Page 86 of Chasing Blue
“You running away from the bloke who smacked ya? Need your big bro to fly down and kick his arse?”
“You gonna bust my chops about that as well?”
“Someone beat me to it from what I heard.”
“Why is it you all think I can’t fight?” I ask while putting on my seat belt.
“Probably because none ofushave ever been put on our arse.”
“The bloke was fucking hiding. He hit me side on, I didn’t even see him coming, none of us did. By the time I’d pulled Blue behind me, I had no time to react. Shann was there, ask him, he didn’t even see him.” I can hear my voice getting higher in defensive indignation as I talk. Despite knowing he’s only saying it to get a rise out of me, I still feel the need to defend myself.
“Calm your farm, mate. I’m only pulling your pisser. Shann said what happened. He also mentioned he fucked him up pretty bad.”
“Which could now be problematic as his family have connections in the force, they’re talking about bringing counter charges against Shann. I think it’s that threat and the strings that were pulled that got him bailed. Then as soon as they released him, he went straight to Scarlett’s showroom and smashed the place up.”
“Scarlett’s the chick this is all over, the redhead. Asher O’Brien’s little sister, right?”
“Yep,” I pop my lips on the P while staring out the windscreen.
“And you’ve been hooking up with her? Weren’t you seeing her back in the day?”
“It’s been more than a hookup, and yeah, I was, back in the day,” I reply, still not making eye contact.
“So, if that mother fucker’s running around on the tear down in Melbourne, why the fuck are you up here?”
Scratching at the stubble on my jaw, I finally turn to my brother and meet his dark eyes as they slice from the road to meet mine.
“Because Eden turned up at my place over the weekend. Wait, what day is it? I’ve lost fucking track.”
“I night, dude.” My brother looks quickly from the road back to me, brows pulled down into a tight frown. “You sure you’re okay after that punch?”
“Fuck off, and yes, I’m fine. Just let me finish.”
“So, Eden turned up at yours? What the fuck for?”
“Who the fuck knows, and if you just let me talk, you might understand why I have no fucking clue what day of the week it is.” I pause for a moment and stare into the side of Nate’s head before letting out a sigh and continuing to explain the events of the last forty-eight hours, ending with Scarlett’s mum’s car accident last night.
“That was Scarlett’s mum? I heard there was a bad accident on the old Wimbourne road, that someone wrapped their car around a tree and died,” Nate tells me.
“I don’t know the deets, just that her mum died, and she flew up here thinking I’d been feeding her a line of bullshit and getting back with Eden.”
“So, you thought it’d be a good idea to jump on a plane and follow her here?”
“Yeah?” I answer, using the same questioning tone.
“Dude, the girl’s just lost her mum. She’s not gonna want to deal with your bullshit too.”
I’m quiet for a minute as I consider that. “I wasn’t just gonna go . . .” I pause again because I have no fucking clue what I was going to do. Go straight to Asher’s bar and set things straight with Scarlett probably, but now Nate’s pointed out that’s not really appropriate, I need to have a rethink.
“Where you staying?” Nate asks, interrupting the mess inside my head.
“What? With you. Or do you not wanna deal with my bullshit either?” Despite trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, I know I sound like a dick. This is confirmed when Nate turns his narrow-eyed gaze to me, then slowly back to the road before shaking his head.
“How’s the ol’ man?” I ask.
“Excited to see you,” my brother replies.
When Nate split from his wife, he and my dad bought an old place with water frontage on the edge of town, moved in together, and have spent the past couple of years fixing it up. Despite the renovations being finished, they’ve made no moves to get the place sold. Both single, I think they enjoy each other’s company, not that either of them would ever admit it.
