Page 45 of Stolen Kiss

“So, he’s on the island then?” her dad shouted from the living room. “He’s not on the mainland, or holed up in hospital?” he carried on. “He’s well enough to take my daughter out on a date but not capable of making roast bloody potatoes.”

Heidi clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter coming out. Her mum came to the internal door between thekitchen and laundry room and rolled her eyes. That didn’t help Heidi and her laughter. She didn’t want to encourage her father’s surliness that Jason wasn’t at Sunday lunch and nor were his potatoes. Her mum blew her a kiss and turned to go and placate her husband.

Still laughing at her dad’s lack of tact over her cooking, she trudged down the incline to Keith’s home. She banged on the door, then tried the handle.

It was open.

If the door was open, then she was allowed in. Even if Keith was home, if the door was locked no one was welcome and everyone respected that.

She pulled open the outer door and then the inner door and closed them both. Her brother was out on the veranda, slumped in a cushioned wicker chair with his feet up on the coffee table. A beer bottle dangled from his thumb and forefinger at his side. When she came nearer, he turned his head, looked at her expression and sat up, lifting his feet off the table. The bottle was put carefully on the floor next to the foot of the chair.

Heidi was glad he got the vibe she was giving off. It would make the conversation go a lot quicker.

“Hey,” she said. “You didn’t come for lunch.”

“Not in the mood for family games. You want a beer?” he said standing and then swiping up the empty bottle.

Heidi got the distinct impression he had two meanings to that word and it scared her a little.

She took a seat opposite him. Both chairs looked out to the ocean. “Sure,” she answered and settled into the seat.

He came back with two bottles, unscrewed one and handed it to her. He left his with the top on and put it on the coffee table.

“What’s on your mind?” he said, retaking his seat.

“I remember sitting in this seat when you told me Jason didn’t want a relationship with me anymore. The wordsdestroyed me. They destroyed me so much, I’m fuzzy on what reason you gave me.”

“It was a long time ago, Heidi. Why are you dragging this up now? You’re seeing him again, there’s never a good reason to drag up old memories. Not that I think it’s a good idea, he doesn’t appear to be hanging around for long.”

Heidi took a breath and paused at the news Jason wasn’t staying, but she had to keep on track.

“Tell me what Jason told you back then. Tell me what his reason was for breaking it off with me. Why did he use you and not directly tell me?”

She swigged at her beer, outwardly cool as anything but inside she was in turmoil. Her mind had obviously blanked out the reason because it traumatised her so much. Half of her reason for confronting him was to remember but the other half was to call his bluff.

“Who knows what he thought? I lost my best mate over the breakup it wasn’t just you who was in the middle of all this.”

He bit back, taking an angry swipe at his beer and downing a third of the contents.

“Why did you have to lose a friend? He broke up with me, not you.”

“Because it would’ve been too awkward with you two over.”

“Why would it have been awkward until he gave you the message to tell me, you didn’t know we were seeing each other? What reason did he give?”

She could see in the tightness of his jaw and the angry flare of his eyes that she was pushing Keith to his limit. The aggression pouring of him was palpable in the air. They were on the open air decking and it was still too stifling. She was corning her brother, and she didn’t seem to care. Heidi needed to know.

“I don’t remember.”

“You’re not senile and it was only a decade ago. It destroyed my heart and seemingly your life long friendship. You can’t possibly have forgotten why.”

“Just fucking leave it Heidi, just leave it alone.” Keith was yelling, spreading his arms wide, leaning forward and glaring so hard at her she didn’t recognise him. She felt his resentment but didn’t know why. If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t just lose Jason back then, she lost her brother too.

“I won’t leave it alone. You’re hiding something. I’m going to see him now. I’ll ask him straight.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he warned. Keith’s voice had dropped low at almost a snarl.

Heidi ignored the threatening tone. He didn't scare her. She might have a chance with Jason if he was sticking around, and she wasn’t going to miss the chance to explore it.

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