Page 147 of The Storm Boys Series Collection

I laughed and threw my arms around him, pushing him back inside. “Mum packed us food. I’m assuming you haven’t eaten, because I haven’t either. I’m starving. I was also robbed blind at the service station for snacks and water. The prices they charged were outrageous. When this is over, I’m gonna pay those jerks a little visit.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s the day before a cyclone. What did you expect?”

Now the control panel was mostly flashing red and yellow lights.

Warning, warning, warning.

Jeez.

“I don’t expect to be extorted or racketeered,” I said, figurin’ the distraction would be good for him. I began taking out the food Mum had packed. “I mean, I can afford it. That’s not my issue. What about the people who can’t? What about those who can barely afford normal prices and then, in an emergency such as this, they can’t get essentials like water? We need to do better. As a society. I probably should have thought about runnin’ some kind of food drop to those who are gonna really struggle—”

Jeremiah was smiling at me.

“What?”

He shook his head. “You’re a good one.”

I sighed. “Well, I threatened physical violence on-camera, remember? So you might wanna hold off the sainthood.” I handed him one container with a fork.

“Your mum gave you all this?”

I nodded. “With strict instructions to keep you safe. And fed. But mostly safe.”

His smile softened and he looked at the food in his lap. “Tell her I said thank you.”

“You can tell her yourself. There were also strict instructions to stay in touch. There’ll be phone calls and probably FaceTimes. They’re all stuck together in the cyclone cellar, so by tomorrow mornin’, if you see Ellis hogtied with duct tape in the background, no, you didn’t.”

Jeremiah chuckled and ate some lunch. Then he frowned as he chewed. “Do you wish you were with them?”

I knocked my knee against his. “We’re not doing that.”

“It’s a fair question.”

“I wish maybe we were both with them. Together. But that can’t happen, so no. I wish to be with you.” I waved my fork toward the floor. “I am herebecause I wish to behere. Maybe you could stop asking me or I might get a complex for real that you actually don’t want me around.”

He froze, and I’d like to have said that I was joking, but I wasn’t.

He shook his head, a little panicked. “I-I’m-I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I really appreciate you choosing to be here with me. I’m sorry if I made it sound otherwise. I just worry... I don’t want to be the reason that you’re separated from them.”

I knocked my knee to his again, and this time, I hooked my foot around his as well. “You’re not. I’m the reason. Because stupid-me went and fell in love with a guy who has a pretty important job to do.”

He went from pouting, to frowning, to smiling, to blushing all in the space of about three seconds. “The food is very good,” he said.

I groaned. “I tell you I love you and you say mmm, the food’s delicious.” I pretended to stab myself in the heart with my fork. “My poor heart.”

He made a cute, scowly smiling face at me, then he pretended to stab me with his fork. “You know what I mean. You know I can’t talk about this stuff. God.” He pouted and handed me back the container of food. “We should keep some. Ration it out.”

I took it from him and put the lid back on. I nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

“Tully,” he murmured. “I’m sorry.”

I should have found some comfort in the fact that he was blushing, and hedidlook sorry. “It’s fine. Have you been busy today?”

He nodded. “Non-stop. It’s been good, in a way. Otherwise I’d have gone mad. I didn’t realise the time until I saw you drive in.”

“The skies are dark to the north. Hazer’s on his way.”

Jeremiah nodded, then pointed his chin to the radar by my shoulder. “And he’s not slowing down. Gathering speed, if anything.”

---