With Arms Wide Open (An Austin Carlile Love Story ft. Avenged Sevenfold)

Warped Tour: Chula Vista - Say You'll Stay With Me

Okay, quick recap! Matt and Jimmy know it's Brian's child. The Sanders' parents believe it's Austin's, as does everyone else. Great. Let's get into it :) 

Comment and vote for more <3

"Austin, we need to break up." 

Those words managed to stab Austin in the pit of his stomach, forcing his heart to slowly seep out of the deeply pierced holes. He felt as though his entire world came crashing down at the peak of his life. He couldn't come to understand how Isabella claimed she was madly in love with him one day, and the next suddenly feel as though there was no option other than to break up. As he stood in a mild state of shock, he recounted everything he had ever said, or done in the past twenty-four hours. But it seemed he had done nothing wrong. 

The day had appeared to have gone quite well-- not a flaw in sight.

After their final show in California on the Warped Tour, Austin met Gary and Kim Sanders-- Isabella's parents-- for a quiet dinner at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. The time spent with the Sanders settled Austin's worrisome mind. Prior to their encounter, he was under the impression that Kim and Gary were against him in every way possible. He suspected their reaction to Isabella's pregnancy was similar to Matt's; and for a second he was correct, considering their early teachings of sex after marriage. However, they could not hate the not-so-potential father of their unborn grandchild. That being said, they arrived at a mutual decision and chose to meet Austin. And to their own surprise, they genuinely adored him.

"What?" He questioned above his breath, pushing himself off the exterior of the tour bus, "Why? Are you fucking with me right now?" He prayed Isabella was pulling a practical joke, followed by just kidding but those words seemed further than their next destination on the tour. "Or are you being serious?"

"I don't want you to think it's because I don't care about you," Isabella spoke, stepping away from the tour bus; the gravel beneath cracking at her feet. She set herself in front of him, looking into his honey brown eyes, "Cause I do..."

"Well, I wasn't thinking of that until you told me not to think about it..." He responded, pulling his aviators over his eyes as a way of hiding the tears beginning to form and blur his vision, "What happened? What went wrong?" 

"After yesterday, when Brian came over, things felt so out of place. You know?"

Austin released an airy chuckle, "No, I don't know because to me nothing felt out of place," he said with a bite. "Why don't you try explaining yourself, rather than have me guessing what you mean to say?"

She looked at Austin with pure sympathy and regret. The honest reason for breaking up with him was one she had been debating all day long. Certainly, he made her happy-- It was the happiest she had been in a while. But Isabella knew Austin had so much to conquer, and a child would only prevent his hopes and dreams from happening. In her mind, her decision was selfless and supported by her brother, sister and best friend. She knew in Austin's mind, it was going to seem utterly selfish. 

"I put you in a predicament that you don't deserve to be put in. You deserve to be happy, and you can deny it all you want, but I feel like you're not happy," she kicked the rocks beneath her feet and nibble on her bottom lip, "Your aspirations make you happy. A kid will only ruin that for you."

"Isabella, as long as I am with you, I am happy." He said; honesty pouring from his words. For the first time in a very longtime, Austin was truly happy. No matter where the road took his life or  his relationship with Isabella, he would awaken every morning and consider himself blessed. Others in the world would never have the same happiness he felt knowing his heart was a whole. "I've never been happier."

Her heart softened, but she refused to fall into his amiable trap. Her life and her child's life could not, in anyway, get in the way of Austin's. She needed a reason to escape, and nothing said let me go like a fabricated, "I'm not..." 

At that moment, Austin realized he never knew the true meaning of pain-- his heart, which heavily lay at the pit of his stomach still seeping, was intensely throbbing and his hands suddenly soaked with sweat. He felt like a failure to say the least. "I didn't know that..." He managed to say as his voice began to crack. "I mean... I thought things were going good between us. I just met your family and they really like me-"

She dropped her shoulders, shoving her hands into the pocket of her Vans pullover, "They do and I'm so relieved that they do. I can't be with you knowing you're doing something so selfless for someone so selfish. It's as though I'm forcing you to be here."

"But you're not and I keep telling you every-so-often that you aren't." Without a convinced look on her face, Austin sighed; a hopeless feeling starting to overcome his emotions. If persuasion was going to convince her, he was going to do whatever it took. "I actually want to be here with you. I want to help you raise this child. I know he or she isn't mine. I'm so fucking aware that they don't have my blood. Quite frankly, Isabella, I don't give a fuck," he roughly stated. "I was raised with two loving parents. Keyword babe; loving. This child's real father isn't going to man up. We both fucking know that. I want your child-- our child-- to grow up with loving parents." 

"I can't let you raise the baby, Austin. It's not your responsibility. It's Brian's." 

"Then don't let me raise him or her." He said, becoming frustrated as he used his hands to speak, "But say you'll stay with me," his voice shook with desperation; his finger stabbing his chest, "Say that no matter what happens with that kid, you will be with me because you want me to be with you through everything." 

Isabella, don't do it; her mind spoke. It took every ounce of strength she had to hold back and refuse fall into his arms; a safe haven. Looking into his eyes, she saw the pain she was putting him in. Everything he was saying was full of love and candor. Needless to say it hurt her. But it would've hurt her more knowing she kept him from achieving his hopes and dreams. 

"I can't say that," she began, swallowing hard, "I can't say that because I don't want you with me through everything. You deserve to live a reckless life. Having a child doesn't make you reckless. Brian's already lived his brash life. It's time for him to act like a parent."

Austin casually removed the glasses from his eyes, slowly jumping to an assumption, "Does this mean you're going to commit to Brian?"

She vigorously shook her head, "That's crazy talk. He's married. I can't do that."

"Didn't stop you in the first place, did it?" He asked, mindful that those words would be just as painful as the ones she was speaking-- he felt she deserved it.

"This isn't your problem. It's my problem." She responded, unwilling to fight with him. "Which is why I am breaking up with you. You'll never fully understand why I'm doing this." 

"Don't say another word, Isabella. I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy or fulfill all of your hopes and dreams and expectations of a fucking boyfriend. Next time, when you decide to fall for someone, make sure they aren't stupid enough to fall for you. Cause if I'm regretting anything right now, it's not falling in love with you-- It's opening myself to you and letting you know how much I have always cared for you. I hope one day you come to your senses and fucking realize that he won't be as supportive as I have been-- not only to you, but to that child." He swung open the tour bus door, placing his foot on the first step and failing to make eye contact with her. "I bid you nothing but luck."

Isabella flinched as the door slammed shut; an ice-cold breeze gently brushing against her face. She starred at the door for a moment, holding back every emotion she had begging to be released through a river of tears. However, in such a public place, she was not going to let them show. She continued to bite her tongue and force herself to let him go, in hopes that she was making the right decision for once in her life.

As the bus drove out of the lot, Austin fought the urge to go back and fight her. He felt, in his heart-of-hearts, she was making an impulsive decision. He had known her for many years, and there had been plenty of times she made hasty decisions-- all done to save someone or something. She was the true definition of a selfless person... But he couldn't convince himself that she was being selfless for his own good. He was under the impression that she really was unsatisfied with their relationship. 

And he had no one else to blame but himself...