Page 90 of Lost In Kakadu

“It’s more than that. It gave us a meal when we didn’t catch anything. Now it’s gone and we have no fallback.”

“We still have the beans.”

He unzipped the food case. “Eight cans. That’s it. Then nothing.”

“But you’re good at hunting now.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t crucial before. Now it is. Do you understand? If I miss a target, we’ll starve.”

She shrugged. “So, what’re you suggesting?”

He stared at her. “It’s time for us to start planning a way out of here.”

Her shoulders slumped. “But … I like it here.”

Her sodden hair sat flat and lifeless, her pale pink lips tinged blue, and she hugged herself as she shivered. He opened his arms and she fell into his embrace. “Do you like it here, or do you like who you’ve become here?” He chose his words carefully.

She stepped out of his arms and looked at him. Her bottom lip quivered.

“What are you afraid of, Abi?”

She glanced at the sky, hugging her chest. “I’m afraid … of losing you.” Her voice wavered, on the verge of tears. “For the first time in my life, I think I’m in love, but I’m confused and scared. I wonder if I’ve mistaken real friendship for love. I’m scared because at the moment you’re trapped here with me, but the second we get home, you’ll look back and wonder what the hell you were doing. And I’m confused because you’re gay, but we just had the most mindboggling sexual experience I’ve ever had.”

She paused and lifted her eyes to him. “Say something!”

“I’m so glad you said that … because I’m also confused. Eight months ago, you couldn’t even look me in the eye. But now … I findyou fascinating. You’re confident and funny and you’ve changed into this amazing woman who I want to be with. I was worried you’d abandon me.”

She made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “Let’s not go back then.”

“Wait.” Mackenzie held up a hand. “I want to say something else. I need to be honest. I’m not ashamed of my life. As I told you before I’m not gay. I’ve always been attracted to both men and women. I chose to live a monogamous life with a man I loved. But I’ve always been bisexual. Do you understand that? Can you accept it?” He braced for the answer. What he was asking her to accept was difficult for most people, especially someone you loved. It was important for her to accept him as he was. He couldn’t change the past.

The pupils in her eyes were swollen but the surrounding green iris still radiated. “I think so. I want to understand it. I want to understand everything about you.”

It was the answer he’d been hoping for, and the corner of his mouth curled into a half-smile. “Okay then.” He tugged her to his chest. “But we can’t live like this anymore, Abi. We need to find a way out.”

“Well, once we’re safe, let’s change our names. God, it’s not like anyone will recognise me.”

Mackenzie stepped back. His heart sank, his suspicions alert. “Are you embarrassed to tell your friends about me? Is that it?”

She frowned. “I don’t care about them. Truth is they were never really my friends. Most of them just wanted to be near Spencer.”

“You really think that?”

“I know that. I know both Rachel and Helen were his regular sex partners and I suspect his personal assistant, Tina, sleeps with him … slept with him, too. But none of that matters any more. I don’t need to worry about them sniggering behind my back.”

“There’ll be even more sniggers if you walk home with me.”

“If. What do you mean if? Wearewalking home. Together. And they’re all going to be so jealous. I found my Tarzan and I’m not letting you go.”

He laughed aloud and as she joined in, he hugged her to his chest smelling her rain-soaked hair. “Come on.” He clutched her hand. “Let’ssee if we can get this fire going or we’re in for one hell of a cold and dark night.”

On his hands and knees, Mackenzie struggled to light the fire with the camera lens and the remnants of the setting sun. The sodden twigs made it impossible. Mackenzie sighed. “Not much chance of a fire tonight.”

“Unless …” Abi raised one eyebrow at him.

“Unless what?”

“Marijuana burns.”

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