Page 84 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars

“What a lovely idea,” I say genuinely.

“I can see the appeal,” Edmund continues. “Maybe we should get matching ones,” he jokes to Linc. “Two pictures of Churchill or something.”

“Hey, I’m up for it if you are,” Linc teases.

“You’re running out of space,” I scoff.

“Still some places I haven’t got one,” he says, and waggles his eyebrows.

“Maybe we should both get the Leaning Tower of Pisa there,” Edmund says, and we all burst out laughing.

We stay for another hour, until the light starts to fade, and then Linc says it’s time we made a move.

We offer to help them carry the cups and plates inside, but Isabel brushes us away. We walk through the living room, then stop in the hallway to say goodbye.

“I’m so glad you had the time to meet us,” Edmund says.

“Me too,” Linc replies.

The two guys study each other for a moment. Then they move closer and have a bearhug.

I turn to the two women and hold out a hand. “It was lovely to meet you both.”

“Likewise,” Isabel says, coming forward to kiss my cheek, and Marie does the same. Then, when Edmund releases Linc, they kiss him goodbye, too.

“I hope you’ll keep in touch,” Edmund says.

“Of course.” Linc’s voice has gone husky again. He’s feeling emotional. “I’d like that.”

“Call soon.”

“I will.”

Edmund opens the door, and we go and get in the car. Linc reverses out, and we wave goodbye, then head off back to Queenstown.

The sun has nearly set, and the mountains are turning the color of blueberries, whilst to our right someone has filled the lake with treacle.

Linc is quiet, his elbow resting on the windowsill, his fingers on his lips. I leave him to his thoughts and look out at the shops and houses on my left, thinking about what Edmund said about Carpe Diem. If something terrible happened to me tomorrow, would I have regrets? Of course you can’t always think like that. You can’t live for the moment and spend every cent you own because the likelihood is that something terrible won’t happen and you’ll have no money for the next day. And likewise, you can’t go around acting as if the world is going to end because you’ll end up taking too many risks and endangering yourself.

But I jumped off a bridge today, and survived. I was terrified, but I’m so, so glad I did it. Linc understands that sometimes you need to take a risk, because the joy it brings you afterward is worth the terror you feel leading up to it.

Nothing lasts forever. Archaeology teaches us that. Civilizations rise and fall; buildings—even stone ones—tower over cities and then crumble to dust. We’re gone in the blink of an eye, our lives—compared to the history of the world—a blip in existence. And yet we ruminate and agonize over the smallest of problems because we’re worried about the effect our actions will have, when they won’t even cause a ripple in the ocean of time.

Despite being determined not to let my assault define me, I know I’ve spent too long brooding on it and letting it influence my actions going forward. I’ve let fear govern me for far too long.

Carpe diem, Elora. Liber sum. You’re free now. You have all this time left on Earth. What are you going to do with it?

Linc indicates, and I realize we’ve reached the hotel without saying anything. He steers the car into the car park, and we get out and go into the elevator, pressing the button to go up.

We study each other across the carriage, and I think how handsome he is, more so than when he was eighteen, and he was gorgeous then. Now, though, he’s filled out, and he has a man’s build, a man’s hair, a man’s deep voice. He’s not a boy anymore, and I’m not a girl. I’m a woman, with a woman’s needs and desires, and I’m being foolish if I think I can ignore them for the rest of my life. I don’t want to. I don’t want to let fear win.

He’s watching me, a tender expression on his face. “Thank you for going with me tonight.”

“You’re welcome.” I clear my throat. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

Just as I did on the jump platform, I summon every ounce of courage I own and take a deep breath. “Would you like to go to bed with me?”

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