Page 121 of No Strings
THREE MONTHS LATER - CHRISTMAS
“Do we tell him?” I ask Rhys.
I think we should, but he keeps saying no.
“Fuck no, and we’re not sure it’s her.”
I turn to face him. “Oh, Rhys please, it was her.”
“Do not tell him.”
I cross my arms over my chest and turn back to face the gate. “Fine.”
I watch as my brother exits the gate of the airport and walks towards us. Quickly, I relax my arms and plaster a genuine happy smile onto my face.
“God, I missed you.” He wraps me in his embrace, squeezing me.
“Shane.. Too tight.” I wheeze out, tapping his back and he lets me go.
When he sees Rhys, he deadpans. “Oh, and you’re here.”
“Jeez, nice to see you too mate.” Rhys turns away and walks towards the baggage claim.
“I am not doing this. You two need to kiss and make up already.”
They both ignore me and keep walking. Great.
When Rhys and I finally arrived in Ridgewood Downs, I didn’t think we were going to make it. The ‘car that wasn’t going to break down’, broke down five times. Five. Times. But we made it in the end. We went straight to the property; it’s huge and I love the house on it. A federation home with a wraparound veranda, and two cottages on the property. Rhys said he’ll turn one into farm hand quarters for when he’s ready to get some and the other we’ll do up for when we have guests.
Because we broke down so much the truck beat us here. They just unhitched the trailer allowing us to unpack it. I was surprised to see the table from Rhys’s house on the station sitting in the middle of the kitchen here.
“Those marks there, left by your nails, because of what I did to you, to your body, makes this very much my fucking table.” Is what I got told when I asked why.
But that’s not all that was waiting to surprise me. Rhys managed to get the poddy calf, Buttons, down. The way I squealed. I didn’t let him near me until he promised Buttons was a pet and not food. Didn’t take long to convince him.
Esky loves it here too. Getting to play during the day and cuddle up with us at the end. There’s a fireplace that I can’t wait to light in the winter, which is still a minimum four months away. Rhys said the summer’s last longer here.
“So, how is everything over on your side?” I awkwardly ask the painfully silent car.
“Same, same. Everything is kind of settling down. But a small town just means the drama is never ending. Mum saidshe misses you; Dad just downed his beer. You know how it goes.”
Yeah, I do. And what was I going to say to them? I didn’t tell them I was leaving. I barely heard from them when I was in Sydney and not one message or a call while I was up north. So, I didn’t think they cared all too much.
“Your sister—” Shane starts but Rhys cuts him off.
“Half-sister, and I don’t want to hear it.”
Rhys told me about the run in he had with Reid, his stepbrother, and he sounds like he’s more than ready to close that chapter forever.
Two long hours later, we’re finally approaching the property.
I waste no time showing Shane inside, where he is met with everyone.
“You remember Brent and Molly?” Shane nods and shakes Brent’s hand. “And this is Tia, Molly’s teacher and nanny.”
Shane greets Tia with a head nod and a quick hi. Brent watches him closely when he gets close to her, almost like he is ready to pounce if he were to simply touch her. The more I think about it, Brent has been watching Tia a lot. I might have to talk to Dani about that.
“And Beau and Davis.” Who are at opposite ends of the lounge room. They’re off again. Shane just raises a hand in a hello gesture.
