Megan Hart - Switch

the games he'd already played and the tickets he'd earned.

With fresh ears to bombard, he turned to Austin as though

he'd last seen him yesterday instead of more than three

years ago. I shook my head and laughed as I finished my

slice. Tyler had been just a bit older than Arty when Austin

and I split up, and even while we were together, my dad's

boys hadn't spent much time with us. Yet both of them had

gravitated toward him the same way Arty did. Austin, an

only child, had been a good big brother.

I rarely spent time regretting our divorce, but watching

Austin with the boys guilt flashed over me. There were

other women to replace me, but his relationship with my

younger half siblings had been taken from him, too. His

glance caught me looking, but I didn't look away.

When the boys went back to the arcade, Austin convinced

me to put away my magazines and join him in playing

Skee-Bal. He was better than me, racking up the points

while tickets flooded from the slot. I didn't get as many

points, but I had fun trying. When I tossed my last wooden

bal and managed to get it in the ten-point hole, I turned

with a whoop to find him staring at me.

"What?" I said, self-conscious about pizza-sauce stains on my face.

"What's going on with you?"

My phone buzzed and I took it out. "Nothing," I said as I

flipped it open to read the message.

Done with the movie. Ate ice cream. Considering reading

but not sure what. Thinking of getting into bed. So far,

very dul night. Sorry.

I pushed my phone deep into my pocket and bent to tear

off my tickets. "It's getting late. I need to get the boys

home. Let's go cash these in."

Austin stopped me with a hand on my elbow. "Paige."

Around us the noise level never fel below earsplitting, but

I heard him clearly. I raised an eyebrow and looked at his

hand. He took it away.

"Can we talk?"

I searched the crowd for the boys. "It's late, Austin. I

should have the boys back before my dad and Stela get

should have the boys back before my dad and Stela get

home. I didn't leave a note or anything and they'l be

worried."

"I could come with you."

I'd been half turned from him, but now I gave him my ful

attention. "To my dad's house? Are you nuts?"

For a man who'd been underinvolved in my life, my dad

had been furious with Austin when he'd learned we were

splitting. A lot of that was because of me. I hadn't told my

dad the whole story. Hadn't told anyone, realy, just let

them make their own assumptions. My mom was the only

one who'd seen through my silence and guessed the truth.

Not that I felt judged by it. She'd never mentioned it. I just

knew she knew.

"Your old man stil got it in for me?"

"He's not a fan. Jeremy! Tyler! Let's go!"

Tyler ran toward me with his tickets trailing behind him

from his hand. Jeremy folowed with his fisted tight. Before

they could say a word I tore my string of tickets in half and

handed each a section.

handed each a section.

"Go get your prizes and shake your moneymakers. I have

to get you home before your mom and dad."

"Here. Take these, too." Austin gave them each half of his tickets, too.

They knew a good thing when they had it and ran off

before I could change my mind. I turned to Austin. "You

didn't have to do that."

"What am I going to do with a bunch of junky prizes?" He

shrugged. "They're kids."

"It was nice." I sounded grudging, and he shot me a grin.

"I can be nice." I roled my eyes. "Goodbye, Austin."

"I can't come with?"

"To my dad's house, no." I held up a hand. "And no, not later, either."

His glance fel to my pocket. "You have a boyfriend now,

or what?"

Nothing happened to the noise around us, but silence stil

Nothing happened to the noise around us, but silence stil

fel over me. I opened my mouth to reply. Nothing came

out. I tried to think of what to say, but my mind stayed

blank.

"You can tel me if you do." Austin's eyes didn't make me

believe his words.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Austin. Jesus. Is it any of your

business?"

I'd always been able to turn around his accusations, but he

wasn't having it this time. His blue-eyed gaze pinned me in

place as easily as his hands on my wrists had done more

than once. He shrugged.

"Or is it just another fuck buddy?" He paused, slim golden brows furrowing.

"No," I said coldly. "And watch your mouth. There are kids around."

Austin's gaze traveled up and down my body before

settling on my face. I couldn't tel from his expression what

he thought. I didn't have to guess, though, because he told

me.

me.

"You've changed, Paige. A lot."

"People change."

He leveled me with a steady look. "Yeah. They do."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Chapter 24

"Austin!"

Heads turned. He stopped. He waited until I caught up to

him, which was more than I'd expected. Maybe more than

I deserved.

"Why do you care?"

It wasn't the question I meant to ask, but I wasn't realy

sure what I'd meant to ask. I clamped my mouth shut on

other words, softer ones. I bit my tongue until I tasted

blood.

"Why don't you?"

"I care," I said in a low voice, conscious we were

surrounded by a hundred pairs of eyes.

"Paige! Can I go play—"

I cut Tyler off by jamming my hand into my pocket and

puling out a palmful of coins. "Go. You and Jeremy go.

Don't leave this building."

"Wow." Tyler took the coins from my hand and looked

from me to Austin. "Thanks, Paige!"

"You're good to them," Austin said when Tyler had gone.

"That's me. Sister of the year." I led the way out the glass front doors to the concrete outside. I wished for a coat,

though my chil came from deep inside and not even an

Eskimo parka would have helped.

We stared at each other until I looked away.

"What do you want from me?"

There wasn't anything wrong with Austin's question, but it

made my stomach twist and turn. "I don't want anything

from you. That's the point. Isn't it?"

"Jesus, Paige!" The doors opened and a mother holding

two kids by the hand pushed her way through. Austin

stepped aside to let her pass and we waited until she'd

halfway crossed the parking lot before he spoke again.

"Why not? Why the fuck not?"

"I don't know!" Again, not what I thought I meant to say

but once the words came out I had no others.

but once the words came out I had no others.

He stepped closer to me. Taler. Broader. I couldn't

decide if I was intimidated or turned on.

"What wil it take to convince you I'm different?"

"What wil it take to convince you I'm not?"

We weren't shouting, but my throat hurt as much as if I'd

screamed. Austin's face worked. He stepped closer stil.

"What do you want? Do you want me to jump through

hoops? Is that it? Is that what you want?" He studied my

face and must have seen something in it, because al at

once his shoulders slumped. "What kind of man does

that?"

Helplessly, I thought of Eric and the mingled heat of

shame, fury and desire mingled with despair. "Some men

would."

Austin tossed his hands in the air and made a noise that

had a depth of meaning, even without words. This time,

when he walked away, I watched him go and I didn't cal

him back.

him back.

The car ride back to my dad's was quieter, thank God, as