Page 79 of High Alert

Glancing away, I let my stare unfocus on the scenery zipping by, acutely aware that we were nearing the creek that could possibly leave us unstuck and me wading on through and hoping like hell the water’s current didn’t take a liking to me.

The green blurred with the vibrant blue sky, the occasional brown trunk breaking the pattern.

Nick’s words jolted my attention, the colours and world outside coming into sharp view. “I don’t know why you haven’t called me out or treated me the way I perhaps deserve, but I want to say I’m sorry. For it all.”

For it all. The words bounced around my brain, a silent list forming of what exactly that had entailed. Reciting it aloud may perhaps give me a vitriolic five minutes, but then what?

“You were so fucking brave when we were kids. I envied you and your family so much. They had your back, supported you….” I glanced over to see him shaking his head, perhaps at himself. “Dad found something I should have kept well hidden when I was fifteen.” Bitterness seeped into his tone.

I winced, imagining just what that was. There was no need to imagine either. The same thing had happened to me. The difference was our stories were so different.

When Mum had found some pretty dodgy magazines of mine, she’d put them back away with a pamphlet about safe sex and a packet of condoms.

Sure, I’d been humiliated as hell, my seventeen-year-old self unable to cope with a spotlight on me and wanking. But by then, I already had the support of my family.

It didn’t take much imagination at all to deduce Nick’s story was a world apart from my own.

“I was so envious of you,” he said, and I still remained quiet. “And through it all, the whole damn time, I hated myself even more for what I was putting you through, encouraging my mates. And honestly, it still plays on my mind so fucking often.”

I found my voice, words spilling out before they’d fully formed, but I embraced every syllable, his apology, whether for the distraction I needed so I didn’t vomit from my concern for Dan or simply from the fact they were words perhaps I needed to hear.

Deep down, it didn’t matter the reason. “So you moving back and realising I worked at the same school….” I left the words hanging.

Nick’s snort held a little more amusement this time. “Gotta admit it felt like karma had finally started making her rounds.”

I chuckled, the strange turn of events momentarily shadowing my upset. “I bet.”

When he started slowing, my brows dipped low as I glanced at him. He signalled ahead with a small chin lift, and I followed his line of sight. We’d hit the creek that had most definitely flooded the road.

“Shit.”

“Come on.” His voice was strong, resolved. “Let’s go check it out and see what our next move is.”

I appreciated the calm determination leveling his voice. Before I stepped out, Nick saying my name stopped me.

“I am sorry for what I did, how I treated you. And I’m sure as shit sorry if me being back here has hurt you.” Sincerity bled into his features.

“Confused me more than hurt,” I said, wanting to respond and finally move on, despite the need biting at my heels to get through the water already and to Dan. “And I believe you’re sorry.”

We got out of the car and raced to the water, checking for the flow since it was higher than the one-metre marker.

“If you can get me through this, I may just forgive you sooner rather than later.” I shot him a grin, my nerves going crazy, my heart bouncing around like it was on a damn trampoline.

“Even if you don’t, we’ve got this.” He gave a firm nod, his gaze shifting to me. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

There wasn’t a chance I’d argue. If he was confident he could get through safely, I’d trust him to do so.

We jogged to the Cruiser, and he pressed a button or two before he drove towards the slow-moving water. The splash of tyres in the floodwater competed with the noise of the engine.

“Shit, it’s deep.”

“We’ve got this.”

We continued through, the water probably halfway up the door. Water oozed out of the seals, quickly forming puddles at our feet.

“Shit, is this your or George’s car?”

A burst of laughter broke free from Nick, tearing free my own. “George’s. But he’ll be fine. Just pissed he couldn’t get to test this out himself.”

---