Alone Together. [An OM&M FanFic]

Chapter 51: Take Back Your Misery.

Hannah.

You could say the call with Grandma didn't go over so well. It went so great she showed up and tried everything in her power to get me out and back home. Austin's dad turned her away, a few times, just to have her come around the house a few times tapping on the windows. It was hard,  mean REALLY hard to hear her, but there was no way I could come home right now, not till I knew everything she was hiding from me.

"Are you okay?" Daddy Carlile asked as I joined him in the kitchen for dinner.

"I'll be fine." I shrugged and topped my bake potato, not really feeling the energy to talk about her right now. "I called Jeanette, told her what was going on and she understands, well, understands what I've told her." I hadn't told Jeanette about finding the phone and reading some of the texts from the guys, but I did tell her about my feeling constricted and the lies finally coming out.

Daddy Carlile nodded with calm understanding and a brief pause for food comes upon us before he spoke in turn.

"I haven't told Austin you're here yet. I assumed if he had already known he would be here by now." He looked up from his plate and my face paled. "You haven't told him yet, right?"

I shook my head and tossed my food around in mini heaps within heaps on my plate.

"And that's because?" He scooped another mouthful, and I knew from his tone this conversation wasn't going to be overlooked.

"I just need to figure some things out first before he knows I'm here. I know that's a lot to ask, to keep something from your son, but I really need this. Please.." I'd lost my appetite.

"I won't say anything, but if he calls and asks if I've talked to you, I can't say no." He pointed at me with his fork. "And.. You need to tell me why he can't know.. You can't keep all these secrets to yourself. Deal?"

I nodded and he eventually encouraged me to eat a little more, which I did and we moved to the bedroom where my phone was charging. I unplugged the fully charged device and sat across from him on Austin's old bed. "This is why I want to be here.." I handed him the phone, mass amounts of unread texts sitting there, still waiting to be read, and the little blinking light telling me to empty my voicemail box.

Daddy Carlile took it and began scrolling, asking if he could open some as he went. It didn't take much for him to read that they were all from Austin or the rest of the guys, and that it was apparent I hadn't gotten to read them yet.

"You found this?" He asked, passing it back to me and staring at it like eyes with daggers. "Where?"

"My grandma was hiding it, it doesn't matter anymore though, I just need to read them and figure some things out." I scrolled back to the top and opened the first one. "Now you know why Austin can't know I'm here yet, I need to know it all before I explain it to him.. Especially when it's been so long since the last time we spoke."

Daddy Carlile nodded and asked if I'd want him to sit with me while I read through, and I politely declined. This was definitely going to have to be something I do on my own.

Austin 12:45am: Hey, I miss you.. It's getting harder to type these out, but I just feel like I should keep telling you. Something is telling me to keep trying. Should I keep trying?

My heart clenched.

Austin 4:00pm- What's up? We're traveling and the scenery is ALL highway.. Wish you were here.

Austin 11:30pm- Shows over, went pretty good, except I forgot half the lyrics in our song. Guys are kinda mad, you would've just laughed though, and that'd be nice.

Austin 2:00am- Can't sleep.

It amazed me all the short ones he'd send, all on different days,  at different times when he'd think of me. I felt the water works coming up.

Austin 12:00am- There's something I need to tell you.

Austin 10:00am- When's your graduation? What time? I'd like to go if I could talk to you.

And so on it went, which made the tears psychically spill in a continuous stream down my face, staining the sheets. I went through them, immersing myself in them as if I was the one writing them out.

-6 hours later.-

"Hi Grandma, it's Hannah.. I don't know why I just said that, your phone should tell you. Anyways, I'm safe, and even though I'm still mad at you, and  I don't really want to see you, I need answers. You have a lot to explain and if you still don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about my phone I found under your mattress. So call me back.... Please."

I hung up the phone, and looked at all the open messages I'd read, all I needed to tackle were the voicemails and I am too anxious tonight to even try. Tomorrow maybe.. But in my head I needed to text Austin, just to see if this is all real, that my Grandmother really had emotionally scarred two people who absolutely needed each other in their lives.

Hannah: Hi, Austin?

               Sent; 12:12am

My hands were clammy and I was so scared that this could all be a dream that I just decided to part ways with my phone tonight, plugging it back in the charger and sliding the phone itself under the side of the bed. Please, Dear God don't let me have gone crazy. I sighed to myself and readied myself for bed, nervous for tomorrow, for what my phone will or won't read, and the voicemails to come.