A Fire That Burns by Kirsty-Anne Still Read Free Book Online Page A

finally home, but slowly
kills you all at once.”
    “ C’mere ,” he told her and pulled her into his
arms as she broke even more. “I missed you, Kiddo,” he told her as he let her
go and pulled his phone out as it vibrated, “But I can’t do this alone.” He
finished as he finally looked up from his phone. He didn’t give her a chance to
argue or say a word; he just let her remain clueless.
    As her brother went to the door and opened
it. She watched intently as he welcomed her other brothers and sister into the
room. Immediately she was doused with hugs and attention. Austin realised that
although she was dealing with a broken heart, her family were slowly letting
her back in and she knew once she had that back, her heart would slowly piece
back together.

 
    ***

 
    Getting back that following Sunday, Austin knew she
had to let Tyler go once and for all and realize Natasha won like she had
always promised she would. As she jumped down out of Daniel’s truck she saw
Tyler in his parent’s house and quickly grabbed her bags and said goodbye
before either her mother or Tyler knew she was there.
    She then quickly left the group and began the short walk to Tom’s. She
had spent the whole day Saturday with her brothers and finally felt like her
life was here. All she had to do was break through her mother’s tough exterior
and find her own place and she would be happier. That, of course, was ignorant
of her constantly breaking heart.
    “Tyler, leave her!” she heard Dean cry out and she hastened her pace.
    She could hear him getting closer, her name leaving his lips, but her
heart was thrashing so hard it pained her chest and rang in her ears. All she
wanted was to just be inside and out of the way once and for all.
    “Sunny,” he called out one last time as he was hot on her heels, he then
grabbed her stopping her in her tracks so he could get in front of her.
“Where’ve you been?”
    “San Francisco,” she said in a toneless voice. “You forget you were
there too?”
    “What is with you?” Tyler asked as he eyed her up and down. He wanted to
ignore the blatant throb he had and he wanted to ignore how messed up his reality
was becoming.
    “You led me on!” she shouted at him in dismay, her voice quaking all of
a sudden.
    “No I didn’t,” Tyler fought back at her as he continued to walk backwards.
    Austin huffed, “Oh no? So forgetting to just drop into conversation that
you’re dating, oh no wait – engaged to Natasha Truman wasn’t something
that you thought was important to tell me when you’re kissing me and flirting
with me!”
    “Oh-” he started to try and form an argument, but was failing.
    “I might have done the running, and that might make me a coward and
whatever other name this town has labelled me, but I am nobody’s mug and I am
certainly not yours, Tyler!” she told him, “Now move and let me go home.”
    “I just wanted to apologise. It was wrong of me, but I have my reasons.
I gave my life to you and then you were gone. I miss the feelings you make me
feel and how complete I feel around you, Aus, but I had to move on,” he looked
at her as she slowed almost to a complete stop. “I want you to be my friend,”
Tyler admitted to Austin, “More than anything, Austin, but I need you to
understand that I just can’t put myself back six years for you to run away
again. I moved on with Tasha and Friday I was drunk and-”
    “I’m not going anywhere, Tyler. I have nowhere to go anymore. I am here
to stay,” Austin argued back, but she could see it was a futile feat. This last
bit was all a lie. She had nowhere to go when she was nineteen and still made a
living, but she was scared to do it all over again.
    “You’ve got to forgive me if I have a hard time believing you,” Tyler
told her and just put his hand out, “Friends, Sunny?”
    Austin looked at his hand and knew this was as good as she got,
“Friends,” she replied to him and took his hand and shook to