Perhaps being outside would make it easier for him to talk about what he’d done in Bali. He’d done nothing he was ashamed of, but the whole situation was messing with him, and he needed to get his shit together.
“Sure.”
Together, they headed for the door. Damon poked his head up from where he was working. “You guys good?”
“Yep, going for a breather outside.”
Damon nodded and went back to what he was doing.
That was the good thing about where they worked. They all respected each other and their space. They also didn’t blink if someone needed to get out of the confines of the building. They all had their own little quirks from their time in the military.
“If anyone needs us, they can get us on ourcells,” Reed told Margot, their receptionist, as they walked past.
“Sure thing.”
“Do you want anything to eat or drink while we’re out?” Andy asked, something he always did when he went for a walk.
“Nope. Tabby gave Steve some treats this morning. I’ve been eyeing a slice of her lemon poppyseed cake.”
It was a surprise the whole team hadn’t put on a few extra pounds with all the delicious treats Tabby continued to provide them with.
“If there are any choc chip muffins, keep one for me,” Reed said.
“Will do. Do you want anything set aside Andy?” Margot asked, her usual friendly smile on her face.
“Nah, I’m good. Thanks anyway.”
They left the building and headed toward the pedestrian bridge which would take them over to the path that followed the Swan River.
As he’d noted from the window, the breeze was light, so they wouldn’t get buffeted by the fierce afternoon sea breeze that blew in, cooling down a hot summer’s day.
They’d been walking for about five minutes before Andy found the courageto start talking. “Do you recall when I went to Bali to do that solo mission for Bayden? The joint assignment with the AFP and FBI?”
“The one a few months ago?” Reed asked.
“Yeah.”
“What about it? You said everything went off without an issue. Did something happen that you didn’t tell us about?”
“No, it ended up being a pretty easy job. It was something that happened the last night I was there. I did something that I haven’t done in a very long time.”
“Ahh.” It was all Reed said, but Andy knew his friend understood what he was getting at.
“Yeah. I don’t know what it is about her, but I can’t get her out of my mind.” What he admitted to next could change how his friend thought about him. Regardless of what Reed had said earlier, his thoughts could change once Andy finished. “I was thinking about her when the situation with Patrick happened. I’m sor?—”
“If you fucking say sorry again, it’s gonna get ugly.”
“But because of me not being aware?—”
Reed made a slashing movement with his hand. “Enough. What happened was months ago. Laurenand Charlee are okay, and we’re married. Do you think I was fully aware of what was going on when Patrick got the jump on me in my own driveway? No. All I could think about was getting Lauren inside my house.”
The guilt still ate at Andy, and he didn’t think it was going to go away anytime soon, but now Reed was aware of what had been going on in Andy’s mind at the time. Maybe it was time to let the guilt go. To move on with his life and maybe find peace with the whole situation.
Would it be possible? He didn’t know unless he put his mind to it.
Was he ready to forget about Narelle?
Chapter
