and the DJ standing on a smal platform with a microphone
in his hand was now announcing some sort of contest. The
line in front of me was moving faster than I'd expected and
I placed my order and walked away with a paper plate of
hot fried dough covered in powdered sugar before the DJ
was even done drawing a winner.
At first look they were just another couple, she in tottery
heels better suited to a pinup-model calendar than a strol
along the river, and him in faded, baggy jeans and a T-shirt
that showed off the muscles in his arms. The reddish
sunlight turned his blond hair auburn, and I blamed that as
the reason that I didn't recognize him at first, but the real
reason was that with another woman on his arm, Austin
had become a stranger.
She, on the other hand, recognized me right away and let
out a squeal that could have cracked a mirror. 'Paige!'
Kira. With Austin. My Austin? My teeth clenched,
grinding, in instant reaction, and I couldn't force a smile.
Our eyes met, his and mine, and while I don't know what
Our eyes met, his and mine, and while I don't know what
mine revealed, his showed me he didn't like what he saw.
His expression changed, and I recognized him again.
'Hi.' I kept my voice even when I looked at her.
She slid her hand down his bare arm, her fingertips
lingering on the inside of his wrist before diving down to
capture his fingers. Austin didn't pul away, but he didn't
tighten his grip, either. I noticed, and so did she, but Kira
was good at getting what she wanted. She curled her
fingers into his, instead.
'Are you here alone?' Acid didn't drip from her tone. She
sounded genuinely curious.
And who knows, maybe she was. We'd already
established high school was over and our rivalry should
have folowed suit. I'd fucked Jack once upon a time, and
now she was fucking Austin. Tit for tat, literaly. I
should've let it go.
'No. I'm here with a friend.' The way I said
Oh, I knew the tic of Austin's jaw, the slow narrowing of
his eyes. Kira might be fucking him, but she didn't know
his eyes. Kira might be fucking him, but she didn't know
him. Not the way I did.
She leaned into his arm, and I couldn't get a handle on if
she was being affectionate or cunty, if she was always that
way or if she was trying to work my nerves. I guessed the
latter.
'A boyfriend?' She pushed too hard.
Austin took his hand away to reach for my plate. He
grabbed off a hunk of now-cool funnel cake and ate it.
Powdered sugar coated his lips and he licked each finger
