Page 60 of The Rebel

He doesn’t speak and I see the inner battle he wages play out across his face. Terror. Hope. Regret. Anxiety.

When he finally lays a hand over mine where it rests on my thigh, I know I have a chance.

‘Do me a favour. Come with me to Sydney. See for yourself why I’m so fucked up. Then make your decision.’

My relief is short-lived, but I can do this. He wants to scare me away? Let him try.

‘Do you really think I’ll change my mind?’ I lean in close to murmur in his ear. ‘I want you.’

He squeezes my hand and releases it. ‘You’re confusing sex for something more—’

‘Don’t do that.’ I jab him in the chest, hard. ‘Don’t belittle what we have.’

To his credit, he nods, his expression sheepish. ‘Fine. So we’ve got something beyond the phenomenal sex. But I don’t do relationships. I never have.’

‘That’s because you’re too busy running at the slightest sign of commitment.’ I sigh and sidle closer to him so our arms and thighs are touching. ‘Tell me why you left the island so quickly.’

He glances at me before his gaze shifts away. Guilty. ‘I needed to meet with the founder of the foster kids association—’

‘The real reason.’ I nudge him gently with my shoulder.

He takes an eternity to answer and I hold my breath, willing him to admit the truth.

‘Because I realised I started to feel more than physical attraction for you and I ran first before you could.’

‘Better.’ I exhale in relief and flash a smile. ‘Not your rationale, but the fact you admitted it.’

‘It doesn’t change anything,’ he says, folding his arms and leaning away from me. ‘I’m not the guy for you.’

‘Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?’ I jerk my head at the screen. ‘Now sign off on this so I can get your fabulous campaign up and running, then I can organise a last-minute seat on this flight.’

He startles, like he doesn’t expect I’ll be boarding with him. ‘I doubt you’ll get on this flight.’

I make a grand show of looking around the boarding gate area, where there are many vacant seats. ‘Really?’

He huffs out a breath. ‘I’m making you do this, it’s only fair I buy your ticket.’

‘Fine. I’m unemployed at the moment and last-minute tickets cost a fortune.’

If he’s surprised by my quick capitulation he doesn’t show it. ‘Here. Let me sign off, then I’ll book you a ticket online.’

I slide my laptop across to him, drumming my fingers impatiently against my leg. I want him to do this fast so he doesn’t change his mind, because wanting me to accompany him to Sydney, albeit to scare me off, is huge. I didn’t expect it. I thought I’d have to do a lot more cajoling—once I actually caught up with him, that is. I envisaged more resistance, less cooperation.

‘There. Signed. I’ll do the hard copy later.’ He hands me back the laptop and slides his phone out of his pocket.

He eyes my radiant smile with suspicion as he swipes his finger across the screen, pulling up the relevant website to book me a ticket. He frowns and my heart sinks. I’m not getting on this flight.

When he flips the phone towards me so I can see the screen, I beam.

‘Sorry to disappoint, but it looks like I’m coming with you to Sydney.’

His frown deepens. ‘So it seems.’

‘Is it too much to hope I scored a seat next to you?’

He rolls his eyes but I glimpse the glimmer of a smile. ‘Unfortunately, I have to put up with you next to me for the full one-hour-twenty-minute flight.’

‘Yay.’ I do a little dance with my hands clasped, arms outstretched, and shoulders rolling.

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