He shuffles through it. ‘I do like this.’ He shows me one of the giant gum with its grated tree bark. ‘But this is my favourite.’ It’s the photo of me by the lily pond.
‘Youtook that one!’ I exclaim with mock outrage.
‘Does that mean it’s mine to keep?’ he asks cheekily.
‘You can have it if you want it.’ I shrug, feigning nonchalance. He wants a photo of me!
He peers closely at it. ‘Your eyes . . .’ He shakes his head.
‘What?’
‘They look almost – I don’t know. Caramel-coloured.’
‘Caramel?’ I’ve never heard my boring eyes described like that before. He turns and looks at me,reallylooks at me, and the smile slips from my face.
‘They are,’ he says.
There’s a strange intensity to his expression and my heart starts to hammer in my ears. ‘Yours are the same colour as the water,’ I say, not caring how clichéd it sounds because it’s true.
The connection between us magnifies and then suddenly he starts and rises to his feet. ‘We should be moving.’
‘We don’t have to.’ I look up at him with disappointment.
‘No, I’d better get home,’ he states, turning away and pushing the photo of me into his back pocket. I follow in his footsteps as we cross the sand to the steps.
Later, I pull up outside Michael’s house. ‘Thanks for the lesson,’ I say.
‘Sure, no worries,’ Ben replies, seemingly in a slight daze.
‘See you at work?’
He nods. ‘I’m going to be a bit late in. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment.’
‘Are you okay?’ I ask with concern.
‘Yeah, yeah, it’s fine. A last-minute check-up before I leave.’
‘Alright then.’
I climb out onto the pavement and meet him in front of his car.
‘See you tomorrow,’ I repeat, pulling his shirt closed across my chest and folding my arms to keep warm.
‘Sure thing.’ He stares at my arms and moves to pass me. I step to one side.
‘Take care,’ he says softly.
‘You too.’
I stay rooted to the spot as I watch him climb into his car and start up the ignition, and he doesn’t glance back as he pulls away from the kerb.
That night in bed, I hug his shirt to me tightly. He didn’t ask for it back, and I’m not going to surrender it willingly.
Chapter 11
The next morning passes by painfully slowly as I wait for Ben to get in. When he still hasn’t turned up at lunchtime, I’m nearly pulling my hair out.
‘Where’s Ben?’ I ask eventually when Janine appears in the hospital room to check on Olivia. I’ve been stalking the place in the hope I’ll bump into him.
