Page 59 of Blackout

I stared at the mess as Zach carried out the last box. We had let Jack go after the last of the larger furniture was packed away.

‘Come on, let’s get this last load into the container.’ Zach tugged on my hand to pull me closer to him then whistled for Abby, opening the passenger door for her to jump in.

‘Okay, but what about the mess?’

‘I’ll text Brock, and he can load it into the back of his truck.’

‘He won’t mind?’ I wasn’t sure if that was okay.

‘No, Harley, Brock won’t mind.’ Zach started his truck and made his way to the container.

‘Okay.’ I stared out the window to think. There was a lot on my mind, and now I had to text Brad to let him know there was a buyer for the bungalow.

‘What are you going to do with all this anyway?’ Zach asked.

‘See if Brock wants any of it, donate the rest of the furniture.’ Maybe I had this all figured out after all.

‘Your family won’t want the furniture?’

I guess Zach genuinely wanted to know. ‘I don’t think so, all their houses already have furniture.’

‘And the boxes?’

I didn’t answer. I wanted to be the first to sort through everything. Separate the boxes into who they belonged to. When it was time to sort through Dad’s stuff and our family photos, maybe Mum, Addison and I could go through it together.

What I really needed was to figure out what to say to Zach. Was this where I wanted to be? Here with Zach in a house that was meant to be my mum and dad’s. To live in their house the way they were meant to? Did Zach even want me here? Living together so quickly? Zach and I really did need to talk.

If I’d paid more attention to the man next to me, I would have known he was up to something.

As soon as Zach opened the passenger door, Abby was off to her favourite place on the back veranda, leaving Zach and I to unpack the last of the boxes from the back of truck. Then Zach closed the door to the container, and I moved towards the passenger door of his truck. ‘I don’t think so.’ I was spun around so quickly I felt dizzy.

Laughing, Zach slung me over his shoulder fireman style and carried me around the back of his house towards his back yard bar. The man had gone total caveman. ‘If you move, you will pay.’

I was almost tempted to run just to play games with him. Zach’s hand moved from holding the back of my legs to slap my butt, before he set me on my feet. I smiled as Zach pulled me closer to him and his lips moved closer to kiss me.

‘Zach,’ I said to get his attention. I had to find the words I needed to tell him. Start our conversation. But he pressed his index finger against my lips while our eyes met.

Then he grabbed an esky in one hand and mine in the other and we were off again. Down his man-made path to the river. As I looked up at him, I think I had finally caught on to why Zach had been silent. There was a look in his eyes and a hint of smugness about him that told me he was up to something.

Twenty-nine

Zach led me along the sandy edge of the river to the same spot he’d brought me to last time. Bringing my hand to his lips, he kissed my fingertips. I melted a little inside from his touch and the anticipation.

He dropped the esky into the sand and laid a blanket down. I dropped the towels he’d given me onto the blanket.

Zach had a plan – I just didn’t know what that plan was.

‘Whatever you’re thinking about, Harley, just stop. It can wait!’ When Zach noticed my stance, he stepped closer to me and whispered. ‘Right now, this moment is about you and me.’ The next words that came out of Zach’s mouth were the lyrics from last night. He had sung them to me again. ‘I ain’t going nowhere, baby.’

‘Is this our song now?’ I was unsure of what else to say as Zach reached for both of my hands.

‘What do you think?’

I guess he wanted that song to be our song. It was perfect for us, I thought.

‘Our reunion, the last four weeks, last night and today have all been a whirlwind, baby.’ The words Zach had spoken were the truth. ‘We both need some healing, baby.’ Zach and I shared a smile at the words I had sung to him, before Zach continued, ‘Yeah, take my hand and I’ll lead the way.’

Zach pulled me into him then dragged me towards the water. Just before our toes reached the shore, he picked me up. When the water was deep enough, he crocodile-rolled us until we were soaked.

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