the day, but all of the energy coursing through me overtook, like, my whole body. Y'know?"
Ally smiled. "Yeah, I get it. Hey, um, how much longer do you think you're going to be? We have a meeting with Ronnie and Jimmy at 11, and it's 9:30."
"Wait, what?" Austin squeaked. "Oh, shoot. I'm coming, Ally! I'll be there soon!" he hung up the phone, and Ally grinned. She and Austin were so alike, yet so different. That was why they were perfect for each other.
Almost exactly twenty minutes later, Trish rushed in, panting heavily. "Ally, I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine, Trish. We had a late night; I expected you to oversleep. Austin did, too."
Trish narrowed her eyebrows. "What about Dez? If we're going to talk about promos, we kinda need him here."
"Right, I forgot. Let me call him." Ally dialed Dez's number and found that he was on his way there. At least one of my friends remembered that this meeting was happening, she thought.
Ten minutes later, Dez and Austin arrived, and they started talking about how they were going to tell Jimmy and Ronnie about Austin and Ally becoming an official duo.
"I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about this meeting. You all remember what happened last time; Jimmy flipped out!" Ally could feel those knots forming in her stomach again.
"The trick is not to ask, but to tell," Trish replied. "At this point, it's all over the news. Jimmy and Ronnie probably already know." Ally and Austin both nodded. "So, when we get on the video call, you have to make it seem like you're not asking for their permission."
The couple nodded in agreement again and Ally scooted closer to Austin on the couch. He casually put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"And if you want to make sure they don't get mad at you, you can just send them both a goat," Dez stated seriously. "Goats fix everything."
Trish glared at him. "We're not getting them goats."
Dez hung his head with disappointment. Ally spoke up, not surprised that they were already getting off track. "Well, they're probably not going to be happy right away, but it's nothing we can't handle, right?"
"I sure hope so, because it's already all over the internet," Trish said, scrolling through articles about their Helen show appearance on her phone. "I can't imagine what would happen if they reacted badly to this."
Austin checked his phone. It was 10:20, and they still had forty minutes left until the video call. After that, he had to start getting ready for his show. He wondered when they would make the announcement to their fans, if they even could, but he kept it to himself. He knew that Jimmy would be mad if they started to promote the partnership without solidifying anything first, but he also knew that the fans would be dying to know what was happening and if it was officially official. He'd been dying to tell them since Ally had agreed to the partnership the night before, and he knew that Ally was too.
The four friends mulled over the topic of the video call until about 10 minutes till 11:00, when they started getting the computer set up. Dez fiddled with the brightness and volume on the computer to ensure both parties could see and hear each other. Both Jimmy and Ronnie were out of town and couldn't make it to an in-person meeting but had agreed to a video call. Trish wrote some questions that Austin and Ally should be sure to ask them, and the two pop stars discussed exactly how they were going to break the news.
"I think we should just come right out and say it. Like, what's the harm in just saying, 'Hey Jimmy and Ronnie, we're partners now!'?" Ally asked her boyfriend, fiddling with the pen in her hand.
"I think that's a good plan," Austin agreed. "There's no need to sugar coat anything, because our partnership isn't up to them." Ally nodded.
Dez set the computer down on a table in front of the couple. "Alright, I think we're all set. Let me know if anything seems wonky, and I'll come fix it. I wanna make sure this goes as smoothly as possible for you guys!" he paused. "At least with the technology part. There's a good chance you two will mess this up for us, and all my hard work will go to waste."
Austin and Ally both narrowed their eyebrows. "Dez!" Austin protested.
"What? It's true. No pressure..." Dez gave them a cheesy smile and a big thumbs-up. Ally rolled her eyes.
Five minutes later, everything was all set up and ready to go. Austin booted up the software and Ally added Ronnie and Jimmy to the call. After two rings, Jimmy answered. Ronnie joined not long after him.
"Hey, guys!" Ally greeted, and Austin waved.
"Austin. Ally." Jimmy nodded curtly. They gave each other worried looks.
"Uhm, how are you guys?" Austin asked, his voice rising in pitch.
"I'm fine," Jimmy answered. "I have to admit, I'm a little shocked. Your news was all over the internet this morning."
Austin swallowed hard. "Yeah, we figured."
"I'm gonna get right to the point," Ronnie butted in. "I was surprised when I saw that you two are becoming a duo. But I think this is news that the fan base will be happy about. As long as Jimmy feels the same way, I'm willing to make a compromise so you two can make this partnership official."
Ally smiled. "Thanks, Ronnie, that means a lot."
"Well," Jimmy sighed. "I definitely agree that the fans will be happy for you guys. You've matured, and your music has matured with you. But I'm not quite sure how I feel about you guys making this decision without asking me first."
Blank looks covered Austin and Ally's faces. "Yeah, we figured you'd say that," Austin mumbled, looking down at his lap. Before they could say anything else, Trish butted in, shoving Austin to the left, which made Ally topple to the floor. She gave Trish a look as Austin helped her up, setting her in his lap.
"Hey, Jimmy, Trish here," she said, "I know that you're hesitant about this. You're worried that sales will go down because Austin and Ally are back together."
"Well, uh"—
"Don't be," Trish interrupted, "You have to admit, Austin hasn't been himself since the breakup. He and Ally are meant to be together. Sure, back in high school they were just dumb, immature teenagers..."
"Hey!" Ally protested. Trish ignored her.
"But now, Ally's graduated from college, and Austin is finishing up his second U.S. tour tonight. They're full-grown adults, Jimmy. You can't keep controlling their relationship forever."
The room became eerily quiet, and it seemed like everybody was holding their breath. Trish bit her lip as Jimmy sighed. "Trish," he started, "You have a point." Ally slid her fingers into Austin's so they were intertwined. "Ronnie and I will have to talk it over." Austin and Ally glanced at each other.
"Awesome," Trish replied, "Thank you for your time."
"We'll get back to you tomorrow," Jimmy said, "But no promotion until then, got it?"
Both Austin and Ally nodded. "Got it!" they said, giving each other faint grins.
"Good." Jimmy nodded. "I have to get going because I have another client to meet with, but we'll chat tomorrow."
"I second that. See you guys tomorrow," Ronnie stated, and the video call ended.
It seemed like all tension in the room disappeared as soon as they hung up. Trish got up from the couch, making room for Ally again, and Austin scooted over so she could sit next to him. Ally leaned on his shoulder.
"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Trish said. "I didn't even think they would consider it."
"Me neither," Ally agreed. "It sucks that we can't promote anything, but I really think that we have a good shot at this."
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Austin mused. "We're one step closer to being an official singing duo." He planted a kiss on Ally's forehead.
Ally frowned. "You missed."
"All right, fine." He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Ally grinned.
"That's better."
Dez turned toward Trish and pointed to his cheek, indicating that he wanted a kiss, too. Trish slapped him instead. He winced in pain and glared at her. Trish just shrugged as Dez rubbed his cheek, looking hurt.
Trish waved her arm and scoffed. "You'll be fine. Such a wimp." She cleared her throat, dug around in her bag, and pulled out a green notebook. "Anyway, I know that Jimmy said no promotions yet, but I thought we could get started mapping out a rough tour schedule!" She showed Austin and Ally the first page of the notebook, which had a few tentative dates and locations for their national tour on it.
"Wow, Trish, this is amazing," Austin mused, putting his arm around Ally. "You must've been up really late working on this."
"Eh, it's fine. I only spent about an hour on it, and I was too excited to sleep anyway." The duo peered at the locations and dates on the first page.
8/26- Miami, FL, Hard Rock Stadium
8/27- Jacksonville, FL, TIAA Bank Field
8/29- Atlanta, GA, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
8/30- Columbia, SC, Williams-Brice Stadium
8/31- Charlotte, NC, Bank of America Stadium
"Yeah, Trish, I don't know what to say." Ally hugged her best friend tightly. Austin shrugged and joined in.
"Hmm. Impressive," Dez commented, peeking over Trish's shoulder. "But you do know that you need more than"—he stopped to count the number of locations on the page— "five venues for a national tour, right, Trish?"
Trish scoffed. "Of course, I do. The schedule isn't done yet, you doof." She felt the strong urge to hit Dez again but stopped herself. "We don't even know if Jimmy and Ronnie are going to let Austin and Ally stay on their label."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Austin asked.
"Well, if they don't approve of your partnership, you guys might have to go independent," Trish shrugged, "It all depends on if Jimmy is willing to sign Ally to his label, too."
"Or if Ronnie will let me sign to his," Austin pointed out.
"Exactly," Trish replied. "And if neither are willing to sign the both of you... we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Ally sighed. "I can't believe Jimmy is being so stubborn," she said. "Why can't he just give us an answer?"
Despite not having a solid answer yet, the four friends continued to pore over the notebook, and Trish pulled out her laptop to start researching additional venues. Dez made numerous suggestions about how Austin and Ally could make a 'grand entrance' at the kickoff concert in Miami by riding in on various land animals, and the other three shot him down, but not before laughing at the idea. They had come up with a pretty solid (although still rough) concert tour schedule by 1:00, when they all agreed to take a lunch break and come back to it later.
/
a few hours later
By the time they had to leave for Austin's concert, they had worked out a rough draft of the entire US tour schedule, and Trish had even started making a list of contact numbers for the venues. As they drove to the stadium, however, the anticipation of the follow-up video call the next day was still looming over their heads. Both stars were overcome with excitement and anxiety at the same time. Jimmy and Ronnie seemed open to the idea, but what if Jimmy wasn't willing to sign Ally to his label? What would that mean for their partnership or future as musicians?
Ally, Dez, and Trish sat backstage as Austin got ready in his dressing room. She was trying not to think about the 'what ifs,' but it was becoming harder and harder. Everyone else seemed to have something to keep them busy: Trish was on the phone, Dez was testing out camera angles, and Austin was getting ready for the show. Ally decided to pull out her phone and see how Austin was doing by sending him a quick text.
Hey! Just wanted to check in and see how you were feeling about...everything. Stressful knowing that we won't get an answer until tomorrow but know that I'm so proud of you for finishing your second tour! *hugs and kisses* xo
Austin took out his phone and grinned at the message from Ally. One of the things he'd missed most about her was the sweet text messages she'd send whenever she knew that he was feeling nervous about something. He smiled as he texted back a response.
i'm good. nervous but good. u know that u can come to my dressing room now, right? just knock and I'll let u in.
"I'll be right back," Ally said to Trish and Dez as she hurried back to Austin's dressing room and rapped on his door three times. Austin opened the door and pulled her in by one arm, closing it behind her and pinning her up against it with a kiss. Ally closed her eyes and leaned into it, savoring the taste of his lips that she'd missed so much. When they broke apart, she took a second to catch her breath before whispering, "Wow..."
"Yeah," Austin breathed, "wow."
"I think the thing I missed most about you while I was at college was getting to do...that. To kiss you whenever I want," Ally said, feeling her cheeks turn pink. "I, um...I had a one or two boyfriends at Harvard but kissing them never felt the same as kissing you." Austin nodded, but said nothing.
"I... always assumed you dated other people but it feels weird actually hearing you say it. I used to imagine you with some brainy Harvard guy, now it just feels more real. Like, you really got over me and moved on while you were out there." Austin sat down on the sofa, letting out a sigh that Ally couldn't help but think sounded a little sad.
"Hey..." She sat down next to him and grabbed his hand. "What's past is past. Sure, I dated a few Harvard guys... but I'm with you now. You don't have to be a super smart college kid for me to fall for you. I love you just the way you are, I always have." She paused. "Also, who says I ever 'got over you'? I just dated those guys to ease the pain of us not being together anymore."
"...Really?" Austin asked. Ally nodded.
"We both know how hard that period was for both of us, because we didn't want it to happen, but knew it was going to be easier than never seeing each other." Ally thought she saw him grin a little.
"Did I ever tell you," he said after a few seconds, "that when I wasn't on tour, I took some college classes?" Ally raised one eyebrow. "Just at a community college for a couple years. Most of my classes were online, so I worked on them during my downtime on the bus and stuff. It wasn't that fancy, but I needed something to distract me from missing you." Ally's stomach twisted itself into knots. She couldn't help but feel guilty now, especially since their breakup over three years ago had been initiated by her.
"The main reason I did it, though, was because I got bored on tour, and my parents started pressuring me to take business classes in case I take over the mattress store someday. So, I did."
"Wow," Ally said. "I've never really seen you as the type to go to college. I'm proud of you, Austin." He grinned.
"Thanks. It actually was pretty easy. So anyway, now I guess I can say I have a degree, even if it's not a fancy Harvard one like yours."
"I always imagined you were out on the town every night, trying to meet girls," Ally said, "but honestly, working towards a degree is a lot better."
"I figured you would say that. Plus, me having some college experience opens the door to us doing other things in the future, like when we're married. Like, if we decide we want to take a break from performing, and focus on taking care of the music factory or the mattress store—"
"Wait, wait wait," Ally interrupted, "Did you say when we're married?"
"Yeah. Not right now, obviously, but like, maybe in a few years—"
"Oh, wow...um... we just got back together, are you su—" she stammered along in her sentence until they heard three knocks at Austin's dressing room door.
"Austin, you have five minutes!"
"Thanks!" Austin replied. He turned back to his girlfriend. "I'm sorry if that was a lot to dump on you. But I gotta go now, so..."
"Um, yeah, bye!" Ally waved as Austin walked out of his dressing room door. She paced the room for a little bit, trying to come to terms with what he'd just told her. She eventually sat down on a couch near the far wall and sent a text to Trish.
You'll never believe the conversation Austin and I just had.
A minute later, Trish texted back.
Was it about the show that's starting in three minutes? Get over here! You're going to miss his big entrance! We can talk about your boy drama later.
Ally rolled her eyes and stood from the couch.
Coming.
/
a few minutes later
"What's up, Miami?" Austin yelled at the crowd as he ran onstage. The crowd cheered so deafeningly loud that Ally had to cover her ears. "Are you ready to rock?"
More cheers. Austin smiled widely and looked over to his right at Ally, Trish, and Dez backstage. He winked at her and she blushed. "Um, so, I kinda have some big news for you guys," Austin said, looking from Ally to the crowd and back. "How many of you saw the Helen show yesterday?" He laughed as a roar filled the stadium.
"How'd you guys like me and Ally's new song?" Austin smiled from ear to ear as the crowd responded. "Well, anyway, for those who don't know, me and Ally are back together." He paused, feeling the adrenaline course through his veins. "And I'm proud to announce that we're an official singing duo now, as well!"
Ally, Dez, and Trish's jaws dropped all at once. Ally put her head in her hands. Why did he say that? He wasn't supposed to say that! A split second later, Austin's expression changed as he realized what he'd just done.
Oh, no. What have I done? Austin faked a laugh and cleared his throat. "Umm, anyways...let's get this thing started, shall we?" he asked awkwardly. He turned toward the band and counted them off, cringing when he thought of the stern talking-to he was bound to get from Ally and Trish later.
/
two hours later
"Goodnight, Miami!" Austin ran backstage after the show to give a slightly sweaty hug to his friends and girlfriend. They all embraced each other for a few seconds before Austin pulled away. "Man, it feels so good to perform like that again. I missed that."
"But you've been on tour for the past year," Ally pointed out.
"I know," Austin replied, "but tonight was different. I felt...alive again. And that's all because of you guys. But one person in particular."
Ally blushed and Austin started towards her, but Dez stepped in between them and wrapped him in a giant bear hug, even lifting him off the ground a little. "I missed you too, buddy."
Austin swallowed. "Uh, Dez? I meant Ally." Dez frowned, set him on the ground and stepped to the side again.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Austin shook his head, smiling, and he held his arms out as Ally came forward and hugged him. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, then turned back to Trish, bracing for impact.
"Before I say anything else, I think we should talk about what happened out there, towards the beginning of the show," she said. "Jimmy specifically told us not to promote anything, and now, I'm not sure if he's going to want to sign you guys as a duo."
Austin sighed. "I know. I was just so excited that it kinda slipped out. I didn't mean to."
"I just want you to be prepared for whatever Jimmy says tomorrow," Trish replied. "There were a lot of paparazzi at this concert, and if he sees that you announced it without it being official, you guys might be in trouble."
"I appreciate your concern, Trish," Ally added, "but I don't think Jimmy would stoop that low. He's a reasonable guy."
Austin raised an eyebrow. "He kept me from playing basketball in high school. Basketball."
"That was just because he didn't want you getting hurt," she argued. "I'm sure this won't be a big deal, especially if he was going to sign us anyway."
"We'll just have to wait and see what he says," Trish mused. She sighed and looked around at her friends. "Might as well keep working on that tour schedule, since none of us are getting any sleep tonight." The other three nodded and Austin went back out onstage to help his band tear down their equipment.
An hour later, everything was packed up and the friends went back to the factory to chat a little more before going home to their respective houses. Since Austin had picked Ally up to drive her to the venue earlier, he drove her back home, as well. He sat in the drivers' seat, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other in Ally's, their fingers intertwined.
"So," Ally started as he put the car in drive, "today was fun."
"Yeah," Austin agreed. "Weird... chaotic... fun... something like that." Ally smiled.
"It was all of the above, I guess."
He squeezed her hand. "Yeah."
"How did it feel to be back onstage?" she asked. Austin grinned, shook his head, then looked from the road, to Ally, and back.
"I can't describe it," he replied. "Amazing. Fantastic. Electrifying."
"Hmm, you have quite the way with words, there, Mister Moon."
He smiled. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah." Ally looked down at her lap, playing absentmindedly with her hands and Austin's, then turning back up to look at him a few seconds later. "Y'know, when we were talking earlier, I was a little surprised about what you said at the end, about marrying me and all that. We reunited yesterday for the first time in almost four years, and you're already thinking about that stuff?"
Austin shrugged. "I wasn't bluffing," he said. "Seeing you again and the possibility of us getting back together is all I've thought about since we broke up. Every class I barely passed because of my hectic schedule, every argument with Jimmy about 'putting my career first,' every all-nighter I had to pull because I had a concert and then assignments due the next day... everything that I did was motivated by the fact that I knew you'd be proud of me."
Ally felt herself blushing. "So... even after we'd broken up... you thought about me?" Austin nodded.
"Yeah." He turned onto Ally's street, looking briefly over at his girlfriend in the passenger seat. "You were on my mind all the time. Pun intended."
"I'm just... I... wow." Ally thought she felt a tear slide down her cheek. For some reason, the idea of Austin being motivated by her to take classes when they weren't even speaking was really touching. Austin glanced over at the passenger seat as he pulled over next to the curb in front of Ally's house. He frowned when he saw her crying.
"Wait, are you okay? Did I say something stupid again? My mom warned me to stop doing that." Ally let out a laugh.
"No, not at all. I'm just... touched that the thought of me being proud of you helped you finish school. These are happy tears, Austin." He sighed.
"Oh. Good." He reached for her hand and gave it a single squeeze. "Y'know, another thing that helped motivate me was listening to your music. I felt pathetic at first, but somehow 'Finally Me' is a really good song to study to. More specifically, for studying Calculus." This made Ally giggle.
"I did the same thing. Sometimes I cried to them, because I missed you, but mostly I just learned that 'Don't Look Down' helps you retain information for your Biochemistry final." Both of them met eyes and laughed a little.
"I'm sorry that you had to find a song to cry to, by the way," he whispered. "Feel like that was my fault." He paused. "I hate the idea of you being sad 'cause of me."
"No, don't say that," Ally assured him. "It was mutual. We both decided that it was for the best. I'm just lucky I had your music to keep me company." Austin nodded.
"Yeah, me too. I heard once that music has healing powers. Maybe that's why it made you feel better."
She grinned. "Maybe." She paused for a second, then spoke up again. "Hey, I should get inside, my dad's waiting. But this was nice." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and opened the passenger door.
"Goodnight, Ally."
"Night, Austin."
He watched as she walked up to her front door, made sure she got inside safely, put the car in park again, and drove away.
Ally lay awake in her bed that night, thinking about the conversations that she and Austin had had about the future. For some reason, the fact that Austin knew he wanted to marry her already completely blew her mind. She had been a little freaked out by it earlier, but now, as she tossed and turned in her bed, wearing a stupidly happy smile, she couldn't wait until that day came. Just the thought of the two of them standing up at the altar and exchanging their vows made her giddy. It was just enough to make her momentarily forget about the stressful day ahead of her, and she finally fell asleep, the smile still on her face.
/
Sooo, what'd you guys think? the chapters will get a lot more exciting after this, I promise! It starts out a little slow but there is plenty more drama coming your way. They will also get a lot longer—this is one of the shorter ones haha. Keep reading if you like it and drop a review if you feel so inclined! Love you guys! - EJ