Page 19 of The Winning Ticket

“I surrender!” He drops his controller in defeat, and I do a little victory lap around the couch before putting the controllers back as he flicks the TV back to the end of the game.

“Actually, back on the subject of Bri.”

I groan and throw my head back in frustration, and he puts his hands up.

“Not that, idiot. What about asking her if she wants to live here? She needs to get out of her parent’s house, and this place would kind of be perfect for her,” he says, looking around the apartment.

I have to admit, it’s not a bad idea. “Yeah, I guess that could work. I’ll chat to her about it tomorrow night. Can’t hurt to ask.”

It’s the last we speak about Bri for the rest of the night. When Chris leaves, and I head to bed, my thoughts drift back to focus once more on a certain gorgeous blonde, and I have to admit that the idea of having Bri staying here made me a little happier than it should.

It could also be a recipe for disaster.

9

WHAT WAS UP WITH YOU BEING IN JAKE’S BEDROOM LAST WEEK?

BRIANNA

After the first week of living with my parents again, I know I need to move out of here as soon as possible.

“Bloody hell. I think that’s the worst family dinner I’ve ever been to,” Morgan says, following me into my bedroom once we’ve escaped the cold war occurring at the kitchen table, filled with passive-aggressive comments from Mum and silence from Dad.

“They’ve been like this all week. Have you noticed anything like this when you’ve been around?” I flop down on the single bed.

Morgan shoves me over so that she can take up the tiny space beside me. I really miss my king-size bed. Well, Richard’s king-size bed. I have to keep reminding myself that nothing there was actually mine.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t come around much. Mum usually visits us, or Chris and I might go fishing with Dad, but this is the most time I’ve spent with them together outside Christmas in years.” Morgan sighs, and we both stare up at the ceiling, still decorated with the stars I’d plastered all over it when I was a kid.

“Do you think they’re okay?” she asks after a while.

“Not from what I’ve seen. Every minute I’ve been home, Mum has been in my ear, complaining that Dad is around too much since he retired, and I swear Dad’s become even more mute than he was when we were kids. What do you even talk to him about when you guys go fishing?”

I can’t even remember the last time I was in my father’s little boat. We used to go out all the time as kids, but once I hit the teen years, it lost its appeal. Once I moved to Sydney, when I did come home, it was usually with Richard, and there was no way he was getting in a “rickety little death trap” - his words, not mine. I doubt he’s ever caught a fish in his life.

“Well, he and Chris bond over the cricket. Dad is actually quite chatty when you get him away from Mum, believe it or not,” Morgan says.

I turn to look at her with raised eyebrows.

She shrugs. “I’m serious. You should try to spend more time with him now that you’re back. You’re more like him than you realise.”

“Sure. Just as soon as Mum lets me out of her sight.” I roll my eyes, turning back to the ceiling.

It’s been a week, and my mother has been smothering me with attention. All I wanted to do was read a book or watch some TV, but instead, Mum was at my door, laying on the guilt that she hadn’t seen me in over a year.

“We need to get you out of here, or you’re going to end up either killing her or moving back to Sydney or somewhere even further away.” Although she attempts to make it sound like a joke, I know she’s worried I’ll leave again.

“I’ve started looking on all the housemate websites, but I don’t want to leave here just to go somewhere worse. I’ve seen so many ads from creepy old guys advertising their spare rooms or people who are so obviously controlling that it would be ten times worse than dealing with Mum and her control over the washing machine.” I shudder when I think about the last ad I’d looked at. “The one I saw today was some lady who had laid out all the house rules, and it was clear that she basically just expects to have the whole house to herself and have her housemate take a vow of silence and become invisible. Not to mention, most of them immediately said ‘no pets’.”

“What about Tara and Kylie?” Morgan asks.

“They don’t have the room and just signed a new lease. I’ll work something out. Don’t worry, I’m not going back to Sydney. Things would have to get pretty desperate for me to even consider that,” I say, and Maddie chooses this moment to join us, jumping up and landing squarely on Morgan’s chest with a thump, causing my sister to squeal, laughing when my fur-child pins her down and licks her all over the face.

“Oh, yuck! I love you, my little furry niece, but not the face!” She holds Maddie over her head so she can’t reach her face, and Maddie squirms to be put down.

“Give her to me. I could use some cuddle time with her. I’ve missed being able to work from home and have her nearby. Another reason to be selective about where I live.” Morgan hands Maddie to me, and after a sneaky lick on the cheek, she curls up on my stomach, looking up at me with a cute little doggy smile.

Who needs a boyfriend when you have the love of a dog?

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