A Fire That Burns (3 page)

Chapter Four

Present Day

SHE
had
managed to escape almost a week without coming face to face with Tyler and if
she had her way she would keep it that way. She knew the fates would not allow
such luxury when she owed him so many explanations and home truths. She owed
herself them too; she needed to unsettle a bundle of six year old secrets.

Sighing, she knew that once she saw
him
and he
made it crystal clear that he wanted nothing more to do with her, she would
flee again. This time it would be forever. She wouldn’t cut all ties, just all
physical ones and with that she would go searching for what she wanted out of
life - peace.

Looking across the back yard, she saw her mother indulging in
conversation; laughing happily, enjoying herself. She dropped her gaze away
from the sight, if she were to go over there then she would be subjected to
awkward silence or her mother would treat her like she only deserved to be
conversed
with in
the company of others.

“I thought you could do with a drink,” Austin’s father came and sat
with her on her steps. He passed her the plastic cup and leaned towards her,
bumping her slightly as a friendly gesture. “She’ll come around.”

Austin snorted a little at that, “
Sure
.”

“Aussie, you disappeared on her and she didn’t know why. She wondered
if it was her fault or not. She thought she had let you down. We looked
everywhere, but you weren’t traceable. We got a few hits but they never
lasted.”

Looking up into the deep brown eyes of her father, his clear complexion
only aged slightly, but still the same as when she left, and she finally realised
how much she missed this man. “I had my reasons, but believe me I regretted
ever leaving.”

“Then why did you?” Nicolas asked his daughter, he would get to know
the truth if it killed him. “What was so bad that you couldn’t talk to even me
about it?”

Sitting up, Austin took a deep breath before exhaling, “It’s honestly
dead and buried now, Dad.” She looked at him, blinking through the lie, “I hear
you leave on a month long job in a couple of weeks.”

He nodded and realized how she was subtly moving the conversation on.
He wasn’t going to chase her back out of this town now the she was finally
back. “I am and I expect you to still be here when I get back. Can you promise
your old man that?”

“I can do better than promise you,” she spoke before she lifted her
hand to him with her little finger in the air.
“Aussie
promise?”

Seeing the smile ignite across her father’s face, Austin realized she
couldn’t just duck out of this town however much she wanted to. She had too
many apologises to give and too many bridges to rebuild and she wanted to right
her wrongs.

Latching his little finger to hers he tightened the hold as she rested
her head on his shoulder and smiled as he slipped his arm around her once they
let go and sat there for a moment. He was lavishing the feel of having his baby
girl in his arms after so long.

“I’ll always love you, Aussie,” he whispered to her as he kissed her
hair, inhaling her sweet scent, one he had missed for years. He had missed the
mere essence of having his daughter around him and he was overwhelmed with
finally having it back. “You will never know how much I missed you.”

Austin sat back up and looked to her dad, “Probably as much as I have
missed you I’m guessing.” Austin assumed and smiled, but looked away. “I’m
surprised I was even allowed back into this house.”

“It’s a small town, Austin. Your mother doesn’t like being the gossip’s
gossip; she likes to be the one spreading it.” Nicolas joked as he watched his
wife trying to stop herself from looking across the way at them. “You coming
back
has
already caused a stir but, had she not let
you through the front door to attend this party then she really would be the
center
of attention.”

Austin smiled sadly at the thought and looked at her dad, “I think you
best get over there to her.”

He shrugged at her and shook his head, “I’m okay here.”

“Mom keeps looking. I’m honestly no fun to be with,” Austin told him
sincerely. “Not right now anyway.”

“You need to sort your head out, then you just call me and your dad
will help right away,” Nicolas told his daughter as looked at his wife and
locked eyes with her. He turned to Austin, “I’ll speak to you later, Kiddo.” he
replied as he placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving her be.

Austin watched her mother be embraced in a one armed hug and smiled as
her father kissed her mother passionately and she couldn’t help the pang of
jealously that washed through her as she wondered what life would have been
like had her and Tyler actually gotten married.

Would they be that in love that he would just walk up to her and kiss
her regardless of the company surrounding her? Would there be children running
around wanting attention and love? Would they have lasted?

Batting away the endless questions she gave up her thoughts and allowed
herself to be consciously aware of the eyes that were on her. She could have
walked around and made herself become reacquainted with old friends, family,
neighbours, whoever, but she didn’t have the confidence to just throw herself
into the mix of people.

So she sat alone on the sidelines, not causing a stir, waiting for a
reasonable time to leave the party.

“Well,” Tyler said as he sauntered up to Austin. He hadn’t even noticed
her, his mom had pointed her out to him. It was the first time he had seen her
after all the hubbub of her return. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

Austin looked up at Tyler and she felt her restraint disappear. She
smiled and then looked away, “Right back
atcha
.”

She hadn’t changed one bit, Tyler thought. Sure she was curvaceous now,
gorgeously so and her hair was longer and a darker shade of blonde than before,
her lips were still plump and kissable and her eyes still managed to capture
him with one look, but regardless of the changes to her physically she was
still the same old Austin. He couldn’t deny that all the sexual tension and
chemistry that had helped to build their relationship was still there –
untouched by the years. He acknowledged his weakness to her immediately and
knew he didn’t stand a fighting chance.

Taking a seat next to her, he
huffed
a laugh,
“So what brings you back?”

Shrugging, Austin looked down at the drink, “You do not want to know,
believe me.”

“It’s been six long years, Austin, I think I deserve some sort of
explanation,” Tyler started and leaned forward to look up at her. He gave her a
smirk and a quick teasing wag of his eyebrow, “That or a
proper
welcome
back.” He sat back as she looked at him in shock, “You pick.”

Feeling a constriction in her chest, Austin remained placid for a
moment. It didn’t matter how much she tried to allow this to be okay, she just
couldn’t do it anymore. She looked at him and felt her heart skip an all
knowing beat. She tried to smile, but faltered, “I’m really sorry, Tyler, but I
can’t do this.” She then got up and left, not a goodbye to anyone. She just put
her cup down on the kitchen work top as she fled the back yard and headed for
the front door for her quick exit.

Growling as the familiar scent of Austin surrounded him, he exchanged
looks with Tom and got up and bolted after her. He was determined to get an
explanation out of her. Six years of trying with Tom had failed so he went for
the origin itself.

“You don’t get to walk away from me again,” Tyler shouted out to stop
her as he left through the front door, following Austin’s footsteps. “Not after
six years.”

Austin threw her arms up in the air in detest as she turned back, “Why
are you even talking to me? I walked away from you so why are you being even
remotely nice to me?”

“It’s a lot of effort to hold a grudge,” Tyler admitted to her as he
took the few steps down from the porch to close the gap between them. “Trust me
I tried.”

Laughing at the irony she rolled her eyes, “Believe me, Tyler; it might
just be easier for you to live with a grudge. I was wrong to leave here like I
did. It’s wrong for me to be here now when everyone has made that abundantly
clear. I should have given you a chance back then, the-then maybe n-now we
would still b-” Austin stopped, she wasn’t going to do this. She wasn’t going
to pour her heart to a man that probably hated her and was only being nice so
he could have an explanation at long last.

She wasn’t ready to give Tyler a reason to really bury everything they
had lived together. Everything they had felt, loved, hated. He wasn’t being
given the chance to bury their memories just yet.

“You still love me don’t you?” Tyler asked her outright. “Six years on
and you’re still as in love with me as you were when you left. You never
stopped loving me, you never could. You didn’t leave because you didn’t love
me.” He could see it written on her face. “I’ll let you go if you tell me you
still love me, Sunny. Tell me the truth here so I know.”

The impact of that one nickname – Sunny – hit Austin. He still remembered.
Had waited all these years to use a nickname he had given her while they sat
under the sunrise and he told her his day only ever started and ended with her.
She was his sun.

Austin quivered as his hand came up to bring her face to look at him,
and she was forced to speak, “I could never stop loving you.”

It seemed her words were the catalyst to igniting whatever they had.
That
was it.
The moment Austin felt his lips hit hers she knew she was a true
goner.

There was the proof that six decades could well have come between them,
hell even six centuries, and their hearts would always beat perfectly for one
another. The six year distance hadn’t changed how perfect it felt to revel in
the others existence.

As the kiss ended, even Austin knew she could not be that big of a fool
to believe that this would be easy.

She could not be foolish to walk back into Tyler’s arms without
guessing he had moved on from her. It was only her heart that had been frozen
for years. She would be a fool to look the other way and guess that Tyler
hadn’t moved on.
Especially when she knew otherwise.
It just didn’t stop her from believing for a second that she was still nineteen
and her world hadn’t shattered down around her.

Chapter Five

SITTING
in the
old Pearson dining room, Austin hated that all eyes were on her, and she hated
even more the disdainful glare her mother was giving her across the table. If
looks could kill she would be six foot under and her mother would be happier.
Maybe
she would even dance on your grave
, Austin’s warped sense of humour
sneered. It had only been days, but her disappearing act from the party seemed
to just cause more damage.

Looking around, the gap between 2006 and 2012 was enormous in length,
but it seemed this house’s decor was timeless and the only change she had seen
so far was a new kitchen and the frosty exterior her mother was able to
penetrate into a room. Physically it was her home, but in another instance it
was far from the home she had grown up and fell in love with.

“It’s simple,” Austin’s eldest brother, Dean, spoke up, “Aussie’s back
now whether
we
like it or not.”

Austin could just see her list of haters growing even more, and she was
thankful that she had one parent that still wanted her around and a brother
that was more than ecstatic to have her living with him. Her other two brothers
and sister were split across the entire board.

Nicolas sat forward, his hands sliding across the oak table top. “If I
remember correctly, Dean,” he began singling out his son immediately, “You were
one of the ones that helped Tyler try and track Austin down, and weren’t you
the one that travelled across the country with the leads we got?”

“A lot of wasted time,” Dean said as he sat back casually in his seat.
If he had it his way, he would be at home, beer in hand not thinking twice
about the sister that abandoned them all.

Growling, Nicolas leaned back to bring Austin into the group instead of
closing her out. “You’re being quiet, Jane,” Nicolas motioned to his wife. “I
know you’ve got a lot to say.”

“I just don’t understand why the hell you had to leave like you did,
Austin. No daughter of mine would walk away from her family. I brought you up
better than that,” Jane told Austin seriously, her face was drawn and reserved,
and her eyes almost bore into Austin.

“She knows otherwise, Jane, but there was obviously some other factor
that contributed to her leaving,” Nicolas said trying to be the reasonable one.

Jane locked her sights on Austin as though she was her prey. There was nothing
nice about her expression and when she spoke, there was nothing motherly about
her tone, “Go on then, Austin. What reason is it?”

“Yeah,” Sienna, Austin’s sister spoke up, “I always wanted to know why Princess
Aussie felt so bad that she had to leave. You got spoiled by both mom and dad
and yet you still fled here faster than anything. You had Tyler devoted to you
and that wasn’t even enough.”

Daniel, the final brother, snorted at that, “Yeah I always remembered
how mom and dad always made sure Austin there had everything and then
poof
,
she’s gone.” he exchanged a look with his brother before looking back, “I think
six years is long enough to keep a secret, so why don’t you fess up and admit
what was so bad that mommy and daddy couldn’t even help you with.”

“I don’t think we need to bully it out of her,” Tom threw in
defensively as he watched everyone take a dig at Austin. He had looked and seen
how hard she was trying to keep her composure in check, but the tears were
weighing too heavily now and soon they would not be stopped from descending.
“She’s a part of this family; she’ll tell us when she’s ready.”

“I think
it’s
best you leave, Austin, and let
us have a family discussion,” Jane said as she stood up and took the two plates
that had the food on them into the kitchen.

“Hang on a minute, Jane,” Nicolas said in disapproval. “Austin is a
part of this family and deserves to be let back in. Your prejudices can wait.
She’s family and should be included.”

“
It’s
fine,” Austin said as she got up and
grabbed her bag. She looked around nervous all of a sudden, “I’ll see myself
out. Tom, don’t rush back, okay?” She then quickly left, ignoring the calls of
her name and the arguments between her parents and siblings as they erupted.
She rubbed her hand across her cheek to get rid of the tears as she left into
the cool evening air.

She pulled the door closed and leaned against the white painted oak
panel trying to regain some control of
herself
. She
slowly pushed herself away from the door and headed down the steps and away
from the house before anyone could come out and tempt her to stay, or make this
a public hanging. She walked quickly trying to get back to Tom’s before her
resolve broke again.

So far she was losing miserably.

Tyler was literally just about to get into his truck to leave his
parents when he saw the familiar form of Austin leaving her parents house. He
couldn’t hide the frown as he watched her leave the house looking completely
broken – more so than she had only days ago.

He took off after her, noticing immediately that she looked like she
needed some company. “Why the long face?” Tyler asked as he joined her in her
small nonchalant walk.

Austin looked at him in shock. She hadn’t seen him as she had left and
here he was by her side, “Just realizing that my presence back here has yet
again kicked started World War III”

“Wouldn’t you be past World War III if your presence has started yet
another world war?” Tyler asked her jokingly, trying to lighten the tension a
little.

“
Ha ha
,” Austin responded and even managed a small laugh. “See
you didn’t lose your sarcasm in the time I’ve been gone.”

    
“No, but it seems you lost
that gorgeous smile,” Tyler pointed out as they walked at a slow even pace.
“Where did that get to?”

Austin toyed with the key in her hands, a nervous and subconscious move
on her behalf. “I haven’t seen it in a while really so I don’t know where it
got to.”

“Maybe we should go and find it?” Tyler asked her and put his arm
around her supportively. “Everything will work out, you’ll see.”

Trying to make light of the situation, Austin laughed a little,
enjoying this closeness with Tyler even if was limited. “I hope you’re right
because right now my mom’s going to hate me forever,” she confessed in a sad
and downtrodden tone. “I’m tearing my whole family apart just by being around,
Tyler. That means nothing is ever going to be okay.”

“You’ll see, when you least expect it to, everything will just make
sense again,” Tyler told her confidently. It was more of a selfish ploy to make
her stick here permanently than anything but, it was also his way of showing
that whatever happened all those years ago did not affect how they were now.

Verging on tears she turned to him and pointed over her shoulder to
Tom’s house, “I’m just going to go and hide away.” She looked back at the
direction they had come in and then looked back at him. “Thanks for walking
back with me.”

“Mind if I come in?” Tyler proposed instantly, “Only I have nothing
else to do, and I haven’t seen you since your parents’ party Saturday and I
just really want to catch up.”

“Tyler,” Austin started worriedly. The last thing she wanted to discuss
was the reasoning behind her sudden disappearance.

He put his hands up in a show of innocence, “I won’t ask about why you
left. I’ll allow you to tell me that when you need to. I just miss our chats
and right now it seems you could do with a bit of friendly company.”

Austin still remained hesitant for a moment, her heart in her throat.
As much as she wanted time with Tyler, she really felt like she didn’t deserve
it. On top of that, she was scared to hear about how in love he was. She still
didn’t know who he was with and she hadn’t asked because she knew there would
be an immediate dislike towards whoever had stolen Tyler’s heart.

“Fine,” Austin relented and headed up the path leading the way. She
quickly opened the door, running her hand along the wall to turn the light on.
Without a word she headed straight through the kitchen kicking her shoes off as
she went and chucking her handbag down onto the couch.

“So what have you made of yourself in six years, Baby Girl?” Tyler
asked using the old nickname he had for her as they grew up. Being one of the
youngest in their class, he always teased her about being the baby. He slid
onto one of the bar stools in the kitchen and watched her go to the
refrigerator.

“Would you believe me if I were to tell you it surmounts to nearly
three quarters of a million dollars?” she asked him back in response as she
handed him a beer and took a swig of her own.

“No,” he replied honestly and smirked, “So what did you do? Rob a bank?
Marry a millionaire?”

Austin laughed and took a seat, “It’s all legal don’t worry.” She began
and wrapped her hands around her beer and looked at him, her head resting on
her own shoulder for a moment. “Do you ever wonder what life would have been
like?”

“Had you never left?” Tyler asked her. That question still stung, but he
had to be honest with himself. He watched her nod and he sucked in a quick
breath, “Yeah, all the time. I see our old house and I know I miss not having
the chance to exact our plans on it. We had so many ideas for it and never had
a chance to finalise them,” he ended with a shrug, “You?”

Austin looked down at the lip of her bottle, “All the time,” she
admitted softly. If she had to admit what she wanted to do now was to down this
bottle of beer, then take Tyler’s and drink that, and finish the rest that were
in the fridge. She was feeling sorry for herself again.

“I don’t like this Austin Pearson. She’s much too quiet and lifeless
than what I ever remember,” Tyler questioned her as he sat and watched how
withdrawn and unlike the old Austin he remembered growing up with.

“I’ve not taken on all four hundred and fifty Point Arena citizens. I’m
waiting on that last judgement call,” Austin told him in return with a small
smirk. “Once that’s tackled you won’t be able to stop me.”

“There she is,” Tyler said and slapped his hand to the kitchen
countertop. “The Austin I love,” he watched as her smile disappeared, “What did
I say?”

Austin’s eyes squinted a little as she tried to make sense of
everything, “How can you even bear to be in the same room as me?”

Tyler sighed, “Like I said it’s a lot of effort holding grudges and I
could never hate you.”

“But you should,” she admitted and reverted her eyes away from looking
at him. “You should be number one on the list of getting me out of town.”

“There’s a list?” he asked her playfully, trying to make her smile
again. “I could live in the past, or I can get over things. Now that’s not to
say I’m still in some state of shock that you’re back, but there are just some
feelings that never really go away and there are just some things that need to
be done.”

“Like the kiss?” Austin questioned him as her mind flashed back to
Saturday night at her parents.

Tyler nodded, “Much like that kiss,” he told her and then pushed
her a
little. “So how did you make your fortune?” Tyler said
pressing on with the subject matter. “I’m intrigued.”

Austin knew she could dwell for a moment, or she could embrace this
moment. The latter definitely seemed much more worthwhile. “The computer system
at the police department, what do you think of it?”

“Best damn system we could have,” Tyler praised quickly. “Gives us
everything we need when we need
it
 
and
when it crashes it fixes itself.”

Chuckling to herself she looked at him, “That’s because I was the one
that made it and I’m the one that gets an alert when it crashes.” She watched
Tyler look at her with astonishing confusion. “You knew I was one of those
gadget freaks thanks to Danny and when I left here I quickly learned the ways
of a computer system. Binary codes, virtual pathways, hard drives, software,
everything. It
keep
me close to him in some way, and
then you,” Austin babbled on, “I got noticed and then all of a sudden I’ve got
requests left, right and
center
to make system
software for major corporations and then the money started rolling in.”

“Right, so you haven’t had much
me
time?” He questioned her as
he thought to how much time that must have taken up.

“None and it’s how I like it.
Makes me get away from
my thoughts.
You remember how dangerous those were,” she dropped in and
smirked as he laughed.
 
“I had a few days
out, but I literally focused on getting enough to live.”

“Enough to live
forever on?”
Tyler quipped at her.

Smirking, she looked at him, “That wasn’t my intention. It just
happened.”

“You never have intent with anything so I believe you,” he teased her
and then sat up straight. “Right I need to go use the bathroom,” Tyler said
finishing off his bottle and standing. “I’ll be right back.”

Austin knew she didn’t need to tell him where he was going. Tom had
already said that he and Tyler were still close friends. So she let him go
while she swirled the remainder of her beer around in the bottle.