Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
MORGAN
T he next few days pass in a drawn-out blur. It’s just the same boring, check if there are any new calves, make sure everything is in order with fences and troughs. I did help Beau bring the yards in from across the highway.
I get more time to draw. Even though I’m not showing anyone.
Rhys and I are either openly ignoring each other or openly teasing one another. No in-between. Not going to lie, I wouldn’t mind a round two. I know we shouldn’t, but the thought of sneaking into his room has crossed my mind a few times.
Sometime in the afternoon, the bus of tourists and backpackers arrive. I watch as they step off the stuffy bus. Dani’s there, ready to get them accommodation, and I’m sussing out the men. Because if Rhys is going to hook up, then why can’t I?
God, I think I just repulsed myself.
A soft voice asks for Brent. I turn to face her and look her over. She’s got long blonde curly hair, whisky coloured eyes that look into your soul and is probably a couple years older than me. I look up at Dani who is already looking at me and shrugs.
“I’ll go get him.” I tell her.
I don’t have to look hard because as I walk to the homestead, he’s walking out with a pissed off Molly behind him.
“Hey Brent, someone is here.”
“Yeah, thanks Morgan. That’s Tia Evans someone’s nanny slash teacher.” He nods his head to the side to show a frowning Molly.
I fall into step with her and hold her hand, I give it a small squeeze. “Hey, it won’t be so bad.”
“It might be.”
I’m still holding her hand when we meet Tia, who takes in our clasped hands and gasps, “Oh gosh! I am so sorry, I didn’t know you were involved when I saw you.”
I look to Molly, then to Brent and back to Tia and laugh. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you, it’s just, no.” I turn to Brent, “No offence, Brent, but you’re too old for me.”
“And you’re too young for me.” He turns his attention to Tia. “She’s staying with us for the near future.”
“Her and Re are going to fall in love.” Molly’s sweet, determined voice cuts in.
Brent and I both look down at her as if she just swore. “Ah yeah, no we’re not. He’s annoying.”
“And you’re defensive.” Dani, sounding like she knows something, adds in her two cents.
I glare at them all. Brent swallows his laughter, Molly just grins, and Dani dances her eyebrows. “I hate you all.”
“No, you don’t.”
I ignore that and bend down to talk to Molly. “When your Dad says you can, we’ll do some drawing, but only if Dad says it’s okay.” Emphasising the if Brent says it’s okay.
She nods, even as her smile falls. I’ve been teaching her to draw. One day she was in trouble for sneaking some chocolate and wasn’t allowed. Which I didn’t know, so when she came over to Rhys’s with paper and pencils in her hands, I didn’t think anything of it.
Tia just stands there, taking everything in. She seems out of place in her floor length skirt and blush tank top. At least she has the singlet right. But it is too hot up here for the skirt. Each to their own, I guess. She seems so innocent, the station will change that soon enough.
I leave them to it, and decide on a swim.
Once I’m changed, I make my way to the pool, Esky quick on my heels.
She sits at the gate, Brent said she’s not allowed in.
Her fur could block the pool pump or something.
I didn’t push the matter, and Esky seems content waiting at the gate.
When I get there, I notice there are some holiday goers already in. The men outnumbering the women.
I’m not sure if I’m comfortable around men I don’t know.
I turn to make my way back to Rhys’s, but I see him walking in this direction.
Boardshorts on, showing off his body, muscles and tattoos.
I can’t help when my gaze lowers to his crutch.
I know what’s there now. I know how dirty his mouth is. I know….
“Leaving so soon?”
I turn back to face the pool. “No, just got here actually.”
We enter together. The women eye him up and down, and I can’t help but roll my eyes, though I myself was just eye fucking him.
Once he throws a towel on one of the chairs, he dives in, making a show of the whole thing.
He doesn’t have to try hard to get a woman’s attention.
Just when he surfaces, I drop my towel, showing off my bikini.
He chokes on water, and I run my tongue over my teeth, trying to fight off the smile.
I feel like I won the game. The game that only I’m aware we were playing.
He isn’t the only one who is looking at me. I have the attention of a guy who isn’t unattractive. It’s a bit hard to ignore this bikini, that was kind of the point. Rhys says he hates it, but his gaze is the one I feel the most.
Slowly, I step into the pool adding more sway to my hips then is necessary. I don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it, but I fake a fall.
The attractive guy comes over and helps me. His touch doesn’t have me recoiling, but it also doesn’t feel right. I give him my best smile and bat my eyelids.
“Oh, thank you so much, I must have lost my footing.”
Rhys snorts and rolls his eyes at my theatrics.
“No thanks needed.” He has a slight accent, but the tone of his voice is off.
Just when I think about giving Rhys this hand, I hear a high-pitched laugh.
Looking over the guy’s shoulder, and see Rhys is chatting with both of the women.
And they are lapping it up. He subtly looks over his shoulder and I quickly school my features from disgust to boredom.
But the corner of his lips tips up in a smirk, and I know he saw me. Yeah, I can’t let him win.
Turning my attention back to the attractive guy, whose gaze is locked in on my chest, typical, I offer my hand in a handshake and say, “I’m Morgan.”
“William.” His gaze is now on my face.
We stay by the edge of the pool, floating and chatting for the next hour. He was born in England and has lived in Australia, Melbourne more preciously, since he was eleven. He has an older sister and a younger brother. He’s relocated to Burra Point for work.
Rhys and the girls are still chatting and flirting. Playing stupid pool games.
Every now and then I’ll look over, purely out of curiosity, and sometimes I’ll feel his gaze on me.
“So, Morgan, are you from up here?”
“No, I’m from a hole in the wall town in New South Wales”
“What brings you here, then?”
I don’t know how to answer that. But by the graces of the gods themselves, Beau and Davis walk into the pool area. Beau takes one look at Rhys, then me. “Are you two fucking serious?”
Okay so maybe not the graces of the Gods, graces of Hades? Beau then jumps in the pool. Davis, who is still wearing his bandage, just takes one of the lounges.
William looks at me in question, “What was that about?”
I shrug. “Couldn’t tell ya.” Feigning ignorance.
Beau pops up out of nowhere, and points to Rhys, then me, “These two have been on the verge of fucking for weeks, so now they’re flirting with other people to make each other jealous.”
“Beau!” Davis, Rhys and I shout at the same time.
Beau shrugs and gets out of the pool. Davis follows him, but not before saying, “Ignore him.”
Then they’re both gone.
The girls up and leave the pool. I suck on my lips, fighting the smile that wants to take over. But when Rhys looks at me with a mixture of disbelief and expectation, I assume he wants me to get rid of William, and I can no longer hold it back the smile takes over .
“So, are you two…?” He doesn’t finish the question. But anyone can assume the way it was going to end.
I laugh, “No, No we’re not. He’s my brother’s best friend.”
Rhys gets out of the pool, and waits at the gate for me. “Morgan.”
“No.”
He just snarls and walks off. I’m surprised he doesn’t put up much more of a fight. I decide not to dwell on it, and turn my attention to William.
Things turn awkward between William and me. So, I soon leave telling him I’ll see him when they light the fire.
Rhys isn’t at his place when I get back, or at the dining room for dinner. I shouldn’t but I somehow feel rejected. He isn’t mine; I remind myself. I was the one to say it won’t happen again, and then made it extremely clear it won’t be happening again.
When I get to the fire, relief settles over me when I see him with Beau and Davis. But that is short lived, because so is William. I mean, I wasn’t going to have sex with him, but I still worry about what they are saying, so I walk over to the group. “Hi.”
“Hey.” William replies.
“Princess.” Rhys grins at me. The fucker.
Beau rolls his eyes, and Davis just nods.
“Are you sure?—?”
I cut William off while glaring at Rhys. “I’m sure, he is just my brother’s best friend.”
Rhys frowns but then arches his eyebrow as a stupid cocky smirk takes over, “I don’t know Princess, for someone you keep saying is just your brother’s best friend, I sure as hell know how to make you fall apart. ”
My eyes grow wide.
He grins like the cat who caught his mouse, and it somehow grows when William just leaves.
“You asshole.”
“Whatever you say.” Then he, too, gets up and turns to leave.
Fuck this. I follow him. “Oi.”
He ignores me, continuing his way back to his place. I start to jog to catch up to him, and I do, I push his back, “I said Oi, asshole.”
Rhys just looks over his shoulder and says, “No, all you said was oi.”
“Oh, so you did hear me?”
He turns on me. He takes a step forward, but I stay where I am. He takes another one. I still don’t move. I know Rhys will never hurt me. When he is in my personal space, I’m forced to look up at him, and we're both breathing hard.
“What do you want from me?”
“Absolutely nothing, you’re the one causing scenes and storming off.”
His eyes dart all over my face, his breathing is laboured as if his holding himself back, “Do you have any idea how fucking annoying you are?”
He turns and walks the last few steps into the house.
I follow, and retort, “Not as annoying as you.”
“Do you have a response for everything?” He walks past the kitchen table, his fingers glide over the scratches I put there from the other night.
Not always but I get a kick out of annoying him, and that’s what responding to him does. “Yes.”