Page 24 of Muddy Messy Love

She rolls her eyes but grins. “You’re proud of that?”

I’m proud I went out at all. “Beats using the toilet seat as a pillow all morning. Tell me, was the porcelain upgrade worth it?” I tap a thoughtful finger against my chin, and she shakes her head.

“You’ll keep, missy.”

My chuckle floats away on the breeze, and I tilt my head. There’s no use postponing the inevitable. “What did you want to talk about?”

Beth’s clear blue eyes sparkle. “Well, I have some news.” She glances down, and her smile grows. “The senior partners have asked me to oversee the opening of our new Sydney office, and I suspect this may be a test of sorts. If I do well, my dream of making senior partner by thirty might become a reality. So yeah”—she shrugs—“it’s a pretty big deal.”

“That’s amazing,” I say.

“It is?”

“Of course it is. How long will you be gone?”

“Five months,” she says, fiddling with the cuff of her jumper. “Until the new year, basically.”

My smile falters. “That’s a long time.”

She nods, silently watching me, and I look away. My index finger circles the cold hex head of a screw, building speed in line with my thoughts. Beth deserves every success. God knows she’s worked hard for it. Butfive months? Do I need to find another place to live? And what if she doesn’t return? My stomach lurches, and a little voice creeps in, twisting my chest with long, sabre-tipped fingers.

She’s leaving too. See, no one can stand you. Not once theyknowyou.

My breath hitches, and I rub my forehead with the heel of my hand.

“Aves, look at me. What’s going through that head of yours?”

Beth’s brows are drawn together, and I swallow back the question I really want to ask in favour of those more acceptable. “Will you come back?”

“Absolutely. I’ll fly back every other month and be home for good in five. I have no desire to move permanently.”

“And what if the promotion depends on you staying?”

She inhales a deep breath. “Like I said, I have no desire to move forever. I just finished building this place, and my family is here.”

The hideous fingers ease their grip. She meansI’mhere. That’s the glorious extent of our family in Victoria.

“When do you leave?” I ask.

“If I accept, three weeks.”

“You haven’t said yes yet?”

“Not without talking to you first. I’d need you to stay here while I’m gone. I don’t want this place empty.” My shoulders loosen as another fear falls flat, and Beth continues. “And I’m not leaving unless I know you’ll be okay. The timing is bad. You’ve been through a lot and only just—”

Her words sink in, and I halt her with my hand. “You’d say no for me? I mean that much?”

She holds my gaze. “Yes, Aves, you do.” But I don’t miss the stiff line of her lips or the flicker of fear in her eyes. She’s worried I’d ask that of her—I never would.

Coming to a kneel, I shove Cole’s card and my phone inside my back pocket and crawl up the wavy tin. Beth steps back as I mount the sill and climb through with practised ease, landing on the carpet with a thud.

I rest my palms on her shoulders and grin. “Congratulations.”

Her shoulders fall on a sigh, and she wrenches me in for a hug. “Thank you.”

Pulling back, I arch a brow. “You sure you trust me alone in your house?”

My jest is clear, but she searches my eyes with seriousness as though it’s been well considered. “I trust you. You wouldn’t break our agreement.”

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