Page 67 of Marley
“You’re such a brown nose, McCarthy,” I told him.
“What?” He replied. “She is perfect. Too skinny, but always perfect in my eyes.”
“You’re such a wanker.” I said.
Suddenly flashes were going off and Georgia was almost pushed over.
I heard a “Fuck off,” being yelled from Maca and an “Oh shit,” from Len, who had waited inside for Jim to use the bathroom.
I grabbed a hold of George and tucked her under my arm as the cameras flashed all around us as reporters screamed out questions.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Are you going home with both the boys?”
“Are you the latest piece of meat in a Marley and Maca sandwich?”
Cheeky fuckers.
I wanted to knock the bitch that asked that last question flat on her arse, but I didn’t hit women, even arseholes like her. I wanted to scream at all of them that she was my little sister, but there was no way I was giving up that piece of information.
“Keep your head down, and don’t say a word,” I said into her temple, not sure if she could hear me above all of the commotion going on around us. I kissed the top of her head in reassurance as I could feel her entire body shaking as I held her.
Maca unlocked his car from behind me and I shoved my sister into the passenger seat.
“Keep your head down,” I told her again before running back to help Maca, Len, and Jimmie out. They were surrounded by a bunch of screaming girls, as well as the journalists and photographers.
“Get the fuck outta here,” I told Maca. “I’ll go with these guys. You’re probably better off staying at G’s.”
He moved away from Jimmie’s side and I replaced him in protecting her from the pushing and shoving.
We’d given Milo the night off, convinced we’d be fine just nipping out to our local Indian restaurant with our family, but it was a lesson learned. It was no longer possible for us to nip anywhere and it dawned on me that Georgia had just had a rude awakening to what our lives were like these days, and I wondered how she’d deal with the press intrusion. Once they found out her and Maca were back together, her life would change considerably.
George rang me Saturday afternoon while I was still at my brother’s place to invite me to a party at my dad’s club that night. It was for a mate of hers and Jimmie’s, and Len and Maca were both going, I said that I was up for it too. Everything felt right with my world, except I was still the odd one out, still the single one.
When Maca came to pick me up later, I knew something was up with him straight away. He was quiet the entire drive back to our place.
“What do you know about her and this bloke she’s been seeing?” He asked, sitting down on the sofa as soon as we were in the door.
I took off my jacket and hung it on the back of a bar stool, before sitting on the sofa opposite him.
“I don’t know anything. Jim and Len mentioned that she was seeing someone a few months back, but that’s all I know. She’s never mentioned him to me.” I told him honestly.
I didn’t know anything about my sister’s relationship, other than it was Cameron King that she was seeing. His family had a bit of a reputation around our way. They were the type that you didn’t mess with. A bit like my family, I suppose, although I had never been a part of that life. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that my dad, uncle, and brother had earned themselves a name as the type of businessmen you didn’t ever want to upset, but that’s all I would say on that subject.
That hadn’t been Maca’s question though. He’d asked about my sister’s relationship, not who it was with. I should’ve stepped up and told him exactly who it was my sister was seeing, but I’d decided that I was staying the fuck out of their shit. If there were any revelations to be made, they could be the ones going ‘Ta da,’ not me. I was staying the fuck away from anything that might cause trouble in paradise. I’d learned my lesson, well and truly.
“She’s been seeing him for a while then?”
“A few months Mac. That’s all I know.”
“Is she fucking him?”
“What the fuck? I don’t know. I don’t wanna know and if you do, then you best have that conversation with my sister.” I told him. She’s twenty-years-old. They’d been seeing each other a while, so of course they were fucking. But like I said, I’m staying the fuck outta dodge.
He threw himself back against the sofa, letting out a long sigh and looking up at the ceiling.
“Maca, if this is gonna be an issue for you, then you need to either deal with it or move the fuck along. I’m not gonna sit back and let you break my sister’s heart and then watch you fall apart with guilt all over again.”
