still around my waist from Jason’s arm. I
sighed and took a deep breath before heading downstairs and
following Austin to his new car in the garage.
We didn’t talk much on the way to the police
department, I was too nervous about having to give a deposition,
and going through whatever hospital inspection I would have to go
through; but I was curious why Austin was being so quiet and
finally had to ask.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind, I’m sorry,” he
answered quietly, briefly darting his blue gaze to me, “I know it’s not right to ask of you… but do you ever think
you’ll stop seeing me as your brother?”
See Austin as just another guy… could I
do that? I didn’t know, couldn’t know, couldn’t imagine him not
being around. I eventually shrugged when I realized the silence had
stretched on for a long moment.
“Nobody here has to know you’re my sister…”
he murmured and I barely heard him as he pulled up at the station,
“But you’ve got to be careful with Jason, Anna… He really likes
you… and you’re aware that he’s not actually related to you.”
“You’re blowing things out of proportion,” I
argued, taking a few deep breaths to prepare myself for what I was
about to do. Just as I reached for the door handle, though, Austin
leaned over and pulled me back to him, softly kissing my lips.
“No, I’m not,” he rebutted, my breath
catching in my throat, “Sorry… I don’t really mean to keep doing
that… We should get inside.”
I jumped out of the car before he could say
anything else and was halfway to the front doors before he caught
up to me and walked in at my side. He didn’t say anything else, or
do anything else until we got to the front desk and the young woman
behind the counter smiled up at him.
“Wow! Look at you, Austin Gray! You’ve grown
up a lot!” she greeted cheerfully and I noticed the soft wrinkles
around her eyes when she smiled.
“Yeah, I just graduated high school. Arianna
has a meeting with Detective Gaines,” Austin prompted and the
woman’s gaze fell down to me with a soft smile in her brown
eyes.
“Sure, I’ll let her know you’re here. You
can wait for her in interview room two,” she responded, looking
back at Austin, “Do you remember the way?” Austin nodded and took
hold of my wrist as he started down a side hall.
He led me into a room that I was thankful
didn’t resemble the ones on t.v. with the gray walls and two-way
mirror. This one looked more like a regular office room with a
large oak table and cushioned chairs around it and actual windows
that looked out on the parking lot. I fell into one of the chairs
and Austin sat beside me before I looked at him wide-eyed.
“You can’t stay,” I stated in a breath, the
thought of him hearing utterly terrified me, “I can’t tell her with
you in here….”
He stared back at me for a long moment
before nodding. “I’ll leave when you get to that part then…” he
conceded, smiling faintly, “When we leave, we’ll go by the ice
cream shop.”
“Are you trying to bribe me?” I goaded and
he chuckled and shrugged, “I can’t have you in here, Austin… I’m
sorry… but ice cream would be really nice….”
“I know,” he laughed, gently grabbing my
hand and squeezing it, “I know you love ice cream when you’re
upset… I know a lot about you, Arianna….”
Just then the door opened and a middle-aged
woman walked in, her graying brown hair pulled back into a sharp
bun and her eyes only briefly passing over Austin before landing on
me. She had great emotional control, I couldn’t read her at
all.
“Arianna Gray?” she asked and I barely
nodded, “I’m Detective Gaines, you can call me Mary. Detective…”
she paused and almost laughed, “Your Dad asked me to talk to you
today… did you want your brother to stay or go?”
I shot Austin a look and he took a breath
before standing up and letting go of my hand at the same time.
“She said she’d be more
sighed and took a deep breath before heading downstairs and
following Austin to his new car in the garage.
We didn’t talk much on the way to the police
department, I was too nervous about having to give a deposition,
and going through whatever hospital inspection I would have to go
through; but I was curious why Austin was being so quiet and
finally had to ask.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind, I’m sorry,” he
answered quietly, briefly darting his blue gaze to me, “I know it’s not right to ask of you… but do you ever think
you’ll stop seeing me as your brother?”
See Austin as just another guy… could I
do that? I didn’t know, couldn’t know, couldn’t imagine him not
being around. I eventually shrugged when I realized the silence had
stretched on for a long moment.
“Nobody here has to know you’re my sister…”
he murmured and I barely heard him as he pulled up at the station,
“But you’ve got to be careful with Jason, Anna… He really likes
you… and you’re aware that he’s not actually related to you.”
“You’re blowing things out of proportion,” I
argued, taking a few deep breaths to prepare myself for what I was
about to do. Just as I reached for the door handle, though, Austin
leaned over and pulled me back to him, softly kissing my lips.
“No, I’m not,” he rebutted, my breath
catching in my throat, “Sorry… I don’t really mean to keep doing
that… We should get inside.”
I jumped out of the car before he could say
anything else and was halfway to the front doors before he caught
up to me and walked in at my side. He didn’t say anything else, or
do anything else until we got to the front desk and the young woman
behind the counter smiled up at him.
“Wow! Look at you, Austin Gray! You’ve grown
up a lot!” she greeted cheerfully and I noticed the soft wrinkles
around her eyes when she smiled.
“Yeah, I just graduated high school. Arianna
has a meeting with Detective Gaines,” Austin prompted and the
woman’s gaze fell down to me with a soft smile in her brown
eyes.
“Sure, I’ll let her know you’re here. You
can wait for her in interview room two,” she responded, looking
back at Austin, “Do you remember the way?” Austin nodded and took
hold of my wrist as he started down a side hall.
He led me into a room that I was thankful
didn’t resemble the ones on t.v. with the gray walls and two-way
mirror. This one looked more like a regular office room with a
large oak table and cushioned chairs around it and actual windows
that looked out on the parking lot. I fell into one of the chairs
and Austin sat beside me before I looked at him wide-eyed.
“You can’t stay,” I stated in a breath, the
thought of him hearing utterly terrified me, “I can’t tell her with
you in here….”
He stared back at me for a long moment
before nodding. “I’ll leave when you get to that part then…” he
conceded, smiling faintly, “When we leave, we’ll go by the ice
cream shop.”
“Are you trying to bribe me?” I goaded and
he chuckled and shrugged, “I can’t have you in here, Austin… I’m
sorry… but ice cream would be really nice….”
“I know,” he laughed, gently grabbing my
hand and squeezing it, “I know you love ice cream when you’re
upset… I know a lot about you, Arianna….”
Just then the door opened and a middle-aged
woman walked in, her graying brown hair pulled back into a sharp
bun and her eyes only briefly passing over Austin before landing on
me. She had great emotional control, I couldn’t read her at
all.
“Arianna Gray?” she asked and I barely
nodded, “I’m Detective Gaines, you can call me Mary. Detective…”
she paused and almost laughed, “Your Dad asked me to talk to you
today… did you want your brother to stay or go?”
I shot Austin a look and he took a breath
before standing up and letting go of my hand at the same time.
“She said she’d be more
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