Page 4 of Chasing Blue
“I want this. I want you,” she said quietly.
Scarlett O’Brien then led me into her house and her bed. We made love for most of the night. By early the next morning, when I’d kissed her naked shoulder goodbye, along with a gravelly-voiced promise to see her later, I knew for sure she’d walked right into my heart and found a permanent place there. I drove away thinking of all the ways we could make a long-distance relationship work.
I wason-site at around eleven-thirty later that morning when the call came that changed my life.
Not recognising the number and thinking it might be work-related, I answered my phone.
“Jack Cole speaking.”
“Please don’t hang up, we need to talk.”
Fuck. Eden. My ex.
Taking in a deep breath, I spoke.
“What do you want, Eden?”
“I came to your house last night; you weren’t there.”
“I was out.”
“I waited until six this morning.”
“What the fuck? Why?”
“Because I wanted to see you? Where were you all night?”
The pitch of her voice rose, and I knew from experience this meant she was about to throw a bitch fit—something Eden did when she didn’t get what she wanted, or things weren’t going her way.
I didn’t have the energy or inclination to get into it with her, so I remained silent.
“I know you’re seeing someone, Sloan told me. The girl from the bar, right? Bit young for you, Jack, and a bit chubbier than your usual type . . .”
“We’re, as in you and me,we’renot together.” I decided to interrupt her rant. “Who I’m out with, where I go, what I do, who I choose to spend my time with, it’s got fuck all to do with you. And just so you know, these past couple of months, I’ve realised I’ve been getting involved with the wrong fucking types my entire life, so I’ve set that straight. Again, not that it’s any of your business, but the girl I’m seeing now is perfect in every fucking way.” I took a breath. Angry at myself for letting her rile me up this way, especially after starting the day on such a high.
“Now, you gonna tell me what the point of your call is? Because I’m at work and got better shit to do than listen to . . .”
“I’m pregnant,” she snapped, and for a few seconds, my head spun before I was able to right myself and respond.
“Yeah, well, congratulations. I hope you and the father will be very happy together but seeing as we split up over three months ago, I don’t see how this has a single thing to do with me, sowhyexactly are you calling?”
“I’m four months pregnant, Jack. The baby’s yours.”
My knees buckled, and my arse hit the floor. My dad stopped mid-cut of the timber he’d been sawing, and his eyes met mine, brows drawn together in concern.
My mouth hung open as the image of Scarlett’s red hair spread against her creamy skin when I left her warm and satiated in her bed, smelling of sex and me this morning, floated through my mind. An image that I had no idea then would be all I had to hold on to because I’d never get to see, touch, taste, or smell her again.
CHAPTER1
NOW.
Scarlett.
“I sawa thing on YouTube the other day. The bloke who wrangles the crocodiles in the Outback has opened up a glamping site. They pick you up from the airport, take you to the camp, take you on a helicopter ride, and out on an airboat to see all the Outback wildlife. Me and Zoe are gonna schedule some time off and go together. You end the day by watching the sunset while sitting around the pool. How cool does that sound?”
The side of Matt’s hand holding his knife rests against the table; his other hand holds his fork. It’s halfway to his mouth, which hangs open for a few seconds before contorting into an expression of absolute horror.
“Glamping?” he questions.
