You Speak In Every Curling Wave (Cashby)

Chapter 6

A/n: yes, indeed, I've changed the cover and title. Still figuring this story out a little, ya know?

AUSTIN'S POV

"A-Austin," Alice's voice blubbered from over the phone, "can you p-please come over?" She wailed. My heart dropped, hearing my friend cry so hard.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly, making a U-turn and driving towards her dorm.

"I-I'm just worried." The quivers running through her throat seemed to calm a bit.

"About what?" I pressed.

"Jake." She said slowly. I promised that I'd be there as quickly as I could, and hung up. What was wrong with Jake that could be freaking her out? My mind boggled as to why exactly she was so upset, but I knew it was my duty to help her. The campus that Alice lived on wasn't too far away, and it took me 15 minutes to drive all the way there. On the way up to her room, I texted Alan, letting him know that I'd be home late. He didn't reply.

When I arrived at her door and knocked, she opened it quietly and looked up at me through big, watery eyes.

"Aw, sweetheart!" I pulled her up into a hug, kicking the door shut and leading her to the bed. We both sat, legs crisscrossed and facing one another. "What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing her arm. She sniffled, blowing her nose in a tissue.

"Jake's acting really weird." She admitted.

"Weird how?" I asked. I was so confused. They were actually a great couple; Alice was intrigued and enthralled by his strange, boyish habits, and Jake thought she was the the epitome of perfection, the most beautiful creature.

"He won't call me back, and he's been acting really distant, like, I don't even know. Am I being too over dramatic?" She asked, biting her lip.

"No way. Maybe he's just- busy?- or something. I don't know." The painful truth is that Alice probably should not have called me: I was no substitute for having a best girlfriend.

"I think he's cheating on me." She accused, angrily staring at the yellow bedspread. I inhaled so quickly, it almost sounded like a gasp.

"Jake wouldn't do that." I scoffed. She ignored me.

"He's never around anymore, and it makes me so- so-" She struggled for words, tightly clenching the blanket between her fingers.

"Angry?" I offered. "Suspicious? Scared?"

"All of those." She nodded, tucking her knees into her chest. "Why do I have to be so fucking insecure? Why can't I just trust him?" She progressively got more upset. Secretly, I thought, maybe, he was capable of cheating on her. But I didn't want to believe that, because that meant that anyone was.

"Have you asked him?" I inquired, trying to physically comfort her by rubbing her shoulder, but she shrugged me off.

"No." She said stubbornly. "I don't want to be... clingy." I rolled my eyes.

"Communication is important." I reminded her. Alice shot me a look, like 'are you stupid?'

"I don't care. I don't want to be that annoying girlfriend who's always up his ass about everything." She refused, folding her arms and looking away from me. I sighed, feeling useless. It did make me wonder, though, what I would do if I thought Alan was cheating on me. At that moment, I knew her plight. How could you accuse another person on betraying you without seeming over-involved and paranoid?

"Alright. I could talk to him, if you want?" I offered lamely. She shook her head.

"No, that'd make it worse." I acknowledged this to be correct, and frowned.