“The car’s out front,” he said, guiding me outside and my hope evaporated like steam.
It wasn’t until the quiet of the ride, my body curled into his, that I was again reminded there wouldn’t be many more chances to hold each other. The internship, working together, sharing a living space and seeing him every single day wasn’t for much longer and the thought I’d almost had it all was floating on the periphery.
I never wanted for much in this life. Never went without,other than the tiny embers of loneliness which were starting to make themselves known with every new lap around the sun. And the irony wasn’t lost on me that in the confines of this car - in this very moment - everything I’d ever needed was right here - close enough to touch - but never close enough to keep.
“This is intimidating,” I confessed. “I do not belong here.” Even saying that aloud made my skin crawl, because it meant I believed their words. I was allowing their misguided opinions to penetrate an armour they had no right to be near.
“Babes, you are without a doubt, the most beautiful woman here. Well, equal with us, of course,” Arna grinned, halting a waiter and handing each of us a glass of champagne as if she’d been in this very backyard with these same people hundreds of times. “Fake it ‘til you make it!”
“Beauty doesn’t mean anything with these people,” I gritted.
“Beauty iseverythingto these people,” a familiar voice said from behind. Spinning, I turned to find Samantha, breathtaking in a full-length strapless dress.
“Hi,” I said, before introducing her to Marlee and Arna. “You look stunning.” Samantha was effortlessly gorgeous. Long blonde hair cascading in soft, perfectly styled waves. The royal blue of her dress highlighting the flawless perfection of her pale complexion. There was something undeniably lovely about her and I knew for certain she definitely wouldn’t eat with her mouth open at the table. The perfect companion for Cooper, I thought.
“Just fulfilling my duties for a few hours before I can replace these heels with something more comfortable,” she said with a wink, and I smiled knowingly. Perhaps we did have some things in common. She’d made it very clear she wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship with Coop, regardless of what both of their parents said, and that was enough for me to welcomeher into our little gathering, knowing it would also infuriate Portia and Preston to see us together.
“Now we have another ally, can we please go and get drunk and eat some canapés,” Arna grinned. “I also want to bid on that First Edition of Cloudstreet by Tim Winton,” she pointed towards the silent auction.
“The what?” Marlee asked.
“Can you turn the football off and read a book?” Arna replied with an exaggerated eye roll.
“How about I make bids under some fake names and then throw food into the fountain, instead? While your brother is distracted, of course,” she added to me as Samantha and I both laughed.
“I would love to do all of those things,” I giggled. The air was thick tonight and while I hoped it was because I was surrounded by a significant number of people I didn’t know, I couldn’t stop the unease from rolling over me.
The boys were off in search of something other than wine, but I wished Cooper was here with me. I hated this feeling of uncertainty, memories of being in the house of people who dismissed me based on my upbringing alone. The pinched smiles they wore, as if my presence was an inconvenience and I wasn’t worthy of being on their son’s arm, were pathetic. Thankfully, Cooper had barely even spoken to them, saying hello before ushering me away, and I wasn’t sure if he was protecting me or himself.
With tonight being one of the last times we would need to fake our relationship, I wanted him near me. I wanted to have a reason to hold his hand, to bask in the warmth of his arm around my waist while I still could.
His presence would also calm me, I thought, only when Seb and Andy returned a short while later it was without him. He’d asked me not to leave him tonight, knowing how much his parents got under his skin, so I was confused.
“Where’s Coop?” I asked.
“I think he was talking to his mum.” Andy answered, pulling Arna in for a hug.
I felt instant unease.
She was the lesser of two evils, but that didn’t stop her from pressing down on him and I needed to see for myself he was good.
“I’m just going to find a bathroom,” I said, excusing myself from the group on a mission to find myfiancé, to make sure he was okay.
When I stepped inside, it was much quieter, the acoustic music from outside dulled. Listening out for that whiskey-soaked murmur, I wandered down towards the bathroom.
The distinct sound of Preston’s voice halted me before I reached my destination and I stilled at the sound of my name, my eavesdropping skills instantly activated. Thoughts of another overheard conversation in this very hallway, begged me to retreat but my gut urged me to stay.
“Has she been to The Cellar?” It was a one-sided conversation, his counterpart on the other end of a phone, I assumed. “That bitch needs to mind her own business,” the acidity in his tone sent worry sweeping through me.
“I don’t know what Cooper sees in her.” I slowed my breathing, hoping like hell that no one came around the corner and caught me glued to the wall like some spider monkey while Preston clarified exactly who ‘she’ was when he said how he expected nothing less from a fatherless bitch from Moorway. My blood simmered. As if him being present for his son was better than my absent so-called father. It was silent for the longest time, and I wondered if he’d ended the call, if I needed to get out of here before someone caught me, only I couldn’t move. The anger and disgust were coiling in my stomach, urging me to react.
“Just get him down there tonight, Marcus. What the fuck do I pay you for?” My intake of breath was audible in the otherwise quiet hallway. He was paying Marcus… my mind was frantically trying to catch up, pieces of a puzzle desperately reaching for each other as I connected his words with what I knew.
“You better make sure Grant denies everything and get rid of the new barrels immediately or you’re both fucked.”
The distinct sound of a phone hitting the table whipped me back to the present. I knew he was a piece of shit, I just didn’t realise how intricate the web was. He knew about The Cellar which meant he definitely knew Cooper fought there and it was now clear he knew what I’d uncovered at Golden Spades because he was part of it all. The layers of deception all leading back to one person. Someone far closer than Cooper ever could have realised. And my heart ached at the thought of him discovering the depth of the betrayal. Acting on energy I didn’t realise existed, I entered the open doorway and Preston’s piercing gaze darted to me. Standing on the other side of a desk in what appeared to be a home office, his eyes narrowed in my direction as he threw back the rest of his drink.
I couldn’t believe I once thought he and Cooper looked similar. They shared the same sandy-coloured hair and blue eyes, but the likeness ended there. Despite their similar colouring, the man before me held a level of duplicity that made him loathsome.
