My Player Bestfriend (Book #1)

Chapter Twenty

I didn't sleep much after Austin walked out. The silence in the house felt suffocating, like I couldn't breathe, like the walls were closing in on me. I could hear every tiny noise — the hum of the fridge, the clock ticking too loudly — all of it mocking the stillness between us.

I barely packed my bag. I threw clothes into the suitcase, not even thinking about what I might need. My mind was still racing from the conversation, trying to figure out how I let things spiral so fast. How I could make everything right, if it was even possible.

But what happened between me and Luke... that wasn't something I could just ignore. I wasn't proud of it. But it happened. And it had to be dealt with.

I didn't want to lose Austin over a stupid mistake.

So, I made a decision.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my keys and headed straight for the airport. I didn't tell anyone. I didn't have to. I already knew that Austin was leaving for Florida tomorrow, and I had no intention of staying behind this time.

I would be on that flight.

I was going to follow him. I was going to fight for us.

The flight was long, but my mind never quieted. I kept replaying what happened with Luke in my head, wondering if Austin would ever forgive me for something I couldn't take back. But in the pit of my stomach, I knew that I had to show him I wasn't going to just run every time things got hard.

It took me hours to get there, but when I landed in Florida, I knew what I had to do.

I took a taxi straight to the venue where Austin would be performing tonight. He was already there, rehearsing with the band. The thought of seeing him again made my heart race. I had no idea how he would react, or if he would even let me in.

I stood outside the door, taking deep breaths, mentally preparing myself for the worst.

But no matter how scared I was, I couldn't back out now.

I pushed open the door, and the noise of the band practicing filled the space. It was too loud, too overwhelming, and I felt small as I stepped into the room. I caught sight of Austin immediately. His back was to me, and he was adjusting his guitar. He hadn't noticed me yet.

But I had noticed him.

He looked so damn perfect — focused, serious, but still so... him. My heart clenched in my chest.

I took a few steps closer, waiting for the right moment to speak up. When I did, his head snapped around.

"Mary?" His voice was low, full of disbelief.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "I'm here."

He stood still for a moment, just staring at me. His face was unreadable. But I could see the hurt in his eyes, the part of him that wasn't sure if he wanted to let me in again.

I took a step forward. "I messed up. And I've been thinking about nothing but how much I screwed things up. I'm sorry for what happened. I should've been honest with you, and I didn't. But I don't want to walk away. I want to fight for you. Fight for us."

His jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought he was going to walk away, just like before.

Then, he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "You really think you can just come here and act like nothing happened?"

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I'm not acting like nothing happened. But I am here because I don't want to lose you. I never meant to hurt you, Austin. I'm sorry. I know that doesn't make it better, but I don't want to walk away. Not without trying."

His eyes softened, and I felt a little hope flicker. But it was still buried under layers of pain.

He looked down at the ground, biting his lip. Then, with a deep breath, he met my gaze again.

"I don't know, Mary," he said quietly. "I'm not sure if I can trust you again after what happened. After everything."

"I get it," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "I do. And I don't expect things to magically go back to the way they were. But I can't sit here and pretend I don't care. I can't walk away from you. Not when I'm still in love with you. And I'm not giving up on us. Not now."

His expression was unreadable. For a moment, we just stood there, watching each other in silence. And in that silence, I could feel the weight of everything — all the unsaid words, all the pain, all the love we still had for each other.

He stepped toward me, slowly, and then, just as I thought I might burst from all the tension between us, he reached out and touched my cheek.

"You're not easy to forgive, Mary," he murmured. "But I'm not going to just let you go, either. You have no idea how much I hate seeing you hurt."

I closed my eyes at his touch. His hand felt like home. And it broke me all over again. "I never wanted to hurt you. I just—"

"I know," he whispered, his thumb brushing over my skin. "I know. But this... whatever this is between us... it's not going to be easy. You're not just going to walk in here and make everything better."

"I don't expect that," I said softly. "But I want to try. Please, let me try."

His gaze softened, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw a glimpse of the Austin I remembered — the one who used to hold me close and tell me that everything would be okay, even when it wasn't.

"I don't know if I'm ready to trust you again," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "But I can't let you go either."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Then let's take it one step at a time. Together."

He pulled me into a tight hug then, wrapping his arms around me like he didn't want to let me go. And for a moment, it felt like maybe we could fix this. Maybe we could start over — no matter how broken we were.

I could feel the weight of the world in his arms, but I also felt something else. A chance.

A chance to fight for us. To fight for what was still left.