Page 105 of Fire Fight

Just.

That word is carrying a lot more weight than it should.

“Would you like to go down to the beach?” I ask, following her. A small dribble of blood is in the corner of her mouth and Arnold is frowning. “We could sunbathe on the platform.”

“And leave me stranded out there?”

She shakes her head, then can’t stop, each turn of her neck becoming more exaggerated until Arnold softly holds it between his palms, staring down at her with a worried frown. “What’s the matter? The woman’s gone and she won’t be back.”

But Mum’s face turns into a rictus mask, the strain etching deep until it looks like carved stone.

“What woman? You’re seeing another woman?” Her hands reach out, twisting in his shirt until a button pops off, the tendons in her wrist corded. “You said I was the only one and now you’re seeing someone else?” Another dribble of blood joins the first as she bites deep into her bottom lip. “You’re going to leave me, aren’t you? You’ll toss us onto the street.”

I tense, expecting him to explode into another bonfire of rage, but his face softens further as he gently peels her hands from his shirt, squeezing them until he pulls her into a hug.

“I’m not seeing anyone else,” he murmurs, rocking her back and forth, his hand splayed across her back to keep her steady. “And I’ll never leave you. You’re the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met in my life. There’s absolutely no chance I will ever let you escape.”

Mum relaxes, then tenses as another thought misfires in her head, the deep-seated need she has for companionship twisted with the utter conviction her mental illness gives her.

The strident internal voice, impossible to evade, which insists that everyone leaves.

Nobody wants her.

No one in their right mind would ever need her to stay.

I could never talk her out of the conviction, but as I watch Arnold, he hits every note with pitch perfect precision. Combatting her fear, talking her down from the precipice.

“You know what,” he says after long minutes of cajoling. “This felt mad to ask so quickly, but I can’t stand for you to go another moment without knowing how much I care.”

He holds up a forefinger.

“Wait right there. I’ll just be a second.”

He dashes from the room, straight past Drake who stands, sporting a bemused expression. When I give him a watery smile, he slips an arm around my waist, standing behind me.

And jumps away when Arnold zips back inside, one hand behind his back.

“I know other people will say this is far too soon but I’m sick of waiting.” His face has returned to the genial smile from when I first met him.

He drops to one knee and Mum covers her mouth with her hands, eyes bugging.

“Two days after you moved in, I went shopping for a ring because I knew you were the only woman for me, then I talked myself out of asking, worried that you’d think I was in too much of a rush.” He leans forward, nudging his head into her belly while she giggles, mood flipped in an instant. “But I should have trusted my instinct and made sure you never had a moment’s doubt.”

His hand moves from behind his back, exposing a ring box and flipping it open.

The diamond ring inside is a gorgeous princess cut. The size of the stone, mind-boggling.

“Raelene Rivers, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

She bounces on her toes, giving a squeal, then flaps her hand in excitement until Arnold catches it and slides on the ring.

“Yes,” she says, sounding breathless as she throws her arms around him. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

My heart sinks to the floor.

I won’t be able to talk her into leaving, not now.

And if she’s staying with this man who proves more dangerous with each passing day?

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