Page 45 of Snap

I turned off my phone and tossed it on the table. If I was ever going to have a drink of alcohol, it would be now.

Instead, I stood up and went to grab a cup of coffee.

"Oh, I didn't see you there," Skye Lim said as she swept into the kitchen. "Carson said you stayed here last night. Trouble with a boyfriend?"

I responded with a flat stare. I opened my mouth to give a scathing response, but closed it again. It was too early, and I was too mad to have a reasonable conversation with anyone. Not that I wanted to have a reasonable conversation with her, but what Ollie did was not her fault.

I took my coffee over to the table and sat back down. I took a sip before I said, "No. Everything's fine. This place was closer, that's all."

She seemed very much at home as she poured herself coffee and sat down opposite me.

"I know this hasn't been easy," she started, "but I think your father would like us to get along."

I tried not to grind my teeth. "That's exactly what he would like," I agreed. "It would certainly make his life easier."

"You don't think it would make all of our lives easier?" she asked.

I shrugged one shoulder. "I've learned not to get too attached to my father's flings. They don't stick around for very long. He makes sure of that."

The side of her mouth twitched. "I'm not trying to be your mother?—"

"Good," I said, "because I haven't seen her in ages. As role models go, I'd pick someone else."

Skye closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know you probably don't believe this, but I'm in love with your father. I want to marry him and spend the rest of our lives together."

"In Queensland," I said.

She looked surprised. "He told you."

"You didn't think he would?" I asked. "That's the kind of thing you tell someone. Your child, anyway. I wouldn't put it past him to move there and not tell you. That's what he does. You know it's over when he starts avoiding you."

The expression on her face almost made me regret my words. They clearly stung. But it was the truth. The sooner she heard it, the better.

"I know this has all been hard on you," she said. "But I'd like us to be friends if we can."

I leaned forward and propped my elbows on the table. "I'd think about being your friend, if I thought you'd be around for long enough. But I've had enough people leave me. It's not worth getting close to anyone." God, I sounded like a bitter old woman.

"That is a sad and cynical way to view the world," she remarked.

"Isn't it though?" I said sarcastically. "I guess I need more hours in therapy." That was no lie, I probably did.

"Rubie—" Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by my father walking into the kitchen.

"It's nice to see my two favourite women getting along." His phone was in his hand. His eyes looked like thunder.

It didn't take a genius to guess he'd seen the photo too.

I sighed. "I saw it." In case he thought I needed to look.

Skye looked from him to me and back again. "Carson? What's going on?"

"Just players behaving badly," I told her. "Again."

"Is that what you call it?" Dad looked furious. "Were you seeing Ollie Tucker?"

Skye looked even more confused now.

"In a manner of speaking," I said. "Yes. I didn't know he was a Rapid or I would have avoided him."

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