Page 37 of One Weekend in Sydney

Tara nods slowly, her eyes rounding as she seems to anticipate what I’m about to reveal.

“They were my boss’s sons,” I say with a gushy breath. “The reason why he sought me out and offered me a job was to use me in his revenge plans against you because you were the reason both of his sons ended up in jail.”

Tara gaped at me for a long moment. Then her shoulders start to shake as tears rush out of her eyes.

I take her in my arms and caress her hair. “Shhh. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“They…ruined…your…life,” she gasps in between sobs. “And it…was all…my fault.”

“No.” I pull back to look into her eyes. “None of it was your fault, you understand? You did the right thing. Don’t you dare start blaming yourself for that.”

“But…everyone thought…you were…an asshole. And…” She glowers. “They broke us up!” she said with venom.

I cup her face, gently swiping away her tears with my thumbs. “There’s no point looking back, Tara. It happened, and they’re behind bars now. We can’t turn back time. All we can do is learn from it and use it as fertiliser for a brighter future.Youtaught me that.”

A smile forms on her face before her forehead creases again. “You know what hurt the most?”

I shut my eyes for a long second. “Tell me.”

“When the gang members were arrested, you must have approached your family and reconciled with them. But you never even thought to contact me. If we didn’t accidentally bump into each other at the Masks On boat, we still wouldn’t be communicating.” I hear the hard edge in her voice.

“I wanted to talk to you after their arrest. I really did. But…” I press my lips together, my heart pinching at the memory. “I found out you already had a boyfriend,” I say in a flat tone. “And apparently, you didn’t even want Odette to mention my name in front of you. So, I didn’t think you’d ever want to see my face again. Besides, you were doing so well in everything. I didn’t want to disrupt your life. And for the record, I never explained anything to my family. Over time, they just accepted me back.”

Tara blinks. “You mean you’ve never told anyone the truth about that video and the gang’s involvement?”

I shake my head.

“Why not, Mason? Your life—our relationship—was wrecked. You didn’t want to set the record straight?”

I shrug. “After working for years with the police to help round up the gang only to find you’re going out with someone else, I felt defeated. I just didn’t see the point?—”

“Wait, what? You helped the police catch the gang?”

I nod. “Did you think I was just gonna sit there after all they’ve done?”

“Oh, Mason.” Her eyes pool again. “You really should have told me.”

“Well, after five years of that video circulating, I didn’t think that you or anyone else would care to hear my explanation. You’ve moved on, the town has moved on, and I thought I should probably just move on, too. It was hard. Fortunately, a friend of mine helped me find the silver lining, and I was able to put all my effort and energy into my business. I guess deep inside, I wanted to be successful and prove to everyone—especially you—that they were wrong about me.”

Tara curves her arms tightly around my waist. “I’m so proud of you. And I’m so sorry.”

My chest heaves as I bury my face in her hair. “There’s nothing to apologise for. I’m just grateful you missed your ride and ended up on my boat.”

We stay like that for a long time until Tara’s smartwatch starts to beep. She releases me to turn it off.

“That’s my alarm,” she says with disappointment. “It’s telling me it’s time to go to the airport.”

I inhale sharply. “Can I see you again?”

“When? Where?”

I caress her cheek. “How about I visit you at Moonstruck Cove?”

“Really?” Her tone is hopeful.

“Yeah. I can make arrangements so that I can be flexible with my schedule. Moonstruck Cove is only an hour and a half by plane from here. That’s nothing. I can make regular weekly trips. So, the when is up to you. As soon as possible would be great.”

That sweet smile I love so much formed on her face. “As soon as possible, then.”

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