Will winces and gives me the side eye.
“Yeah. Right. As though I didn’t know about your little excursion. You could hear Dad yelling from two suburbs away.” I jab him in the ribs.
The blush on Josh’s cheeks goes from pink to deep red as he rolls his extraordinary, mismatched eyes. “Don’t remind me.”
“Water under the bridge now, Josh. And we’re all so happy to have you home. Ten years is too long to be away from family, son.” And when Dad says family, I know he means us. Not Josh’s biological family, who more or less left him to his own devices from a very young age.
“It is. But the experience I got in New York and London was incredible. I would never have landed this job without it.”
Since he isn’t looking at me, I have a chance to study Josh’s profile and take in the small changes ten years have wrought. Last time I saw him, he was still a boy, really. Now he’s a man. There’s a new sharpness to his jaw. And tiny lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes. He’s paler than he was as a teenager, and his wavy hair is darker, almost the colour of bitter chocolate, with a surprising scatter of silver hairs at his temple. It’s still long, pulled back in a messy bun, exposing a broad forehead and those perfect cheekbones.
If it weren’t for his short, scruffy beard and full soft lips, his face would be all hard planes and angles. But his eyes are his standout feature. His left eye is a beautiful warm, tawny amber, while the pupil of his right eye is half amber and half silvery-green. It looks as though the hands of a clock have stopped at two and eight, creating a slightly lopsided divide in the colours. Despite the disconcerting effect, both eyes are full of fierce intelligence and sharp wit, balanced occasionally with a hint of softness.
“I can’t believe you didn’t recognise Greer at the airport,” Will chips in.
“In my defence, she has changed quite a bit since I last saw her.” Josh shoots me a sideways glance.
This makes Mum laugh. “She was a late bloomer, that’s for sure.”
And I was. My love of ballet probably had something to do with it. Then I hit sixteen and seemingly overnight, I went from a skinny kid with a flat chest to a slightly less skinny kid with boobs. I’ll never be curvy, but I’m comfortable with my shape. And judging by Josh’s flirting in the airport, he seems to like it.
“Well, this is handy. Greer’s flat is right around the corner.” Dad pulls up outside the address Josh gave him, and we all pile out of the car into the soft morning sunshine.
“She’s not living at home?”
“She’sstanding right here, you know.” Being the ‘baby’ of the family, I’ve often been talked about rather than to, and it drives me nuts.
Josh has the good grace to look a little sheepish. “Sorry. You’re not living at home?”
“I bought a place at Kirribilli not long before I left for my internship.” And I can’t wait to get back into my own space and do some nesting. “Jess—you remember my friend Jess?—
was living there taking care of it while I was away.”
“That’s fantastic. I’m not looking forward to a serviced apartment, I have to say.” Josh manages to direct his eyes to somewhere over my shoulder rather than look me in the eye, which makes me smile.
“You know you’re always welcome to stay with us, Josh. It would do you good to have some home-cooked meals,” Mum fusses as he hefts his suitcase onto the pavement.
“I know, Mama C. And thanks for the offer. But I’ll be working crazy hours, and from here, the office is walking distance, which will make life easier.”
“Well, don’t be a stranger. In fact, if you’re not too jetlagged, why don’t you come for dinner tonight? Will can pick you up. Or Greer.” Yes. Thanks, Mum. Giving Josh a lift sounds perfect.
“That would be great. But I think I should probably get an early night. I start work tomorrow, and I want to be on point. No time for jetlag.”
I can’t say I’m not disappointed.
“Of course. If you change your mind, you know the door is always open.” My tiny mother barely reaches his shoulder, and Josh has to stoop to accept the fierce hug she gives him. “It’s good to have you home, darling boy.”
I catch Josh’s eye over Mum’s shoulder. His gaze flicks away quickly before he turns and wheels his suitcase off through the door of the building. We all pile back in the car, and I’m busy planning our next meeting and wondering whether I’m bold enough to make the first move, when Will interrupts my thoughts.
“You were on a plane with Josh and didn’t even know it, Gee. Shame. You could’ve had twenty hours to sit and stare at him like a creeper.” Will laughs as we settle into our seats. The whole family used to tease me about the crush they thought I had on Josh as a kid.
“Not that again. God you’re annoying. I didnothave a crush on Josh.” I smack Will in the stomach with the back of my hand. Hard. I can feel the flames starting up in my jeans. Because that’s a liar, liar, pants on fire, bald-faced, great big, nose-growing, tongue-blackening lie.
I’ve had it bad for that man since the moment I laid eyes on him when I was six and he was fourteen. Before today, I thought I’d moved on. Now I know otherwise.
Chapter Three
Josh
