Page 85 of The Vanishing Place
Lewis smiled at her, then he opened his arms. “Fancy a hug?”
“Don’t you dare.” Effie stumbled back. “Get away from me, you big wet idiot.”
“Just a—”
“No!” She laughed and spun around, dodging his outstretched arms, and he chased her across the beach.
They ran, cursing their way through the maze of sharp driftwood. Eventually, they collapsed onto the sand, the cold air peppered with their wheezed laughs and insults.
“I reckon June runs faster than you,” Effie panted.
“Yeah, well, June doesn’t have to run with a huge pair of frozen balls bashing between her legs.”
“Yuck.” Effie stuck her tongue out and hit his arm. “You’re so gross.”
“I’ve probably got bruises the size of soccer balls.”
“You don’t know nothing about bruises,” Effie spluttered. “Try pedaling that death trap, then you’ll…” She turned, the right side of Lewis’s face shining purple, and wanted to swallow her words back.
“Come on.” He pulled them both up. “Aiden’s going to be right pissed off with me.”
“I forgot to tell you.” Effie slapped a palm to her forehead. “Aiden was running around the garden when I left, kicking that stupid ball into the air and trying to catch it—”
“Good lad. No slacking while his coach was off.”
“But he tripped,” she said. “And fell into that pile of old planks. One of the nails went right into his foot.” She grimaced. “He sure made some noise about it. But really, the hole was tiny.”
“Shit. I’ll be getting blamed for that too.”
Effie tutted. “Reckon he’ll probably sack you as his coach.”
“Never.” Lewis smiled. “Your brother reckons he’s going to be the next Jonah Lomu.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“He was the youngest ever All Black,” said Lewis. “Just nineteen.”
Effie faked a yawn and Lewis tried, and failed, to push her to the ground.
“Yep.” She grinned. “You fight like June too.”
Then she stuck her tongue out and sprinted back to the bike. But Lewis caught her after ten meters and took her hand. He slipped his fingers into hers like they’d done it a thousand times, like she was his, and Effie’s heart beat wildly.
“Why don’t you just stay in Koraha with June?” asked Lewis. “Rather than going back?”
Effie shook her head. “I couldn’t leave Tia and the young ones.”Not with Dad. “And they love the bush.”
“And what about me?”
A smile filled his face, his eyes tunneling into her, and Effie’s body warmed.
“Hanging out with you every day…” She let out a puff of air. “I’d rather throw myself in the sea.”
“Liar.” Lewis grinned.
They didn’t speak after that. They didn’t look at each other. They just walked hand in hand along the beach.
Of all the moments of happiness Effie had known, none had felt like this.
