Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
MORGAN
F or the rest of the day and night, Rhys and I openly ignore each other. We get looks from everyone, but no one questions it. Well, Beau does. “Lovers spat?”
Rhys smacks him up the side of the head and I add him to the list of people I’m ignoring. Ok so I’m playing hard and fast with the term ‘List’.
The next morning, before jobs are delegated out, Brent tells everyone that the last two jack-a-roo’s are arriving today. As soon as Brent utters those words, my warden, I mean Rhys, literally drags me to the buggy. I protest and naturally tell him to go fuck himself.
“One of the jack-a-roo’s arriving today—I don’t know him. So, I don’t trust him. So, you’re with me again.”
“I’m not a child.” I partially spit out.
“Then stop acting like one.”
When he turns his back to me, I flip him off. Which is probably making his point. He has taken this whole ‘must look after Morgan’ thing very seriously, and it’s pissing me off.
I only found Esky three days ago, and she already follows me everywhere.
Rhys rolls his eyes when I pick her up and put her in the buggy with me. I packed her a water bowl and extra water.
We’ve been out for half the day when the satellite phone rings.
“Yeah?” What a nice way to say hello. “Alright. We’re out by bubble-o-bill. Yeah. See ya.”
“Bubble-o-bill?” I question turning to look at him.
I watch as his eyes dart to me, “What?”
“As in the ice-cream?”
“Yeah.” He draws the word out almost making it sound like a question.
“Why?”
“Before my time here. You’ll have to ask Brent.”
I turn back to face the front.
“So does this mean you’re talking to me again?”
“Appears so.” I still look out the window though, watching as the mangroves change into gum trees.
“Morgan.”
“Rhys.” I look at him and he looks at me.
He opens his mouth to say something, but he hits a rock or something. The buggy jumps, and we hear the telltale signs of a flat tyre.
“Fuck.”
“That’s what you get for not looking where you’re driving.” I fold my hands over my chest and sit back in the seat, as he comes to a complete stop.
He pushes open the door. “Don’t fucking start.”
As soon as he is out, I lean over the centre to watch him kick the tyre while he lets out a string of curse words .
“I thought you were a cowboy, not a sailor?” I laugh at my stupid joke. He does not. I roll my eyes. “Just change it?”
“Wow, thank you for that sound advice, that never crossed my mind.”
He looks in the direction of where the spare isn’t. “How have I not noticed it wasn’t fucking there?” He points to where it should be. “Here, it should be right fucking here.”
“Are you sure you're cut out for living out here?”
He turns on me. “I have had enough of your smart mouth.”
I shrug and sit back down. Enough of my smart mouth? Fine. I won’t talk. Again.
Rhys then grabs the phone and calls someone, explaining what happened. I can hear the laughter before he ends the call.
I let Esky out and lean against the car while she wanders around. She’s stopping every few steps to check if I’m still there. The poor thing must have been a pet and then abandoned. My heart aches for her. But she has me now.
Rhys comes and leans next to me. “Look, I’m sorry I snapped.”
I turn to face him, and the shock must be plastered on my face because he asks “What?”
“You apologised.” He looks equally taken back and puzzled, “No it’s just, I’m not used to hearing that word”
“Your ex is a real cunt, you know.”
I trace where the bruises once lived.
“Hey.” He grabs my hand pulling it away from myself and stands in front of me.
Something passes through us. I find myself both wanting to kiss him and wanting to push him away.
My head is a mess, and I don’t want or need anyone.
He might be attractive, but he is also Shane’s best friend. And he's super annoying.
He licks his bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth, and my breath catches in my throat. He leans down as I lean up. It’s one kiss.
One kiss will be fine.
The hand that was holding my own let’s go and snakes around my back, holding me in place, while his free hand cups my flushed cheek. I lean into the touch, closing my eyes for a moment. Welcoming the feeling of a hand that has never been cruel to me.
When I open my eyes, I look right into his gaze.
Rhys and soft don’t go together, but there’s no other word to describe his expression.
A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips.
He closes the distance as my eyes softly close.
His lips lightly graze against mine causing me to part my lips ever so slightly to let out a small breath.
I lean forward wanting more, wanting him. That thought should sober me, not send my heart skipping over itself.
Rhys doesn’t leave me waiting; his lips claim mine. It is everything I didn’t expect. Soft and gentle. Like he’s savouring the moment. Like if he’s any rougher I might break.
I’m so used to having a kiss forced on me or not being kissed at all.
Rhys doesn’t deepen the kiss and when it ends, he doesn’t let me go.
He holds me closer. I let myself be held, I let myself feel.
But when we hear the approach of a car, we pull apart.
I keep my head down and push away my feelings.
I don’t want to risk seeing regret in his eyes.
“So, maybe you don’t hate me.”
“It’s more of a dislike.” I brave the chance to look up at him. He has a stupid crooked smirk on his face, which has me smiling at him.
Beau, of all fucking people rocks up. “Your knight in shining armour has arrived.”
I roll my eyes and walk away.
When we got back, Rhys and I go in different directions. I ended up finding Molly and we went to help Dani in the front store.
There’s Hayden, Jarrod, Nathan and Trent.
Trent is the ‘new’ one. He hasn’t worked here before. Staying mostly in the eastern states.
When the sun sets, taking its warmth with it, we all appear by the fire pit, which is quickly becoming our end of day routine.
Rhys and I haven’t spoken about the kiss—at all—and honestly, I’m happy he hasn’t mentioned it.
Maybe it’s best for the both of us if we don’t talk about it.
Maybe we just got caught up in a moment.
Esky is at my feet, snoring away. Everyone loves her, which I like to hold over Rhys’s head.
I met the guys helping out with this muster.
Hayden, Jarrod, and Nathan seem like cool guys.
They’ve all worked together before. Then there’s Trent.
He’s attractive in a conventional way, too bad for his personality.
He hasn’t left me alone. I entertained him at the start, not wanting to be rude, but the more he spoke, the more he seemed to invade my space. He is overly touchy, and speaks louder than everyone else. It makes me flinch and shrink into myself. He can't seem to read the room.
“Oh, what happened to your arm?” Only now noticing the gauze covering the wound.
“My hand slipped while I was helping service the cars with Davis the other day, and ended up with some stitches.” I shrug, not meaning to over-share, but when you have an ex like mine, it becomes second nature.
“Shit, a girl that knows how to use her hands? I like that.” The way he says that sends a chill down my spine.
And that’s enough for me tonight. I wonder why Rhys hasn’t stepped in, but I am my own person, and I don’t need him to protect me. Not to mention if he was to step in, I’d tell him to fuck off. Normally anyway. I notice Molly nodding off next to Dani, so I use that as an excuse to leave.
“Molly, do you want me to take you to bed?”
She looks up through one and a half-opened eyes. She nods but her head is heavy with sleep, so she kind of looks like a bobble head.
Brent thanks me and tells me he’ll be there soon.
“Goodnight, everyone.” I say and clasp my hand over Molly’s, Esky is up stretching and following. Before I leave, I catch Rhys looking at me over the flames of the fire, but he doesn’t say anything. Trent on the other hand.
“Yeah, see ya around.”
I ignore him and keep walking toward the house.
I help Molly get into her pyjamas and tuck her in. She is out like a light. I think I could break every item in this house, and she’d sleep through it.
Brent walks in as I’m walking out. “Is she asleep?”
“Fuck,” I grab my chest, “You scared me.” I laugh, but desperately ask my heart to slow down .
“Sorry, I’m going to have to wear a bell.” He laughs at his own Dad joke. I wonder if normal, non-alcoholic fathers are all like that?
I let him know that Molly is asleep, and make my way out.
Crossing the patch of grass from the homestead to Rhys’s place, I’ve walked this stretch plenty of times.
In the dark, and in the light of day, and I have never got a hinky feeling.
I try telling myself I’m still recovering from the stories the boys were telling me about Aboriginal folklore the other night around the fire.
Even as I try rationalising it, the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
And I feel like I’ve been catapulted back to two weeks ago, back to looking over my shoulder.
I start to walk faster, but I hear a whistle that has me stopping in my tracks. What was that creature, the mischievous one? A Mimi? That’s it. It’s just a Mimi. But then there’s a stick snapping and I know I’m not alone.
I get back to my quick pace. I need to get to light, and even better, my bed. As soon as I’m about to round the corner to get to the veranda of Rhys’s, a hand closes over my mouth. Everything in me freezes. From my mind to the blood in my veins.
He found me.
I’m dead.
“Don’t stress, poppet, it’s just me.” Trent the fucker, who has obviously watched Pirates of the Caribbean one to many times.
He releases me but I don’t move. My fight or flight has kicked in and it’s choosing utter panic. Great. Stepping around me so he’s facing me, he continues to step forward causing me to step backward until I’m pressed against the wall of the house .
Esky starts to bark at him as my heart rate spikes.
Trent places his hands either side of my head.
I feel trapped.
Please don’t let this be happening. My breathing starts to come in short fast bursts.
“You’re very pretty. Blonds are definitely my type.”
“I’m not a natural blonde.” I don’t know why that is what I say.
“So, the curtains don’t match the drapes? Noted.” He trails his nose up my neck. “You smell great.”
Bile rises in my throat. The thought of spitting it on him crosses my mind, but his possible retaliation stops me. So, I try to swallow it. Just like the scream that is trapped in my throat.
He wraps me in his arms, and he grinds his erection against my thigh. He hasn’t actually kissed me. Which is an odd thing to focus on, but I guess your mind focuses on trivial things.
“This fucking puppy.”
I didn’t notice Esky was still barking and growling at him. If my dingo can fight for me, I can fight for me.
I knee him in the balls. He yells out in pain but instead of freeing me like I thought he would, one of his hands clasps around my throat, once again pushing me into the wall of the house, while his other one cups his balls.
He bends over taking a few deep breaths, then like a man possessed he slowly turns his head to the side to look at me.
“You fucking cunt, you’re going to pay for that.
” He starts to squeeze my throat while standing and proceeding to undo his pants.
I guess I was right.
I’m dead.
Just not at the hands of the man I thought.