Page 99 of Begin Again Again

“Withholding?”

She blinked, surprised he knew the term, then remembered he’d studied psychology. How did she keep forgetting that? “Yeah. And I wouldn’t want you to talk if you didn’t want to.”

“That would make you the first.”

Beth bent to pull on her socks and sneakers. She wondered how many girls had pretended to be fine with Byron’s silence because he was so sexy. How frustrated they’d gotten when it seemed hewaswithholding.

He took her hand and they headed back toward his car. Beth looked up at the gum trees as they passed. She’d always thought they were boring with their mismatched branches and patchy grey trunks, but the sunlight turned the leaves to gold, making everything shimmer beautifully.

“You hungry?” Byron asked.

She smiled, relieved they’d be sharing a meal. “Starving. Do you want to go to Beatbox Kitchen? Best burgers in Melbourne.”

He shook his head.

“We don’t have to get burgers?”

“It’s not that. You’re just wrong. Grand Trailer Park has the best burgers and they closed during lockdown.”

“Oh, that’s sad. Also, fuck you, I’m not wrong!”

“Second best are Royal Stacks on Collins Street.”

“Oh,Collins Street,” Beth scoffed. “You’re a posho, aren’t you? And you try to play yourself off as this down and dirty working man.”

“Iama working man—”

“More like, faking man.”

Byron pinched her ass. “Nightmare.”

She smacked his chest. “Clown.”

He grinned, not in the least bit annoyed. “Violence, is it? And over a burger.”

“I’d fight anyone to the death over anything. I have no self-preservation and I love it.”

“I believe that. Anyway, where’d you get the idea you know where good burgers are, Kiwi? Go back to your own country.”

“Oh, I will, eventually, because it’s the best country in the world. Why don’t you go back to your giant fuck off mansion and play Nintendo Switch with Derek Hardiman?”

That shocked a full on, orange slice smile out of Byron.

She laughed to see it. “You have such a great smile.”

“I do not,” he said, smiling.

“Yeah, you do. And I bet you put caviar on your burgers.”

Byron picked her up, turning her in the air and hauling her against his chest. “You know what I think?”

“What?”

“You’re… interesting.”

“Is that right?”

“Yep.” He kissed her softly and settled her back on her feet. “Let’s go get Beatbox Kitchen.”

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