Arianna's Tale: The Beginning by D. J. Humphries Read Free Book Online Page A

embarrassed by the pale pink silk nightgown I had put on,
but Austin rolled his eyes, “I’m serious! I’m not a little kid
anymore! You shouldn’t see me in my nightgown!” That had his cheeks
flushing pink and I bit my lip with realization.
    “We’ll be downstairs,” Austin decided, his
fingers lightly brushing across my cheek, “Don’t take too long.” He
softly kissed my forehead before leaving with Jason and closing the
door, but that kiss had my face beet red as I forced myself out of
bed and over to my box of unpacked work-out clothes.
    I couldn’t help thinking about things then.
Austin, my gorgeous, perfect big brother that all the girls swooned
over, wasn’t my brother at all. He didn’t have to put it into so
many words, his actions made a lot more sense then. The fact that
he kept all guys away from me; that we had that awkward phase where
he wouldn’t come in my room, or let me in his, or even hug me; the
way sometimes he watched me, like at his graduation party; the kiss
earlier in the kitchen, and the one just then in my bed….
    “Austin’s in love with me,” I whispered to
myself while pulling a t-shirt over my sports bra and work-out
pants. I also suddenly recalled Dad’s hesitation to let Austin go
back to Mom’s house. “Dad knows Austin’s in love with me…” I
murmured thoughtfully, pushing my feet into my favorite blue-flame
house shoes before grabbing a pillow and blanket and starting for
the door, but pausing with my hand on the doorknob. “I don’t know
what to do about it…” I uttered before sighing deeply and heading
downstairs.
    Austin’s blue eyes darted up the stairs as I
started down them and I faltered over my step, nearly tripping
myself as his eyes widened before falling to the floor. Whatever my
face looked like, apparently told him more than I had meant for it
to and I forced myself down the last few steps and into the living
room where I piled my things on the loveseat. I was the shortest,
so I’d sleep there, but as I went to sit down, Austin was suddenly
sitting beside me and I realized Jason wasn’t in the room.
    “You’re a very smart girl, Arianna…” he
started quietly as I actually settled onto the loveseat and let my
eyes shift to his fidgeting hands, “You’re great with puzzles, too;
which I guess is what all of these little things could add up to….”
He paused and took a deep breath before looking so intently at me
that I had to look up into his bright blue eyes, “Just because you
know how I feel about you, doesn’t mean you have to change
anything. I don’t expect you to feel the same, and I will be your
brother as long as you’ll have me.”
    “You wouldn’t even let me have a date to
prom,” I whispered, it seemed silly then, but true, “You didn’t
keep guys away from me… because you were being an overprotective
big brother… you kept guys away from me… because you didn’t want to
share my time with anyone… but you’re the one… who put the space
between us.”
    “It was much needed space, I assure you… or
I wouldn’t have put it there… you and Jason are going to have to
figure things out for yourselves… I did what I felt I needed to do,
and I won’t regret it,” he continued softly, “Not that….” He sighed
and shook his head, “I regret some other things I did… but not
that….”
    “I don’t know how to react, Austin… besides
the fact that everything makes a lot more sense now…” I mumbled
while he reached out and lightly tucked my hair behind my ear and
my eyes flickered to the floor before looking at him again, “Like
the way you find little ways to touch me… like tucking my hair
behind my ear….”
    “Would you two just kiss again already?”
Jason blurted with a hint of anger in his tone while he loudly
plopped a large bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and a few
canned drinks, two of each of our favorites, I noted. “Even I know
you love her, Austin… but I’ve known that