Taken {Austin McBroom}

•Chapter 4•

2 WEEKS LATER
I was going out with Catherine because she wanted to have a girls' day so me, her, and Elle were currently at the park. We were sipping on our smoothies while Elle played in a spot where we could see her.
Catherine: I'm glad we were able to get away for a while
Maia: Yea
Catherine: It's just things with Austin are starting to get kind of stressful
Maia: How so?
Catherine: We just haven't been agreeing lately and really I think it's just frustration...
Maia: From what? YouTube?
Catherine: No we've been trying to have another baby
Maia: Oh...and no success
Catherine: No I guess God's trying to tell us it's just not time maybe we should hold off for a while. But then again I don't know because we haven't talked about the elephant in the room and I was just thinking maybe you should talk to him
Maia: W-why
Catherine: Because you're basically his best-friend too and he really trusts and confides in you sometimes so maybe you could figure out what's going through his head.
Maia: Maybe you two should get away from each other for a while...give Elle to her grandpa. You go on a trip somewhere and he does something.
Catherine: That's a really good idea, where do you think I should go?
Maia: Florida. Go be with your family that you haven't seen in a while
Catherine: Yea I think I'll plan the trip, come on Elle Lively.
Maia: I'm going to catch up with you later I told Beverly I would come see her.
She nodded and we parted ways, Beverly is my other best-friend. I obviously have to have more than one because if I didn't confide in somebody about all this Austin stuff then I would've lost my mind a long time ago. While I was driving I couldn't help but think back to the day that Austin proposed to Catherine, it was his great attempt to end things with me forever, and it was the worst heartache I'd ever felt.
Flashback:
Catherine had called me over because she said she wanted to talk to me, and before I could even get through the door good her hand was in front of my face and a very-very large diamond was in my face. I grabbed her hand trying to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing...
Maia: Is this a-
Catherine: YES! He did it yesterday! Come on we're not done editing but I can show you some of the footage!
She pulled me up the stairs and with each step we took my heartbeat sped up. Austin was sitting in the bed with it already pulled up, I guess he was editing it still. Catherine sat down and pulled me beside her as Austin looked weary about showing me.
As I watched the video, with every second my heart broke even more. I even found myself crying and of course Catherine was too but she thought they were happy tears, when they were the complete opposite.
Maia: Congratulations....I'm really happy for you guys. I wish I could stay to celebrate but I have to go Josie has an appointment at the Vet.
Catherine: Maybe you can bring her over here later
Maia: Yea we'll see.
I hugged her once more trying to get out of the house as quickly as possible, I pulled out the driveway almost immediately speeding to Beverly's house. She looked at me shocked as I aggressively entered her house and just sunk down to the floor sobbing.
It took me 5 days to get myself together before I could go back over there, and that was even harder because she kept talking about how surreal everything was.
Maia: You've really got it good
Catherine: I'm going to go tell Ryan so I'll see you later.
She exited holding Elle, and I sat there on the living room floor on my phone. Eventually Austin entered holding food in his hands and he obviously wasn't expecting to see me so I stood up ready to exit.
Austin: Wait-wait, let me explain
Maia: You don't have to explain anything to me Austin...you proposed to your longtime girlfriend and the love of your life. As your friend I'm very happy for you
Austin: You and I both know this is deeper than that, I don't want you to keep that bottled up.
Maia: What else am I supposed to do?
Austin: Talk to me about it, I'm here!
Maia: I have to go Austin
Austin: I'm not letting you to leave Maia
I went to open the door and he closed it almost immediately grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the living room.
Maia: I would hate to wake the neighbors so please just let me leave
Austin: How hard is it to tell me how you're feeling?
Maia: WHY SHOULD I?! YOU DON'T CARE! SO I'M NOT ABOUT TO WASTE MY TIME!
I took a breath calming myself down so I wouldn't have to get into a screaming match with him. I looked at him with a soft expression.
Maia: Austin....all that matters is that you're happy. I get it I'm here whenever you just want some fun and stupidly I fell for you. This is the end of whatever we had going on, I'm sure every word you said in your speech you meant. She's so happy, and it should stay that way so me sitting here telling you how I feel won't change anything. What do you want to hear? I'm hurt...does that make you feel better somehow? Austin...I-really just want to leave.
I stood up and he pushed me gently back down onto the couch, taking a breath himself before he started talking.
Austin: I've never been so confused with emotions before in my life....I know that I love and care about you but I also know I love and care about Catherine who is also the mother of my child. I don't want Elle to grow up how I did, in between parents and you can't say I turned out just fine because I obviously didn't. In a way, the proposal was me trying to be sure of things with Catherine. I post all on the internet about how I love and want to spend the rest of my life with Catherine but I had to test it. Now I've never been more unsure about anything in my life....at the end of the day I want to avoid seeing you cry because of me, seeing you broken-hearted because of me, and I refuse to sit here and say that's inevitable-
Maia: But let me guess....you don't want to see Catherine hurt from all of this. I don't either Austin, she was my best-friend before any of this with you happened. We shouldn't even be having this conversation so I'm just going to go-
Austin: No!
Maia: DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY MOMENT I STAND HERE JUST BREAKS MY HEART EVEN MORE?! PLEASE JUST LET ME LEAVE---WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH AUSTIN, YOU HAVE A FAMILY!! SO YOU SHOULD JUST STOP PRETENDING YOU LOVE ME!!
Austin: I'M SORRY! OKAY! I'M SORRY! I'm sorry....about all of this.
At this point I couldn't fight my tears anymore as I slid onto the ground just letting it all out. He got down on the floor with me, trying to hide the fact that his eyes were getting glossy.
Austin: I never wanted you to be in this kind of situation
His forehead leaned against mine, trying to pull me as close to him as possible. I'd just given up on fighting him...
Austin: You have to believe me and trust me when I tell you I love you....can you do that for me? Or at least try...
I wiped my eyes searching his eyes for anything before I sat here and opened my mouth to give him an answer. Instead I just held out my pinky, he raised his eyebrow at me.
Maia: Promise me that there's some truth behind your words
He locked pinkies with mine and we laid there for a while, as soon as I heard his light snores I stood up as quietly as possible and slipped out of the apartment. I was in way too deep...
I sighed realizing I had arrived at Beverly's house, I sat there with her telling her about everything that had been going on. I was convinced the only reason she trusted me and was my friend after hearing all of this was because she liked girls'.
Beverly: You have got to get over him....engaged with what could turn into 2 kids. Then there's you waiting around for him, something that may never happen.
Maia: There's no way I could get into a relationship with this on my conscious. I can barely look Catherine in her face every day knowing this.
Beverly: One way or another we're going to figure it out Maia. I refuse to let you go through this alone, hell I'm basically in it too.
She wrapped her arm around me and we watched a movie, Catherine told Austin about my plan and he of course agreed.