by Amity Cross
Quiet… It was the one thing I missed the most about Point Mambie.
Turning in my seat, I watched the city behind us, wondering if I could ever get used to living in Sydney. A dark-coloured Mazda was sitting right on our arse, displaying a professional level of tailgating that irritated the hell out of me. That’s why I didn’t like to drive, especially in town. It made me so angry. Thirty seconds seemed to be more precious than preventing an accident to some people.
“What’s the frown for?” Harry asked beside me.
“I’m just thinking about how much I hate driving.”
“I didn’t know you had a license,” he said with a chuckle. “Who needs one when you’ve got an ultra-rich boyfriend with a car service?”
I snorted and turned away from the car behind us. “I’ve got a license, but I never got a car. There wasn’t any need for one in the Point—everything was in walking distance.”
“You never wanted to go to the city?”
“The thought of all those people kinda put me off. Besides, I always got anxiety over where I was going to park.”
Harry burst into laughter and shook his head in surprise. “You worry about the weirdest things, Juniper.”
I frowned and turned to watch the skyline behind us. The buildings seemed to stretch on forever, but it wasn’t the largest city I’d been to. Los Angeles seemed to echo on into infinity—a concrete jungle tangled with humanity’s mark on the Earth.
My gaze fixed on the car behind us, and I realised it was the same Mazda.
“Statfield?” I called out.
He leaned over the seat. “Yeah?”
“That car behind us… It’s been following us since the city.”
“I’ve got my eye on it, miss.”
I sank back into my seat and lowered myself so my head was below the line of sight from the rear. I felt the car change lanes as Harry patted me on the knee.
It wasn’t until we’d driven through the gates of the McMansion that I let out the tension in my core muscles. Locked safe behind the walls, I could breathe again.
Powering into the house, I was glad to find Sebastian waiting for us in the lounge room. He stood and looked to Statfield.
“Miss Rowe believes a car was following us from the city,” Shades said.
“It was,” I said, giving him a pointed look. I was hot as hell, and I fanned myself as I stood under the air-conditioning vent.
“I had the driver change lanes to bait them, but they turned off the highway a few exits later without mirroring any of our moves.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” My anxiety was rising faster than I could check it.
“Statfield knows what he’s doing,” Sebastian reassured me.
“I don’t like this,” I muttered, taking a leaf out of my boyfriend’s book and dancing up and down the length of the kitchen island. “I don’t like it at all. When are you going to catch this arsehole?”
Shades glanced at Sebastian, but it was Harry who said the thing I needed to hear.
“They’re going down, Juniper,” he declared. “Just like Vix is going to bite the dust. It’s only a matter of time before they’re cornered. One battle at a time, babe.”
“You know, I really don’t like pet names.” I threw a look at Sebastian, who smiled at me. “You’re lucky you never called me babe.”
“I take it you had a good day out, despite the thing?” Sebastian asked, deflecting my statement.
“Harry can fill you in.” I waved them off. “I’d like to talk to Shades for just a sec.”
Statfield nodded, and I nodded towards the deck.
“Everything okay?” Sebastian asked, frowning.
“Yeah, yeah. I just want to ask him a few things.”
I left the two men inside and followed Shades out onto the patio. Finding the closest sliver of shade, I rubbed my temples.
“Is Shades classified as a pet name, ma’am?”
I flushed, which only caused him to smile at me.
“Don’t worry, I kind of like it.”
“I’m sorry if I was a bit high-maintenance today,” I said, staring out across the water. I was a little embarrassed at the high pitch my voice had reached, to be honest.
“No apology necessary.”
I snorted and twisted a strand of copper hair around my finger. “I was always the strong one,” I mused, “the glue that held my little family together. I ran my mother’s shop when she couldn’t, I cared for her when she got sick, I… I wasn’t allowed to fall apart. I can’t fall apart, Shades.”
He regarded me for a moment before he gestured for me to sit. I lowered myself onto the closest banana lounge and watched the water ripple in the pool.
“It’s normal to feel these kinds of emotions,” Statfield explained. “Your life before meeting Mr. Hale was normal. You had no notoriety, no social profile… you were just a citizen living a quiet life. You’ve never had to deal with the pressures of being a celebrity before. I don’t like to say it, but we still live in a world where these things are more difficult for women. The fixations, the pressure, the sexualised attention… it can all be too much. There’ll always be people who can’t distinguish the line between public and private.” He sat beside me, his bulky frame almost comical in size next to my slight one. “You’ve had to deal with a lot of dramatic changes in a short amount of time, Juniper. You need time to catch up. As my wife used to say, once in a while you need to stop thinking about tomorrow and focus on what you can do today. Tomorrow can become a burden too heavy to carry.”
“You’re married?” I looked at him in a new light. “I didn’t know.”
“Ah…” he scratched his head, “I was married.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I wanted to ask him what happened, but then again, he was my bodyguard and I didn’t want to force him to cross any professional lines.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Take one day at a time. Talk to Mr. Hale about things. Be vigilant, but don’t stop living your life. Allow people to help shoulder the burden.”
I smiled, my heart feeling a little lighter. Tomorrow can become a burden too heavy to carry. Whoever Statfield’s wife had been, she sounded almost philosophical. It wasn’t just the mess with the stalker, but everything else as well. Finding the thing I wanted to dedicate my life to had become a burden that weighed too heavily on my shoulders. I’d believed I was nothing without that deep-rooted purpose, and it’d affected me in ways I hadn’t realised.
What could I do today?
“Hey, do you want a drink?” I asked. “It’s way too hot out here.”
Shades shook his head. “Thank you, but I’ve got to check in with Farmer.”
“Oh, sure.”
“If you need anything…” He raised his eyebrows.
“I’ll call,” I assured him. “Thanks.”
I watched him retreat around the corner of the house and sighed. Wiping at the sweat on my forehead, I retreated back into the air-conditioning, my skin warm to the touch.
“I’m heading home,” Harry said as I closed the patio door.
“Already?” I glanced at Sebastian, who was looking both encouraged and worried at the same time—if that was even a thing.
“Yeah, I’ve got to go get all my ducks in a row.” He gave me a hug. “You’ll get through this.”
“Thanks.” I squeezed him back. “For everything.”
“Anytime.”
Once Harry had left, I shuffled over to the fridge and poured myself a glass of chilled water. Sliding one across the bench for Sebastian, I sat on the stool next to him.
“Any thoughts?” I prodded.
“Annalise sounds like the holy grail, but now…” he murmured.
“She’ll need a lot of support from us.” I pressed my wrists against the cool glass, the condensation chilling my skin. “Vix really destroyed her confidence. Her anxiety… What she’s doing for us is monumental.”
“And you?” His stormy eyes seemed still today,
but I could read him like an open book.
“I won’t lie, I’m anxious about the whole thing.”
“I’m talking about what happened on the way home.”
I snorted and turned my gaze to the marble countertop. Studying the flecks in the stone, I shrugged. “I’m powerless,” I whispered. “It’s this constant circle of emotions I don’t think I can handle for much longer. I know it’s only been few weeks—”
“There is no only,” Sebastian said, turning to face me. “One day is too much. Fuck, one minute is.”
“At least I’m not hiding in a closet, right?”
“Don’t say things like that,” he murmured, placing his hand on my thigh.
“What are you going to do now that Annalise has promised to testify?”
“Nice change of subject.”
“I’m a pro.”
“Well…” Sebastian shrugged, “we have as much evidence as we’re ever going to get on our own. Even amateur sleuths have to defer to the cops. Once Harry gets all his work to me, I’m going to take everything to the AFP and let them handle the rest. It’ll be on the record that way.”
“The federal police?” I asked.
He nodded. “I know it’s shitty timing, being Christmas and all, but I can’t let this lie anymore.”
“I know. I don’t mind, it has to be done. You know I’ll be with you.” With every passing day, Vix was getting richer, not to mention the fact that Josh was putting himself in an awkward situation to help solidify the case.
Sebastian leaned close and pressed a kiss against my forehead. His scent washed over me, and I breathed deep, thankful for his closeness.
“I love you,” he said, his voice tinged with a heavy note—of what, I wasn’t sure. “I’m fucking glad you’re here.”
“Ditto.”
He picked up my hand and rubbed his fingers over mine. Things were so easy with him now. Talking, touching, just being. I didn’t have to hide who I was or pretend to be more to impress him. I could wake up in the morning with tangled hair and zero makeup and he’d still call me the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen—and it would have nothing to do with how I looked, and everything to do with what was inside.
It wasn’t about money, fame, what he did for a living, or how many followers he had on social media. It wasn’t about his presence, but his being, his soul.
“I’ve been thinking…” I said.
“Hmmm,” he murmured, his eyes getting that sexy look they had when he was thinking dirty thoughts.
“One thing I’ve come to realise through this whole mess, is how humanity never really grows out of the habits we pick up in school. The popular kids, the nerds, the power struggles, the status symbols… the bullying. It only gets worse the older we get.”
“You’re killing my boner.” He smirked and I swatted his arm.
“That’s what I want to do… ” thoughts raced around in my head and I bit my bottom lip, “I want to help. I don’t know how yet. Maybe volunteer at a charity or start something of my own. Get it at the root, you know?”
Sebastian leaned back and studied me, his brow creasing.
My smile began to fade. “What?”
“Come with me.” He grabbed my hand and tugged me off the stool, leading me to the music room.
It was in as much disarray as it always was, with chords snaking across the floor, guitars leaning against the wall, and equipment stacked in various piles. His journal was sitting on the coffee table, along with the acoustic his mother had given him.
“What are we doing?” I asked as he sat me on the couch.
Sebastian knelt before me and my heart skipped a beat as he moved between my legs. He wasn’t, was he? When he handed me his journal, opening it to a page towards the end, I wondered what he was getting at. This book was his heart and soul, his inner-most thoughts. It wasn’t a ring box, but it was close enough.
“Everything I am, is yours,” he said like handing out his very being was the easiest thing he’d ever had to do. “I have others in a drawer, if you want to read those as well, but this…” He picked up my hand and placed it on the page. “This is what I’d like to do… with you.”
I looked down at the journal and scanned the messy notes and sketches he’d been working on. It was plans for a recording studio where he dreamt about producing and songwriting for other artists and maybe even recording solo material. It was also an idea for his own record label at a professional level, but it was more than that. He had ideas for a charity venture that assisted disadvantaged kids with learning to write their own songs and to ultimately record them. To get out their feelings and frustrations, to help with their confidence, and to show them the cycle could be broken. To combat the bullying, the abuse, and the isolation, with music.
My mouth flapped uselessly, and I set down his journal. His heart…
“I don’t know when I’ll get time, but I want to make it happen,” he murmured. “Together.”
“We can do it sooner.”
He nodded. “If you want something that’s just yours, I get it, but I would like to share this with you, Juniper. Just you.”
I slid my palms over his shoulders, trailed my fingers up the nape of his neck, and buried them into his unruly hair. He hadn’t proposed marriage, but he’d offered me something more valuable than any ring could.
He’d offered me his wildest dreams.
It was a future where I finally knew what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. Our stars had finally aligned.
“I do,” I whispered before I captured his mouth with mine.
Sebastian held me close, his arms wrapping around my waist. His tongue danced with mine and my core pressed against his as his journal fell to the floor.
It wasn’t long before we fell onto the couch, naked, sweating, and entwined with a tomorrow that—for the first time in my life—was the farthest thing from a burden there was.
17
Sebastian
I looked out over the Sydney skyline, the distance from the balcony around Josh’s apartment making the people below look like ants. I didn’t know how he could live all the way up here, so far away from the ground, but I guess that was him in a nutshell, always wanting to lord it over everyone.
It wasn’t any secret we fought more than our other mates—his smart-arse attitude could wear thin fast—but ever since Juniper showed up, he’d seemed to have mellowed. I wondered if that was just a way of saying he’d matured.
The sound of the doorbell broke through my reverie and I stepped back into the apartment. It was strange being here without Josh—he was off keeping Vix busy—and without Juniper, I just felt strange.
Opening the door, I nodded at Harry. “Hey.”
“Nice apartment,” he said as he moved inside.
“It’s Josh’s. I thought it was better to meet here than at the house.”
He looked around nervously, clutching the strap of his satchel. After all we’d been through lately, he still seemed to feel apart from us—employer and employee.
“No Juniper?”
“I thought it was best she took a break from all this.” I shrugged. “All things considering.”
“Is she okay?” If I didn’t know he was gay, I would’ve been jealous over his concern. The sensation brought back a memory of another time that felt like a million years ago, even though barely five months had passed since that day.
“Just worried,” I replied, gesturing for him to follow me into the lounge room.
“Who wouldn’t be? Poor thing.”
“So, what’ve we got, Harry?” I sat on the couch and waited for him to get himself together.
“Well…” he sat on an armchair opposite and began rifling through his bag, “I’ve got the names and contact details for five past Galaxy employees who worked with Vix. They’ve all given me a signed statement that they’ve agreed to put on record. Annalise has agreed to be interviewed by the police on the proviso Juniper’s there to support her.”
<
br /> “Does she have a lawyer?” I asked. “If not, she can consult with mine and put it on my tab.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That’s… very kind of you.”
“It’s the least I can do.” For being a blind fool all these years. “It was never about the money.”
“That’s what Juniper said.”
I nodded, my heart warming. I’d never fully understood my connection with her, not until the last few weeks. We flowed on the same wavelength, and our souls meshed down to the core. Must be this crazy thing called love.
“We’ve also got all the copies of the doctored royalty reports,” Harry went on. “They’ve all been itemised.”
“Good. With Josh’s evidence, we’ve got a solid case.” I was so ready for this shit to be over and done. “I’ve got a meeting with my lawyer this afternoon to hand all this over. Then we’re going to contact Galaxy and then the federal police.” I rubbed my eyes and sighed.
“Are you okay?” Harry asked, watching me closely. “You look tired.”
“I was up all night on the phone with the lawyers.” And watching the shadows.
Once all this was over—Vix, the stalker, and whatever Mallory was going to do next—then Juniper and I could finally start to plan our future. Beneath were still going to be a thing, I’d never give that up, but we had each other to think about now.
Then there was our shared dream of helping others through music. Opening a studio was going to be tough since I was on the road most of the year, but we’d find a way to make it happen. Juniper was a miracle worker like that. She had all the right words. I scratched at my stubble and smiled.
“Where is Vix? She’s been strangely quiet lately…”
I shuddered. “Josh is… distracting her.”
“Distracting?” He looked confused for a moment, then his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape. “Oh… ew.”
I held my hands up. “He offered.”