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friends had blatantly lied to him for the best part
of six years. “ Er , no thanks, Sunny. I think I best
be going now.”
    She didn’t have time to react as a few words were thrown between her brother
and Tyler. He left with a simple goodbye and she was more than a little
confused by the emotions coursing through her body.

 
    ***

 
    Later that night when the house was quiet, Austin broke down. She broke
down in the way that she had promised herself she wouldn’t do so. She was too
involved that she didn’t even realise the door was opening up and her brother
was fast tracking towards her to comfort her.
    “Hey,” he soothed as he rocked her slightly. “It’s okay.”
    “It’s not okay,” Austin admitted, “It’s not going to be okay.” She
pulled back from him momentarily. “I’m even ruining your life by being here.”
    “You don’t have to worry about me,” Tom battled back reassuringly.
“Believe me, I know our mom like the back of my hand and I’ll break her down
sooner or later.”
    Austin sniffed and wiped the back of her hand down her cheek, “But you
shouldn’t have to do that.”
    “I’m a big boy,” Tom fought her woes quickly. “Plus I wouldn’t be the
best big brother if I kicked you out on the street. That’s not my style and now
I have you back I really ain’t ready to let you go,
Aus.”
    Smiling a little at her brother she couldn’t help herself with
admitting the truth to him, “Why do I have to love him so much?”
    Tom smiled sadly at that admittance, “Simple,” he began to tell her and
wiped a tear away. “For the same reason he loves you so much.”
    Feeling her lip quiver, she dropped her gaze, “Will you just stay with
me?” she asked her brother, “ I feel so lonely.”
    He knew it wasn’t a jab at him, he knew she loved having him around and
appreciated his support that was evident in her asking him to stay with her.
For that reason, he accepted and got her to lie down and he pulled the sheets
over her before lying down on the bed. Neither said a word to the other, but
Tom pulled his little sister into his arms and allowed her to cry for a little
while.
    She needed to get this out and if this was it, then he would wait it
out. He would even do it every night until she climbed out from rock bottom.
    Going back to his bedroom almost two hours later once Austin was sleep,
Tom went over to his bedside table and pulled it open. Grabbing an old folded
piece of paper he slumped onto his mattress and opened it. He ran his finger
across it to straighten the creases out and sighed as he read for yet another
time.
    This was almost a religious act now. To sit and read the last real
letter that Austin had written. The letter he had kept a secret and which kept
his last promise to his little sister.
    Reading again, he knew that before long he would need to use it to
prove to this small minded town what had really happened to make Austin flee.
Tom knew it wouldn’t take too long to make Tyler realise that his precious new
girlfriend was the root of Austin’s demise. It also wouldn’t take long for
Tyler to understand what the final straw was that broke Austin’s back.
    For now, he was giving Austin the benefit of the doubt to build her
life back up.
    And if that meant making a new - ignorant of reality -
connection with Tyler then so be it he would allow it.
    For now anyway.

 
    Chapter Six

 
 
    YOU go to
San Francisco and the whole world follows,” Austin heard over her shoulder
making her jump.
    Turning she saw her brothers, along with Tyler and his sister too. She didn’t
know how to react to this sudden gang standing opposite her. She didn’t know if
she’d drank too much or not enough. Her mind and body
were working against her, not allowing her to flee or unleash some sarcastic
wit. She had fled Point Arena only days after her midnight breakdown just so
she could feel like she could breathe properly.
    “Just gonna sit there, Sunny, or