Page 87 of Begin Again Again

Beth waggled a finger at him. “You wait. One second you’re twenty-six, then you blink and you’re staring down thirty and you have to start justifying your lack of decisions.”

“And shaking your finger at people?”

“Exactly.” Beth tugged her bottom lip. “Don’t judge Lara by today, if you can. She’s funny and nice and she’s stressed out at work.”

“Sure.”

“Plus, I’m living at her place and I’m paying reduced rent when her husband wanted to get in a proper tenant and help pay off the mortgage. I feel a bit obligated to not be a pain in the ass.”

There was a short silence.

“I mean I’d like to get out of there,” Beth said. “But I can’t find a place and I need a new job and Lara keeps saying I need to go into strategic communications, but I really…”

The corner of Byron’s mouth had kicked up. She was doing it again. Filling the silences. She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m onto you.”

“Are you?”

“Almost. Soon.”

“10,000 Emerald Pools” bounced onto the speakers and Beth tapped her foot to the music. Byron glanced at her and turned up the volume again. “Appropriate, since we’re almost at the pools.”

“Will you hold my hand when we get out of the car?”

Beth didn’t know why she said it, except she missed him touching her.

He gave a startled huff. “Yeah. If you want.”

“How about now?”

He took her hand again. “Easy.”

They pulled off the highway and onto a rougher paved road. A sign promised they were near Werribee Gorge. Excitement bubbled in Beth’s stomach. Whatever happened, she and Byron had the pools and the drive home ahead of them. Maybe they could stop for dinner as well. Hours of him all to herself. They pulled into a small gravel lot and Byron parked the Hilux with a crunch.

“Got a towel?” he said, reaching for his phone.

“No, but I can air dry.”

“All good. I brought spares.”

“The perfect gentleman,” she said, impressed. “Lead the way, Two Names.”

“In a sec.”

He leaned across the console and kissed her. Beth paused for a moment, surprised, then kissed him back, hand fumbling to release her seatbelt. Before she could manage it, she heard another car trundling up. She and Byron broke apart, their foreheads still pressed together.

“Damn tourists,” Beth whispered.

He smiled. “Let’s go.”

It was a gorgeous afternoon, light and breezy. Beth straightened her dress as Byron collected the towels. He tucked them under his arm then came around to the passenger side and took her hand. “How’s that?”

Beth smiled. “Better, thank you.”

He tugged her toward a grassy path. “Good. This way.”

Chapter 14

Blackwood Pool was a short but steep walk from the car park. By the time Beth saw sunshine glittering on water, her BB cream was mixed with her sweat. She tried to subtly wipe it away as she and Byron approached the edge of a cliff face. Below, Beth could see a pool of green-grey water surrounded by a rocky bowl.

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