―❝There's no way I can make it without you. Do it without you. Be here without you. It's no fun when you're doing it solo. With you it's like whoa.❞
OR
―❝ delaney ellington used to be childhood best friends with austin moon before she moved away, bu...
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Later that evening, the house was quiet except for the soft rustling of leaves outside. Delaney was currently curled up in bed her headphones on and her journal resting on her lap, though she hadn't written anything in a while. She stared at the ceiling, her mind spinning with everything that had happened that day. A soft tap at her window pulled her from her thoughts. She turned, and her heart jumped a little at the sight of Austin crouched on the ledge, grinning at her like he always did when sneaking in. She pulled her headphones down around her neck and opened the window for him.
"You know one of these days, you're gonna fall and break something." She teased, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips but hiding.
"Totally worth it," Austin said as he climbed in and flopped onto her bed beside her. "Especially if it means seeing you."
She rolls her eyes affectionately but leaned into his side as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Rough day." She murmured.
"I know," He replies, pressing a kiss to her temple. "But I came to tell you something. A lot of somethings, actually."
Delaney sat up a bit, still nestled in his arms, giving him her full attention. "We started to keep doing things the right way. Herman?" Austin grins. "Turns out the kid needed glasses. Now that he has them, he's been way more confident on the drums."
Delaney chuckles softly. "That makes sense."
"Lily now plays the actual bass instead of the upright bass which is probably what she should've started out with since she couldn't even touch the strings on the upright bass. Dylan's been learning chords from me—she's a natural. Max? He's into piano now because Dez somehow connected his game to the keyboard so he's playing and gaming at the same time." Austin explained with a fond smile.
"That is...Incredibly chaotic." Delaney laughs, shaking her head, but the sound was genuine this time—lighter. "But also kind of perfect for them."
"Right?" Austin grins. "It's messy, but it's them. The real them." He looks at her with a soft smile. "You were right, Laney. They didn't need backup musicians. They just needed someone to believe in them. It's working. Mia's been practicing with Ally and Finn—she's getting really good. But.." He hesitates for a second, his arms tightening around her. "Ezra left. He didn't want to stay if you weren't here."
Delaney winces, her heart clenching. "Oh. That's understandable. I hate letting him down." She rests her head against Austin's shoulder, the weight of guilt settling in her chest like a stone. "He really left?"
Austin nods slowly, brushing her hair back gently. "Yeah. Said it didn't feel the same without you. I tried to talk him out of it, but you know how Ezra is when his mind's made up."
"Hopefully he would come back with me coming back." She sighed.
Austin tilts his head slightly, eyes searching hers. "Oh, you're back back?"
