I almost slammed on the brakes. “Oh, no. Let’s get one thing straight; no one is to ever know I was here, Kate, all right? Not Lily, not your parents, not even Gemma, got it? I’m watching you get on a plane and they’ll watch you, alone, come off it at the other end. End of story.”
She snorted. “What? Why? That’s stupid.”
“Just because, Kate, all right?” I replied, pulling into the garage of the hotel I’d booked into.
“Where are we?”
Thankful she’d dropped the topic, I tried to be pleasant. But, past-Austin was very close to making a reappearance. “We’re staying here tonight and we’ll get flights tomorrow.”
“How much is this all costing you, Austin?”
“Not enough to bother me.”
“But, a lot?” She sounded vaguely concerned, bordering on grateful.
“Yes, Kate, a lot.” I sighed, getting out of the car. “How expensive do you think last-minute tickets are on New Year’s Day? Coupled with the fact there were only first class tickets left.”
“Oh my God, are we going back in first class?” she squealed.
God, help me not kill her before I get her on that plane.
“I don’t know yet. It will depend on what tickets we can get.”
“If you let me fly first class, I’ll go straight home and promise not to tell anyone what you did, even if I do think it’s totally stupid.”
I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. “Fine. If the first flight out has any first class available, then you’re in it.” She opened her mouth and I held up a hand. “But, only if it’s available. You’re going on the first flight out.”
She nodded vigorously. “Okay, that’s fair.”
“And, you’ll go straight home and not tell Lily I was here?”
She nodded again and stuck her little finger at me.
“What is that?” I asked, looking at it sceptically.
“Pinky promise,” she replied.
“A what now?”
She laughed, grabbed my arm and linked our little fingers. “Pinky promise, the most serious promise you can make.”
I wanted to tell her I wasn’t exactly convinced it was the most serious promise you could make – marriage seemed a bigger one, for example – but, I’d take what I could get if it meant she’d behave.
“Okay, pinky promise, then.”
She grinned and started yammering again, this time about all the things she bet came with first class seats.
Less than twenty-four hours and she’s no longer your problem. Just think of Lily…
And, think of Lily I did, right up until I watched Kate finally getting onto the plane. It felt like a lot longer than twenty-four hours, believe you me…
“You don’t have to babysit me, Austin.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
“We can take it from here, sir.” The stewardess smiled at me.
“Please be sure you do. My…little sister has a penchant for wandering off when she shouldn’t,” I replied, giving her a smile even Williams would be hard-pressed to better.
The stewardess looked at Kate in disapproval. “We’ll get her there safe.”
“Thank you.”
Kate pouted at me. “I’ll see you later then…brother.”
“Be good,” I said sternly as she walked towards the ticket scanner.
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved at me.
I called Jax while I waited for the plane to take off.
“Ugh, what do you want?” he answered, sounding half-asleep.
“Felicitous greetings to you, too,” I laughed.
He yawned, “shut up. Do you know what time it is here?”
“I’m only interested in what time it is here. Namely, the time I’m rid of Kate and will be on my own flight in half an hour.”
“Hey, great, so you’ll be home… What, tomorrow?” He sounded brighter.
“Something like that, yeah.”
“That was quick. You’ll only have missed a couple days of school.”
“More’s the pity. Right, I’m going to grab something to eat before the flight and let you get back to sleep.”
“Text me the flight details and we’ll pick you up.”
“Nah, I left my bike at the airport. I’ll just see you at school.”
“All right, brother. Safe travels.”
“Night, brother.”
I hung up just as Kate’s plane left the gate. She had her first class seat; she’d just bloody well keep up her end of the bargain.
Chapter Forty-Nine: Lily
Talk had been flying around the school for days.
I had no idea if Gemma had started it, or too many people had access to Kate’s social media accounts. But, everyone was talking about wild Kate Brewer who’d taken off with a Military College boy in Australia and were doing God only knew what.
Well, God wasn’t the only one. Kids weren’t stupid, there were plenty of theories running around. Some made much more sense than others; they were shacked up somewhere shagging day and night, they were partying their way through the trendiest night clubs, or the best surf beaches, they were protesting a multitude of things, they were getting married.
That last one was the most ridiculous. Aside from the fact that no one in Australia could get married at fifteen, I didn’t even think Anders liked her enough to date her, let alone marry her! The shagging I didn’t doubt. The drugs I could believe. The protesting? Ha! Not unless it was a protest for marrying rich people.
“Lily, you okay?” Anne asked, taking my arm in hers.
“Yeah, just thinking of Kate again.”
“I’m sorry. She’ll be found and she’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, I hope so. Oh, I want to kill Anders.”
Anne scratched her cheek. “You know, you and Austin have made a funny impression on each other.”
“What? Why do you say that?”
“Well, you seem to have made him nice and he, well, he seems to have brought out your more violent side.”
I laughed. “I assure you, I’ve always had a tendency to threaten violence, I’ve just never been so calm about the actually being violent.”
“Like I said.” She smiled.
“Oh, God, is that awful?”
Anne squeezed my arm. “No, I don’t think so, not in this circumstance, anyway.”
“Damn.”
“What?”
Hunter was ahead of us in the corridor.
I’d avoided Austin, Jax, Hunter, Cass…anyone who wasn’t Anne really, quite successfully since school had gone back. It was easy to do when you were walking around in an angry fog. People could probably practically see the neon sign above my head telling them to piss off. The teachers hadn’t even spoken to me more than absolutely necessary.
“Lily!” Hunter called and I knew I’d have trouble avoiding him today.
“Go on, I’ll catch you up,” I said, nudging Anne.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’ve hit him once, I can do it again if need be,” I replied, scowling at him as he walked towards us.
I couldn’t say why things were still so tense between us. But, the guy had seriously pissed me off and I really didn’t think I could deal with him. Still, I stood in the corridor, arms crossed, and waited to hear what he had to say.
He smiled sheepishly when he stopped in front of me, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh, hi, Lily.”
“Hi, Williams.”
“Uh, look, can we walk? Outside maybe?”
“I’m really not dressed for outside.”
“Right, no, of course.”
I waited for him to continue for what felt like hours. “Williams, what is it? You know I’m having a crisis and I really can’t deal with you and…whatever this is, right now.”
“Oh…”
I tried to soften my tone at the look on his face. “No, I mean, just… Can you be quick? I need to check in with my stepmum
.”
He nodded, looking less crestfallen. “Right, look, I wanted to apologise.”
“What for?”
“For…the way I treated you, what I said…”
“That’s very kind, Williams, you’re forgiven.”
“Oh…thanks, but, um…I mean it. I…” he rubbed the back of his head again and looked at his school shoes. “I really like you Lily. I’ve never really liked anyone before-”
“Besides yourself.”
He grinned. “Besides myself. Anyway, I didn’t handle it well and I’m sorry for that.”
I sighed. “Its fine, Hunter. I understand. I mean, I don’t entirely understand, but I’m going to go on the assumption you didn’t mean to insinuate I was an untalented whore.”
“Please do. I just… I didn’t see Oz again that night, then you looked like you hadn’t been in your bed… I jumped to conclusions and let how I felt about you cloud my judgement. Honestly, I’m sorry. I assume you’re still not inclined to show me how adventurous you are in bed?”
I couldn’t help giggling at his tone and his mock-hopeful expression. “I’m afraid not.”
“Oz.”
“What?”
“Because you like Oz,” he said as though it was scientific fact.
“I…don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He smiled, but his eyes seemed sad. “Don’t you now? Well, maybe I’ll get a chance with you one day after all.”
He didn’t sound very convinced and he was gone before I could open my mouth.
When he was out of sight, I yelled in frustration, stomped my foot and flailed my arms around.
It never rains, but it pours.
Honestly, I’d had more interest in the space of a few months than I’d had in my entire existence. And, my opinion of it, far from being flattered, was that it was more trouble than it was worth.
Between all the misunderstandings, the awkward feelings going around, and my dad’s utter uselessness in the face of Kate’s disappearance, I was beginning to feel more and more like love was not worth my time.
I couldn’t stop Austin’s smile popping into my head at that point, as a wonderfully timed contradiction to my thoughts, no doubt. It was enough to make a girl rethink her ban on love.
Still, the fact remained that someone like me didn’t belong with someone like Austin. And, as though I needed further reminding, the whole debacle with Kate just solidified the belief. How the hell could I expect Austin to be with me when my own sister had run off with Liam? It had been bad enough I’d entertained a flirtation with him, but how could he look at me and not see a bunch of idiots? Ugh, I wished I’d never told him Kate had run off with Liam.
Ha! Yeah, because that would totally make him love you unconditionally! It would make everything better…
My phone ringing pulled me from my annoyed thoughts.
“Hello?”
“Lily?” It was Claire.
“I was just about to check in. Is there news?” I asked, my hopes soaring ridiculously at the thought Kate might be safe.
“Yes,” Claire replied, “she’s on a plane right now on her way home. She’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Do you know what happened?”
“No, no real details as yet, she just emailed us her flight number and said she’d see us soon,” Claire responded. “But, as far as we can tell, she’s fine.”
“She won’t be fine when I see her, I’ll rip her a new one,” I growled.
“Not if I get to her first, you won’t,” Claire replied with some vehemence, then sighed. “I’m sorry, Lily, for it all.”
“Why are you apologising to me?” I asked.
“Because, I know you think your Dad and I could have done better with the girls-”
“Claire, I have no idea what it’s like to raise children, I am the last person qualified to judge.”
“No, that would be your father,” she said sardonically. “Regardless, I promise you that we’ll do better from now on. Gemma will have no reason to find herself in any similar situation. We’re pulling them from Netherfield, they can finish up the year, then they’re coming to a school within walking distance of the house. Although, they won’t be given the freedom to walk, I’ll drop them off and pick them up every morning. You don’t have-”
“Claire, it’s okay,” I stopped her. “The girls could do with some supervision, but you don’t have to pull them from school.”
She sighed again. “Well, we’ll talk about it when you’re all home again.”
“Speaking of, what time’s Kate getting in? Shall we meet her at the airport with you?”
“No!” Claire cried. “I mean, no, thanks, Lil. I want it to be the least welcome homecoming a girl could experience, hopefully that will show her she was an absolute idiot. We’ll pick her up, bring her straight to school, and she can go straight on to lessons.”
I knew all about the joy that was coming to school after a flight from Australia and I didn’t envy Kate one bit having to go to lessons after it. However, I also knew better than to argue with Claire when she had her proper Mum voice on. And, it was about bloody time she did have her proper Mum voice on.
“All right then, as long as you don’t need anything?” I asked.
“No, we’ll be fine, sweets, thanks.”
“No worries, just save me a piece of her.”
“I make no promises, daughter,” Claire said, mock-savagely.
I laughed, my head and heart feeling lighter. “Bye, Mum.”
I hurried off to the dining room for lunch, in higher spirits than I’d felt in a while. I looked over to Austin and Jax’s table. Hunter and Cass sat with Jax, but Austin was nowhere in sight.
I’d noticed he’d missed our last English class, maybe he wasn’t well?
Not that it mattered to me, I didn’t have an unhealthy interest in Austin Cooper. But, we were friends, so I could care, right?
Chapter Fifty: Austin
I pushed my way into our bedroom, grumbling to myself.
“Hey! The Tinman returneth!”
“What?” I asked, looking at my twin.
“Well, it’s like ‘the iceman cometh’, right? Only not.” He grinned.
“Right…” I said, rolling my eyes.
There was no way anyone would have a hard time telling us apart then. Jax’s face was the epitome of Jax happiness, while I could tell mine was set in my best Austin scowl.
“Dude, how was it?”
“It was hot and annoying.”
“Understandable. Anders didn’t give you any trouble?”
“Depends what you count as trouble,” I said, dropping my bag on the bed and stretching my back. “Do you count him deflowering her and giving her drugs trouble?”
“Ew… Erm, yes, I would, but I was referring to the other kind. The fisticuff kind.” He held his hands up in front of him like he was getting ready to box me.
“No, there were no…fisticuffs,” I answered, pulling off my top.
“Are they new clothes?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, so the great genius left with nothing, did he?”
“The great genius was in a bit of a hurry to pack anything. This stuff was what was waiting for me when I arrived.”
“Oh, I like that, can I have it?”
I held up the jacket I was pulling out of the bag. “Knock yourself out.”
“Sweet, thanks.”
“No, I mean literally knock yourself out. I am way too tired to deal with your infernal optimism.”
“I think it’s pronounced ‘eternal optimism’.”
“Trust me, it’s not,” I replied, flopping on the bed.
Jax sighed. “She’s safe, though. I saw her at lunch. Looked like absolute shit, but it’s nothing a shower and a decent sleep won’t fix.”
“Decent sleep? She was in first class!”
Jax snorted. “You forked out a pretty penny f
or this one.”
“It’s nothing to have Lily’s sister safe.”
“Oh, why I do declare, brother!”
I propped myself up on my elbows and rolled my eyes at the idiot; along with his southern belle accent, he’d struck a pose. “Mate, if I have to take you shopping for your debutante gown, I think I’ll have to punch you.”
“Mister Cooper, you wouldn’t dare hit a lady!” he said in his falsetto southern belle drawl.
I couldn’t help my laugh and he grinned, back to himself again. I dropped back onto the bed, a smile still on my face. Maybe everything was going to work out after all. I could be the Austin I wanted to be, Jax could be Jax, Aunt Celia could suck it, I could have Lily and Jax could have Anne. Maybe…
“I don’t know that Lily noticed you were gone.”
“Good.”
“What?”
“Good.” I recounted what I’d told Kate.
Like her, Jax thought I was an idiot. “You’ve just saved her little sister from certain death and you don’t want her to know?”
I scoffed. “As much as I wouldn’t put it past him, I don’t think Anders’ intention was to kill Kate, Jax.”
“You know what I mean. Why don’t you want her knowing?”
“Do you think she’d be pleased I dropped a whole lot of cash on getting her sister back? Without anyone’s counsel, I might add. Two first class tickets, one business – did you know how hard it was to book flights last minute? Can you imagine Lily abiding any of that?”
Jax sat in thought for a moment. “No, I suppose not.”
“No. So you, Kate and I will be the only ones to know where I was and what I was doing. Lily will be blissfully left in the dark and she won’t have any reason to be angry with me.”
Jax laughed. “All right, if that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“All right. You want to go to the café before dinner? Get some coffee or something?”
I sighed as I thought. “Yeah, all right. Let me shower and change first. I am itching to get back into my own clothes.”
“I for one, would be very glad to see you with a top on,” Jax replied.
I grinned, throwing a pillow at him. He laughed and dodged it. We scrapped for a little while and it felt like old times, before the pressures of Aunt Celia had weighed on me, before we’d lost Mum and Dad, before Amanda had been hurt.
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