Come Back To Me (27 page)

phone in my face. I catch a glimpse of Jessa biting her

bottom lip as she poses for me in her underwear.

Grabbing for the phone, I wrestle it out of Riley’s hand.

‘We’re dating,’ I say.

He shakes his head at me. ‘What about that other girl?

The one you said you were into?’

‘That was her. It was Jessa all along. It’s only been her

this whole time.’ I want to say more, tell him that I love

her, that she loves me too, that the last three weeks have

been the best of my life, but the way Riley’s looking at

me, as if I just betrayed our friendship and knifed him in

the gut, makes me ram my mouth shut.

‘You’re my best friend. She’s my sister,’ he growls.

‘And?’ I shout. ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’

Riley looks like he wants to punch me and all I can think

is
bring it.
Anger blazes through me, lit by the unfairness

of Riley’s reaction. ‘Or is it that you still don’t think I’m

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good enough?’ I yell. He glares at me not saying any-

thing. ‘You know,’ I say, shaking my head, ‘you’re starting

to act and sound just like your father.’

‘Screw you,’ Riley says, a flare of anger mixed with

pain stretching across his face. I instantly regret the words

but I’m too angry to back down.

We scowl at each other for a long second, both of us

clenching our fists, both of us breathing hard.

‘Fuck,’ Riley finally says before sinking down onto the

edge of the bed and burying his head in his hands.

For a few moments I just watch him uncertainly. That

was not the reaction I was expecting. What’s going on? A

second ago he looked like he wanted to punch my lights

out and now he looks like he’s about to burst into tears.

I’m totally wrong-footed.

Riley looks up at me. ‘Jo’s pregnant,’ he says.

Coming straight out of left field like that in the middle

of a fight about his sister, it takes a second for the news

to sink in. When it does, I slump down beside him on the

bed. ‘Woah,’ I say. ‘That’s . . .’ I don’t finish the sentence

because I’ve no idea what he’s thinking about it –

whether he’s pleased or not. I’m guessing not from the

expression on his face, but don’t want to say the wrong

thing just in case.

‘I don’t know what the fuck to do,’ Riley says, look-

ing straight into my eyes, more terrified than I’ve ever

seen him, and seeing as I’ve watched him approaching

pos sible suicide bombers while on patrol, that’s saying

something.

‘What do you mean?’ I ask.

‘We’re leaving,’ he says. ‘In case you hadn’t noticed.

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We’re going to be gone for a year. To Afghanistan, of all

places. I won’t be here for the birth.’

‘So she’s keeping it?’ I ask.

He swallows, a scowl crossing his face. ‘I don’t know.

We haven’t really talked about it. She only just found out.

It must have been the day I got back. Or around then. Can

you believe it?’

I nod to myself, simultaneously thanking God Jessa

and I have always used protection and making a note to

myself to never, ever throw caution to the wind. ‘How’s

Jo doing?’ I ask.

Riley shrugs. ‘Not good. It wasn’t exactly planned, you

know?’

I nod some more. Poor Jo, like she doesn’t have enough

to deal with. Riley buries his head in his hands once more

and I put my arm around his shoulder. ‘Bro, I’m here for

you,’ I say. ‘I’m here for both of you. Whatever you need.’

After a moment Riley looks at me. ‘You ever wish

you’d never enlisted?’ he asks.

I nod. ‘Yeah, I’m thinking of getting out after this.’

His eyebrows shoot up. ‘Serious?’

I nod.

‘I always thought you were in it for life.’

‘Nah, things change.’

‘Does this have anything to do with my sister?’ he asks,

giving me an incredulous look.

‘Might do,’ I say.

He studies me for a second, his expression turning

from confused to amazed to serious. Finally he shakes his

head. ‘I’m sorry I lost my shit before. About you . . . and

her.’ He looks slightly uncomfortable still, as though he’s

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just eaten something disgusting at a dinner party and is

having to smile his way through it so as not to offend the

host.

‘It’s cool,’ I say. ‘I’m sorry I kept it a secret. Jessa didn’t

want you to know.’

Riley grimaces and looks at me sideways. ‘You really

like her?’ he asks, still with that sceptical tone in his voice.

I laugh. ‘Yeah. I really like her. A lot.’ I’m not going to

come out with the love word at this stage, not until I’m

totally sure he isn’t going to punch me.

Riley shakes his head wearily as though he’s had

enough surprises for one day and can’t process any more.

‘Fine,’ he says. ‘Just don’t screw her around.’ He fixes me

with a drill-sergeant stare. ‘Or I’ll hunt you down and rip

you into so many pieces they won’t be able to tell your

asshole from your earhole.’

‘I won’t,’ I say solemnly.

‘I mean it, Kit,’ he says with a touch of menace. ‘Treat

her right.’

‘I will.’

His face wrinkles in disgust. ‘And man, do you have to

have her bras and underwear lying around everywhere

and pictures of her naked on your phone? I don’t want to

know what you two are doing.’

‘You were the one that was asking for details, dude,’ I

say, laughing.

‘Before I knew it was my sister.’

We both lapse into silence, our thoughts shifting in

unison away from Jessa and returning to the far more

life-altering news about the pregnancy. Holy shit. I’m still

struggling to get my head around it. I can’t imagine how

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Riley is doing. He exhales loudly, running his hands over

his head. ‘Fuck,’ he says again. ‘This was not part of the

plan.’

‘Guess life likes to throw us some curveballs,’ I say

quietly.

‘You call a baby a curveball?’ he asks, looking at me in

disbelief. ‘Can you even imagine how I’m going to sit my

parents down and explain this one?’

I wince. I remember the time we had to sit them down

and explain we’d been suspended for streaking naked

across the bleachers. That was bad enough. And I remem-

ber the time Riley had to explain he’d enlisted as a grunt

not an officer. His dad went postal. Riley had to sleep on

my sofa for three nights until he calmed down.

‘Do you think you could tell him just before I tell him

I’m dating Jessa?’ I joke. ‘That way he might be too pissed

at you to care about us.’

Riley punches me in the arm and we both start

laughing.

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Jessa

Riley knocks on my bedroom door as I’m getting ready to

go out. As soon as I turn around and see him standing

there with both eyebrows raised and his arms crossed

over his chest, I know I’m busted. I don’t say anything,

though.

‘So,’ he says. ‘When were you going to tell me?’

My heart has started beating double time. ‘About

what?’ I ask, aiming for innocence because I want to be

certain he’s talking about what I think he’s talking about

and not something else.

‘You and Kit,’ he says.

Oh. Damn. ‘How did you find out?’ I ask, shooting a

glance over his shoulder. Are my parents around? Riley

seems to pick up on my nervousness because he steps

inside my room and shuts the door.

‘You know, if you’re going to record your sexcapades

Paris Hilton style then don’t go leaving phones lying

around.’

My jaw drops open. He saw the photos on Kit’s phone?

Oh my God. I want to die. My cheeks catch fire. I stare at

him in horror, but Riley just grins at me.

‘I . . . We . . . They were just . . . ’ I stammer.

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He holds up a hand. ‘Stop. I don’t want to know. I told

Kit the same.’

‘So . . .’ What? What is he saying? Is he mad? ‘Are you

OK with it?’

‘Not with the photos part or with the idea of you guys,

er, you know . . . ’ He wrinkles his nose in consternation.

‘But yeah . . . I’m cool with it, I guess.’ He looks at me.

‘How long’s it been going on?’

I shrug, not really wanting to admit it. ‘Since you got

back.’

Riley shakes his head. ‘Man. You know, Jo says she

knew all along, that it was obvious at the beach. I thought

he was into Didi.’

‘Yeah, that’s what we wanted you to think.’

He shakes his head at me some more. ‘What about

Mom and Dad? You going to tell them?’

‘No!’ I say. ‘Are you kidding?’

‘Yeah, I figured you’d say that.’ He stands there for a

few more seconds, chewing on his lip, nodding to him-

self.

I wonder if he’s going to tell me to tell Dad or warn me

off Kit, but he does neither. He just walks to the door,

pausing to look over his shoulder just before he opens it.

‘And . . . if you’re gonna . . . you know . . .’ He wrinkles

his nose looking pained.

My eyebrows lift. Is he talking about sex?

‘Make sure you use protection.’

I pick up the nearest object – a book – and throw it at

his head. He ducks, laughing, and darts out the door,

closing it behind him, and I stand there for a full minute

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staring at it, speechless, trying desperately to erase that

last comment from my brain.

Didi stands beside me as I wait outside her house for Kit.

He’s late.

‘And remember to stop at the stop signs, don’t just

pause,’ she says.

‘Got it,’ I answer distractedly as I stare down the street.

Where is he?

‘And if you get a guy examiner, totally flirt. It worked

for me. And pray you don’t get a woman. They’re way

meaner.’

I glance in Didi’s direction. ‘Stop making me panic.’

She grins brightly at me. ‘There’s nothing to worry

about. Everyone except complete morons passes first time.

And besides, you have Kit.’

‘What do you mean?’ I ask.

‘Well, you got that part, didn’t you, in the play? And

no one found out that you ditched school . . . and even

Riley was cool when he found out about you guys. Kit’s

like your good luck charm.’

Yeah, I suppose she’s right, I muse. Kit is something of

a good luck charm.

‘I’m telling you,’ she continues. ‘Kit’s like one of those

leprechauns from the Lucky Charms commercial.’

‘Well, he’s a late leprechaun who won’t be getting

lucky for the foreseeable future if he doesn’t show soon.’

‘Where is he?’ Didi asks.

‘He and Riley had their fitness test this morning.’ I look

again at my watch. ‘But he said he’d be here by now.’

‘He’s probably picking up five dozen roses or scatter-

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ing petals down the freeway to spell out your name.’ She

smirks at me. ‘Or maybe he ran home to bake you special

good luck cookies.’

‘Shuttup!’ I say, just as Kit’s truck appears around the

corner. ‘Oh, finally,’ I say, throwing up my arms. He tears

down the street and screeches to a halt right in front of

Didi’s house. Jumping out the truck he races around to

me.

‘Sorry, sorry!’ he pants.

He’s wearing his shorts and running shoes and a

sweat-stained, dirt-streaked T-shirt. His face looks pretty

much the same as his T-shirt. He kisses me on the cheek

and I smell his sweat and soap and deodorant – is it

weird that that turns me on and makes me think instantly

of sex?

‘You’re late,’ I say.

‘You’re gorgeous,’ he answers, taking my hand. ‘Come

on, we gotta go.’ He starts tugging me towards the truck,

waving at Didi. ‘Hi, Didi. Bye, Didi.’

Didi waves, her eyes slightly glazed as she admires his

sweaty form.

‘Aren’t I driving?’ I ask as Kit opens the passenger

door for me.

‘No. I’ll drive. You can’t get pulled over for speeding

on your way to your test. Wouldn’t look good.’ He slams

the door shut behind me and sprints around to his side.

‘So how’d it go?’ I ask as he pulls out of Didi’s street.

‘I crushed it. It was a piece of cake,’ he answers with a

lopsided grin. ‘Must be all the workouts I’m having.’

‘I hope you don’t slack off on the workouts now that

the test is behind you,’ I tell him.

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‘As if,’ he answers.

We both fall silent after that. He’s leaving the day after

tomorrow – that’s what I’m thinking. And I’m fairly sure