A Fire That Burns (18 page)

Austin looked at her dad and knew he was right. She had to accept that
she now had people that loved her back in her life and she had to allow them to
take the reins for a little while and look after her.

“I think I already have,” Austin admitted softly.

“Me too,” Nicolas said and dropped a kiss onto her forehead then started
to relive more childhood memories in an attempt to distract her from the pain.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“TYLER!”
Dean called out to
Tyler as he saw the man get out of his truck outside his parents house. They
had all separated from the hospital only a few hours earlier but, now he needed
to approach Tyler about the sensitive subject that had them all together.

“What’s up man?” he asked and suddenly his eyes bulged, “Is Austin
okay?”

“She’s fine, I guess,” Dean replied almost sadly, “Still in surgery, but
fine. I just thought I’d let you know that I got a call. Apparently McMillan,
from across the road, saw Natasha coming out of the house the morning of the
fire. Were you there at all before Austin was?”

Tyler looked confused, “No, I was dealing with a
misdemeanor
at the station until early afternoon and then I was in the house alone with Aus
until,” he ran a hand over his neck thoughtfully, “God, until about six when we
had an argument and I stormed out.”

“And everything was good?” Dean asked, ignoring the minor comment about
the argument. “I mean with the house.”

Nodding, Tyler looked at Dean, “It was a little hot in the house, but
nothing that was alarming. It was hot, we were working. I thought it was the
heat from outside and the fact the windows were all closed. All the windows
were locked tight. I mean, shit,” Tyler paused and then almost growled, “I
could have stopped her from getting hurt.”

“We don’t know that,” Dean responded flatly. “It could have been both of
you in there.”

Putting his hands on his head, Tyler shook his head. “I told her I hated
her and the next thing I know I’m carrying her out of a burning house. That
house was supposed to be mine and Austin’s release. I was supposed to give
Austin the house she wanted all that time ago when I said I didn’t have time.”

“Well that’s gone now. I think Austin’s thinking of leaving when she’s
better.” Dean told Tyler and watched the man’s face ignite with fear. It had
been a few days since the fire, and Austin was not yet getting an optimistic
fight in her. “She might have gotten her family back, but she still lost you,
Tyler. She feels like you didn’t mean what you said because of everything that
led to her being in the hospital. She never wanted to lose you, but I guess
losing that baby was more damaging than any one of us could have predicted, and
then to come back to see you with Natasha, when all she’s ever going to know is
to love you, it’s just too much.”

“But I didn’t know,” Tyler confirmed helplessly, the fact that he hadn’t
been by the hospital was a case of being terrified to go. He was a coward and
now he saw that. “If I had known what Natasha had done I would have never have
gotten together with her, but she was there after Austin left, she was loving
me, it felt right to move on after three years.” Tyler closed his eyes, “I hate
this!”

Dean reached for Tyler’s shoulder, as a friend he would support him.
“Well only you can change it, Tyler. I know you, you will.” Dean replied
honestly, “I know Aussie would love a clean slate with you, Tyler. That’s all
she’s ever wanted, and that is all she’ll ever want. You were teenage
sweethearts,” Dean shrugged, “I guess Natasha could never fill that status.”

“I know,” Tyler said with a regrettable tone. He knew Dean was right,
whole-heartedly right in fact.

“So where’s Natasha now? She’s been a little quiet,” Dean said as his
phone went off in his pocket.

Tyler watched him get his phone out as he spoke, “She texted me to tell
me she was getting out of town for a few days. Everything got to be too much.”

“Right,” Dean responded as he looked back up, “I
gotta
shoot off, Tyler. Austin just got out of surgery.”

“Is she okay?” Tyler asked immediately, his worry about her escalating.

“Mom didn’t say much. She’s sleepy, and out of it due to the drugs, but
she’s awake and that’s enough for me right now,” Dean informed Tyler in a
friendly manner, he could see the man breaking before him as he stood stuck
between the right thing to do. “Come by in couple of hours if you want to.”

Tyler nodded wistfully. “I guess you better go,” he told him and Dean
quickly agreed and watched Tyler turn to leave.

“Just remember one thing,” Dean started and Tyler turned back to face
him. His expression was drawn and serious, “The guilty always run. I know
Austin ran, but all she as guilty of was
loving
you.”

Taking those words to heart, Tyler knew he needed answers and right now
he would draw blood to get them. Austin had run because she was guilty of not
being able to tell him about the baby, tell him the truth. Natasha, however,
seemed to be guilty of murder.

And that was when everything hit him like a freight train. Tyler needed
to talk to his fiancée, if he could call her that anymore. He couldn’t see himself
getting married to her ever. He wanted out of the toxic relationship he had
become a captive in and he wanted a clean slate with Austin like Dean had
proposed.

Making his way to Natasha’s parent’s house, he felt nothing but dread
filling his every cell in his being. He wanted to go and sit with Austin, to
talk to her and understand everything that was in her head all those years ago
so that he could finally do right by the one person that had been suffering in
silence for years.

Not only that, but Tyler knew that if the truth came out that Natasha
had really lied about everything then he was going to expose her as the fraud
she was and he was going to make sure that the whole town of Point Arena
apologised to Austin for their
behavior
.

He used his key and entered the house, immediately seeking out the woman
in question right now. “Where is she?” Tyler asked as he barged into the
kitchen and found Diane making a drink.

“Who?” she asked looking over at him, stalling her actions for a moment.

Tyler laughed in disbelief, “Don’t play dumb, Diane. Where’s Natasha?”

“Now you care about your fiancée, I see,” she scoffed at him and put the
spoon she was using down. “I sent her away, Tyler. I sent her away from you,
from Austin, away from all of the stress. After everything that’s happened I
would hope that you would have had her back.”

“Away from Austin?”
Tyler questioned back, “Austin’s in the hospital right now in serious
condition because someone started a fire. The only other person seen going in
and out of that house, other than the usual, was Natasha, Diane. So explain
that one to me. Please.”

Diane snorted a short laugh, “Those imbeciles burnt that house down. Her
brothers are amateurs and they certainly got what was coming to them.”

Something seemed to snap in Tyler at that. “I was one of those imbeciles
that checked that house over!” Tyler bellowed at the woman who was supposed to
become his mother-in-law. “So don’t you dare say they missed it, because the
night before, that heater was in the middle of the room doing its
job.
Uncovered
.
Austin
didn’t go upstairs for anything; she was finishing the downstairs before she
focused on those rooms. Now she’s in the hospital getting surgery for severe
burns and Natasha was seen coming out of that house. I want to know where my
fiancée is, and I want to know now.”

“Oh, so she is still your fiancée?” Diane asked him incredulously and
eyed him up and down with insult. “You’ve been a great support for her lately.”

Tyler looked up to the ceiling for a moment as his frustration doubled.
“Fine!
She’s not my fiancée anymore!” He finalized at her.
“I want answers and I want answers now.” Tyler’s anger began to boil as his
thoughts cast back to Austin. “I will find out what really happened and if I
find out that you’ve done anything to stop us from finding out the truth,
Diane, I will take you down with Natasha.”

“I think you better leave,” Diane said as she stepped towards him to go
and open the front door for him to leave.

Blocking the way, Tyler narrowed his gaze on her, “I am not leaving
without answers.”

“If you don’t leave, Tyler, I will call the police. I will call my
husband. Natasha isn’t here and you’re getting too dominating for my liking,”
Diane defended as she realized that Tyler’s anger wasn’t going to just disappear.
“I’m not afraid to call the police.”

“You’re going to call the police?” Tyler asked her plainly.
“On me?
I am the police and I’ve done nothing wrong! Your
daughter’s the one that’s missing after an arson attack just occurred around
the fucking corner!”

“She felt unloved, Tyler. Pushed out and unloved all because of you and
that, that Pearson whore!” Diane shouted back, “If you ever loved Natasha you
would have been there for her instead of in that house. You wouldn’t have
been loving
a woman that had left you.”

“I will always love Austin. I don’t know why I ever got with Natasha
because ever since it’s been one problem after another.” Tyler responded
truthfully, “I should never have gone there and look what’s happened now.
Austin could have died!”

“Well she was dead to this town a long time ago,” Diane bit back
nastily, not hating herself at all for her use of words.

 
Tyler was astounded how this
woman really didn’t hold anything back and he felt sick to his stomach how
alike Natasha was becoming to her mother. He didn’t want to be acquainted with
them, nor did he want to embrace this life with them at all.

“I think I’ve just gotten my lucky escape,” Tyler told
her fiercely as he began to leave. As he reached the front door he turned back
to face Diane, “I will be back for her and I will get those answers.” Tyler
slammed the door as he left, more determined than ever to get to the bottom of
this right away.

Chapter Thirty-Four

AUSTIN
knew she should be resting,
but the more she slept the more she got worked up over what had happened. The
more she lay awake, the more her thoughts transferred to seeing flames and
hearing Tyler tell her he hated her.

This was a heart wrenching lose-lose situation.

Taking a deep breath, she looked towards the door at the end of her bed
and saw Natasha’s mother walking towards her room from the nurses’ station. Her
heart began to pound harshly in her chest. She could feel herself beginning to
hyperventilate at what could happen, and she sat silent prayer after silent
prayer that her family would come back. God, she knew there was reason letting
one of them stick around was a good idea. Now she wished she had made her
mother stay with her and not go off to lunch. She would know how to handle
this. Hell, her father would too. Who was she kidding? Everyone would know how
to handle this, but not her, not right now.

She knew her parents weren’t far, but right now they felt a million
miles away. She had pressured them to go once she woke up from the surgery and
was back in her room. Selflessly, she felt they needed fresh air and she needed
sleep. There was no need to sit around. If she was being realistic and honest
with herself, she knew that she wasn’t at the point of understanding why her
family was back. She couldn’t wrap her brain around the fact that she was no
longer alone in life. Clearly that would be the death of her.

As the door opened, Austin tried to breathe calmly but, she knew this
couldn’t end well. Diane Truman had never been an Austin fan which was probably
why it was so easy for Natasha to continue
her the
lifelong goal of making her life hell.

The pair had always been the devil and his advocate. It seemed that
forethought hadn’t changed.

“Austin,” Diane started to speak as she stepped in from the doorway
sympathetically. “We need to talk,” she continued, her tone poised, shutting
the door behind her.

Austin gulped with unease.

“What is it?” Austin asked
,
she was beyond
exhausted right now. She knew the
anesthetic
in her
system helped with the pain, but the amount of emotional tears she had shed
since the fire far outweighed the tears she had lost over the years. She
couldn’t cope with a battle, not even a tiny debate. She had no energy as it
was
,
how could she handle whatever it was Diane was
prepared to deliver?

“I want you to leave,” Diane started as she put her hands on the end of
the bed. She stood strong and powerful, towering over Austin’s weakened body.
“When you’re better, I want you to leave like you did before, and never come
back. Pack and leave in the middle of the night. I will even pay for a ticket
to whenever you want. Staying in this town is no longer an option.”

“I can’t,” Austin said as the tears built. She didn’t want to be alone
anymore, nor did she want to run away from her family who had just accepted her
back. She couldn’t do that to them or herself again. She couldn’t leave like a
ghost in the night. It almost killed her once; a second time would be less
forgivable. “I won’t. I won’t leave. I won’t,” she could feel hysteria
beginning to build up from within her soul as it screamed out in displeasure
and fear.

“It’ll be easier for everyone involved,” Diane pointed out to Austin.
“Natasha can come back, life can resume and you’d be a memory. You do realize
that was what you were? It won’t be hard for us all to move on again, forget
you were even here. Life was running smoothly before you disrupted it all.
Natasha regrets everything, but she and I won’t let you win this one, Austin.
Especially not when you threw it all away once before because of whatever
reasons, and I will make sure Natasha and Tyler get that life they have been
planning. He’ll forgive her.”

Austin knew she wouldn’t agree to this, so she refused to listen.
Leaving again was out of the question. “She wasn’t even pregnant,” Austin said
as she became even more agitated, “Was she?” she watched the solemn look sober
up and mask the older woman’s face. Austin felt her nerves snapping. “Then why
the hell should I leave when I have done nothing wrong but want my life back?
Why should I leave when you’re daughter is the liar?”

“You threw away your life, Austin. You were the one that chose to leave
everything behind and I think it’s time you did that again. It will be the best
for everyone involved in the long run and you never know
,
you might finally get over Tyler Armstrong.” Diane took in Austin’s heartbroken
stance, but didn’t find it a reason to heed her outbreak.
 
“You lost out, Austin and no one else is to
blame but you in that matter. Now I know you nearly died and everyone is
rallying around you, but how long is that really going to last?” she scoffed a
laugh at her question, “I know you think you have everyone back, Austin, but
six years is a long time to be gone and a lot of things changed. There isn’t a
life in Point Arena for you anymore. You no longer belong in this town. They’re
all feeling guilty right now, and when that leaves them they will cast you
aside and force you from town.” She could see Austin breaking down, the seed of
doubt pulsating as it readied to explode. She knew it was only a matter of
using the right words to break Austin all together. “No one cares,
Dear
. They’re just playing with you to make themselves feel
less guilty for that damn house burning down. I mean your brothers and Tyler
handled that house too, they must be feeling real guilty for letting this
happen. I know this hard to hear, Austin but, someone needs to make you see
reality. After all, I can see it’s what you think.”

Austin closed her eyes as her heartbreak became too palpable for her to
handle. She knew all she needed was a
savior
right
now and she didn’t care who it was. She just wanted Diane to get away from her,
for someone to take her venomous words away. She was fighting to not believe
the words, but with each new breath it was getting harder to not believe one
thing – Nobody cared. They were here filled with guilt. If she ran, she saved
herself feeling neglected and left out. If she ran, she would never have to
feel that.

Then, the voice that broke the air was tense and red hot with anger. It
wasn’t the voice of a person who was here out of remorse. The voice of mother
was exactly that – the voice of her mother – stern and ready to pounce on
whoever dare hurt her child. “Get out,” Jane spoke after opening the door and
hearing the words spoken and the scene that was being created. Like any good
mother, Jane was ready to attack. “Get out of here now before I get the nurses
to get security. I am trying, with everything I have, to stop myself from
laying a hand on you, Diane.” Jane walked to place herself beside Austin’s
beside, “I didn’t hear everything, but what I did hear will come back to haunt
you, mark my words. I am not here out of guilt. I am here because I woke up to
the errors of my ways. I hate myself for it happening this way but, I love my
daughter and I want nothing more than to take her pain and make it my own.
Right now, you are causing my daughter more stress and pain, and I won’t
tolerate that! So you either leave yourself, let security help or I’ll help
you. Trust me; the latter won’t be pleasant.”

“I only came to see Austin that was all,” Diane replied sweetly, acting
as if nothing had transpired at all.
“Nothing else.
I
just wanted to see that she was okay.”

Having been alerted to the disturbance beginning to erupt, Austin’s
doctor had made a direct beeline for her room, and what he found unsettled him.
He could see how this distress was affecting his patient. Not only was Austin a
mess of tears and having difficulty breathing, but her heart monitor was no
longer a steady beat. She was becoming unstable and he was not going to
tolerate it. “Ladies, take this outside. This doesn’t continue in this room and
certainly not in Austin’s presence. She does not need this additional stress
right now,” the doctor told them, his gaze on them dark and serious. He had
seen families react like volatile atoms in these situations, but he could tell
this was different.

“Out,” Jane growled and moved back to offer the door for the Diane to
exit, “
Now
.”

Once Diane was out, Jane looked to her daughter and knew where she was
needed more.

And it certainly wasn’t in the corridor. Giving her husband a look that
said it all, he reacted how she hoped. He immediately got up to see that Diane
left. Turning back to Austin, Jane actually hoped that Tyler was going to man
up and
arrive
soon. It wasn’t just her family that
Austin needed, but it was him as well.

Austin needed to see that guilt wasn’t why they were here.
 
It was love.