Page 153 of Begin Again Again

Beth giggled madly. “So, you don’t want to be ‘gin’ again?”

“Fucks sakes…” Byron looked disgusted. “I’m gonna call the cookie people and tell them they clowned up my whole—”

Beth had waited long enough. She threw herself on him, hugging him as tightly as she could. “Don’t! The cookies are perfect.”

“They imply I want us to be gin together.”

“They do not. They imply that you understand why I’m leaving for Perth.”

“Hmm,” Byron said, still grumpy.

Beth leaned forward, her mouth an inch from his. “They imply you might want to come with me.”

“I suppose…”

She sat back, his face pressed between her palms. “They imply you love me.”

Byron’s green eyes flicked skyward. “I mean, who can really say?”

Beth grabbed a pink cookie and held it up. “This does.”

“Oh, yeah.” He leaned forward, snatching it into his mouth.

Amused, Beth watched him chew. “Good?”

“Yeah, they are pretty good,” he mumbled. “I might forgive Curious Creations after all.”

Then he leaned across and kissed her. Beth closed her eyes, sinking into him, and for the first time in the longest time, everything felt okay. More than okay. Perfect.

Then they sat in the grass together, arm-in-arm, watching the sun drift down to the horizon.

“I can’t come to Perth until March. Maybe April,” Byron said. “But you’ll wait for me?”

She laughed. “Of course, I will. Who else is there?”

He smirked. “Cool. Anyway, it might not be that long, I’ve just gotta help Dad wrap up the jobs we’ve got booked and train someone to take my place. Pretty easy stuff.”

It didn’t sound easy to Beth, but a day ago she’d have said that of moving interstate or buying a car in a single afternoon. “That’s no problem. Whatever it takes.”

He nodded. “There’s something else I should tell you.”

Beth’s heart stopped. “What is it?”

“I drank last night, after I left yours.”

Beth almost laughed but stopped at the look on his face. “Byron, that’sfine.”

“No, it isn’t. I didn’t keep my goal. One month.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s a journey, not some high ropes course you need to ace the first time!”

“Yeah, well I’m aiming to go dry for the next thirty-one days. And I’ll be better prepared this time.”

“I mean, if that’s what you want…”

“It is,” he said, pulling her closer. “I want to be better about drinking. It’s another fresh start. I can work on it while I’m waiting to get back to you.”

Beth wound her fingers through Byron’s and brought them to her mouth. “I’m really going to miss you.”

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