Never giving up on you - Completed.

53.

[A/N: This chapter is very VERY long, I am sorry to not be sorry since I got carried away a bit while writing, haha]

Laguna Beach

Los Angeles

September 2010

Caity

It was Austin's twenty third birthday and we were celebrating at the beach house of Tally's parents in Crystal Cove. There had been more people coming in along the night went on; the house and deck were now crowded by people who weren't even that close to Austin anymore, but he seemed to be fine with that at this point. Austin was wasted and laughing about everyone and everything, and I hadn't seen or spoken to him for at least an hour.

I was kind of enjoying myself with Tally and the guys from the band; they were nice and social and interested. I had the best click with Tino tonight, so I was glad when I saw him making his way back through the crowd with two drinks in his hand.

'Took me a year, but I'm back,' he joked with a wide grin while handing me a cup.

'Thanks,' I laughed. He plopped down on the seat next to me and we clinked our cups before both taking a sip.

'For how long have you known Austin?,' I asked him. Tino shrugged and took another sip.

'Almost two years? Since we started the band, actually. He was looking for bandmates, and I knew someone who was a friend of the brother of the girl that hung out with Gielle -' I tried to follow his thoughts and he laughed. '- you know how things go. I just happened to know someone who tipped me for being a drummer in another band and that's how we met.'

'Cool,' I said. 'That's how the rest of the band got formed too?'

'Yeah, kinda. Austin already knew Jaxin and Phil via via... In this business, it's just all about knowing the right people.' He winked and watched a few girls pass us before bringing his attention back at me. 'How do you know Austin? I've never seen you around before.'

'No... I eh, I was his nurse after his heart surgery,' I answered. Tino's eyes went wide.

'Oh really?'

'Uhu.'

'How did you even stay in contact?' I chuckled a bit at the memory of that.

'Well... When Austin was discharged I had a few days off so we didn't get to say goodbye after I spent over a week of taking care of him. We had a connection somehow; we could talk about everything and it just clicked, I guess. So a few days after his leave he sent a bouquet of flowers to the ward... For me... With his phone number.' Tino almost choked on his drink.

'What?!' He shook his head and sighed, laughing a little. 'Fucking idiot.' His eyes trailed over the crowd to Austin, who was hanging against the kitchen counter. A grin played on his lips as he bit the rim of his plastic cup with his front teeth while listening to a girl who was obviously trying to impress him. He looked really handsome in his black skinny jeans, grey tanktop and with the beanie on his head, but still my smile faltered a bit and I coughed a little, looking away from the scene.

'But...,' Tino started. 'He was still married to Gielle around that time.' I nodded and couldn't help myself to look back at Austin.

'Yeah, he was...' Tino's dark eyes lingered on me and I felt a little uncomfortable. 'Nothing ever happened between us... We're just friends.' I was weirded out by my own words, breaking my own heart a little. Tino shrugged.