My Player Bestfriend (Book #1)

Chapter Eleven

Austin sat backstage at his tour stop in Chicago, staring at the phone in his hand. He'd been staring at it for an hour, willing himself to send the message.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

For the past few weeks, he'd been telling himself that everything would work out. That eventually, Mary would come back to him. That she'd understand that he was sorry — that the situation with Marlee had been a mistake. But every time he tried to call or message, there was nothing. Just silence.

He had reached out more times than he could count, each text more desperate than the last. But each time, no response. He tried to justify it. Maybe she was still angry. Maybe she needed space. He could handle that.

But what hit him hardest, what kept him up at night, wasn't the silence. It was the fact that he knew deep down, she was moving on.

He tried to swallow the bitter lump in his throat, but it wasn't working. He'd heard through the grapevine — not directly, but word got around on social media, in random comments from fans. Mary and Luke. The guy from Sarah's circle. The guy who wasn't him.

The thought made him want to puke.

Luke.

He was a good guy, at least from what Austin had gathered. But the idea that Mary — his Mary — was spending time with someone else felt like a knife in his gut. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't a big deal. She had every right to move on.

But that didn't stop the jealousy that clawed at him.

Back in Austin's hotel room, he paced back and forth, throwing glances at his phone every few seconds. He knew he had messed up — really messed up. But this... this was something else. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had just let the best thing in his life slip through his fingers.

He finally tapped out a message.

Austin Mahone: "I messed up, Mary. But please don't shut me out. I know I hurt you, but I love you. I need you to let me fix this. I can't lose you. I just can't."

He stared at the text for a moment, waiting for her name to pop up under the "read" status. But nothing. He sat there, watching the screen like a kid waiting for the school bell to ring.

His thoughts went back to the night they'd spent together, the first time he kissed her. How everything felt so damn easy with her. She was everything he wanted, everything he needed — and he screwed it up.

The reality hit him like a ton of bricks: She wasn't his anymore.

It was a wake-up call.

Days passed, and nothing changed. The longer he was out on the road, the more he noticed the cracks in his own behavior, the way he'd treated people, the way he treated Mary. The endless parade of girls, the fame, the late nights — it all seemed meaningless now.

He couldn't escape it. The silence. The knowledge that she was somewhere out there, getting to know someone else. Someone who wasn't the one who left her in the dust.

Finally, after two weeks of radio silence, Austin arrived back in Los Angeles. He stood in his hotel room, hands shaking as he opened his messages.

The usual noise of fans, his team, the schedule — it all buzzed around him. But nothing mattered. He had to see if Mary had reached out.

Nothing.

It felt like a punch to the gut.

"Dude, you okay?" Alex asked, walking into the room. He was clearly trying to read Austin's mood but didn't want to say anything outright.

Austin glanced at him, his mind running at full speed. "She's not responding, man. It's like... she's gone."

Alex paused. He knew Austin, knew his history, but he had never seen him like this — lost. And to be honest, it pissed him off. Austin messed up.

"You're an idiot, bro," Alex said bluntly. "She's pissed, and you know why. And you keep sending the same damn texts, acting like she owes you another chance. She doesn't."

Austin clenched his fists. "I know I messed up. But I love her, Alex. I fucking love her, okay? And I can't let her go just because of something stupid I did."

Alex took a deep breath. "She's not your property, man. You're not just going to get her back by begging. If you really care about her, you've gotta respect her. Let her decide."

Austin's frustration grew, the emotions spilling out like a floodgate breaking. "I can't just sit here and do nothing, Alex! I can't let her walk away with Luke. She deserves better, and I know I can give it to her. She just needs to see that."

Two days later, Austin found himself standing outside Mary's apartment. He hadn't been this nervous in years, and for a moment, he almost turned back.

But then he saw her. Mary was walking out with Luke. She was laughing. Her smile — the one that used to be just for him — was now for someone else.

It hit him like a punch to the chest.

Mary wasn't looking for him anymore. She was done waiting for him to get his shit together. And Luke? Luke was there. He wasn't just a friend anymore. He was something more. Austin could feel it. And it made his stomach turn.

"Mary," Austin called out, his voice rough.

She froze. For a second, he thought maybe she was going to run to him, but she didn't. Her face was unreadable. And that hurt more than anything.

"Hey," she said, cool but not unfriendly. "What are you doing here?"

Luke stepped back slightly, sensing the tension. "I'll give you two some space."

Austin watched him walk away, but his eyes never left Mary's.

She didn't even flinch.

"Mary, I'm so sorry. I know I fucked up," Austin said, taking a step forward, but he kept his distance, not wanting to scare her off.

"I know you're sorry, Austin," she replied, her voice calm but cold. "But you don't get to walk in here after weeks of silence and expect me to just... what? Pick up where we left off? No."

"I never wanted to hurt you," he said, his voice cracking. "But I did. And now I'm paying for it. I'll keep paying for it if that's what it takes."

She shook her head. "I don't need you to pay for anything. I just need you to understand that it's over."

Austin's heart sank. "You don't even care anymore, do you?"

"I care," she said, her eyes softening for a moment. "But I'm not going to let you keep hurting me. You don't get to mess with my heart, Austin. Not anymore."

She turned to leave, and something in Austin snapped. This wasn't just about pride or ego anymore.

This was about losing her.

"Mary, please," he called after her.

But she didn't turn around. She just walked away.

Luke followed her into the building.

And for the first time, Austin felt completely and utterly alone.