Page 71 of Lime Tree Hill

Was this their new normal? Touching hands and knowing smiles? Seduction without emotion?

Her hand slipped from his and she looked away. “You know what, I don’t feel like cooking. Let’s go into town and I’ll shout you a takeout. We could eat at the beach.”

“Sure, sounds good.” He gestured for her to go first. “I’ll grab some beers while you get your jacket.”

They sat at the northern end of City Beach, two bento boxes on the picnic table in front of them. Mitch reached into the cooler bag and pulled out a couple of bottles of craft beer. He flipped the lids with an opener from his key ring, and for a moment, the differences between him and Hayden made her smile. Mitch, with his large hands and gravelly voice, had a bottle opener on his key ring. He offered her a beer much as Hayden would have offered her a fine wine and explained the bouquet as they sipped.

Tayla focused on the water, a fishing boat—a dark dot against the sunset—catching her eye. She inhaled; the smell of miso soup, seaweed salad, and tempura vegetables making her hungry after days of little appetite.

“Did you see Hayden before they left?” Mitch asked as he tucked into his meal.

“Briefly. He came over to drop off the key, then stormed off in a huff when I wouldn’t let him kiss me goodbye. He texted later to apologize though.”

Mitch didn’t reply, conveying his thoughts with a slight shake of his head.

“I won’t be going back to Sydney to live. Although, I do have to sort out my apartment soon.”

He stopped eating. Put down his chopsticks.

“I know I’ve been withdrawn,” Tayla continued. “But after everything that’s happened and returning to Clifton Falls, I’ve struggled to pull myself through the mist. Do you understand what I mean?”

Mitch kept eye contact, sipped his beer. “Sure.”

Tayla moved rice around with her chopsticks while her thoughts found order, the other hand holding her jacket tight against the wind. “Still, I’m over the worst. When I saw Hayden the other day, standing in the driveway talking to Ned as if he belonged, I despised him for his insensitivity.”

Mitch reached over and fastened the jacket tab around herneck. Such a small gesture, but intimate. Caring. “Do you still love him on a deeper level?”

She finished her mouthful of food. “It’s taken me a while, but no. Seeing him in a different light the other day—that pleading, blame-shifting shit-show he put on—helped snip that last thread of doubt.”

“But you still haven’t blocked his number?”

She grinned. “It’s on my to-do list.”

Mitch chuckled. He picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and took a bite. “I’m sorry I screwed up, with Cherry Grove, I mean. I’ve put you through a lot of crap.”

“We did what we had to do. Hayden could have told me about Anna, but he chose not to. He lived a double life and thought I’d never find out. I’ve never considered myself gullible but, maybe I’m not such a good judge of my own character.”

Mitch raised his beer. “To gullibility. May we both smother it under the weight of regret.”

Tayla glanced his way and laughed. Some days, he said all the right things. She clinked her bottle against his. “I’ll drink to that.”

“May I ask you a personal question?” Mitch said after a moment.

“Depends.”

He touched her hand, rubbing this thumb back and forth across her knuckles. “You said you guys didn’t have a sexual relationship. Just how experienced are you?”

His bluntness surprised her. Apart from Ruby, no one had ever asked about her sexuality outright. She didn’t reply.

“Sorry, it’s none of my business,” he said. “You don’t have to answer.”

They ate in silence until their bento boxes were empty. Tayla stood and stuffed the bottles and boxes into a bag for recycling. “I’m going back to the truck. It’s freezing.” She paused, her expression flirtatious. “And to answer your question, I’m not experienced at all.”

Mitch picked up the cooler bag and followed her across the boardwalk. As he opened the truck door for her, she smiled her thanks. Once inside, he went to start the engine, then stopped.

He looked at her. “You’re still a virgin?”

She hesitated. Exhaled. “Not by choice.”

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