the kitchen.
‘Yes, please,’ I call back with a very croaky voice.
‘Milk, one sugar?’
I’ve actually cut out the sugar in the last few years, but I could do with a pick-me-up so I say yes. He brings it through a short while later, along with a couple of headache tablets
which he tips onto my palm.
‘Where did you find these?’
‘Kitchen drawer.’
‘Nice one.’ I tuck them away.
He lifts up my feet and sits down, letting my legs drape across him. This is so weird. It’s as if we’ve slotted back into our past. He might be a wine buff now with a sexy chest, but
he’s remarkably similar to the boy I used to know.
‘What was Liz’s face like?’ I ask him with a smirk.
‘She was pretty shocked,’ he replies, mirroring my look.
Out of the blue, I crack up at the thought of Liz finding him half naked on the sofa. My laughter must be infectious because soon we’re both clutching our sides.
The phone rings and I waggle my hand in its direction on the other side of the sofa, trying to stifle my giggles. Ethan passes it to me without answering it.
‘Hello?’ I say into the receiver.
‘Is that you, Amber?’
Christ, it’s Ned.
‘Hello!’ I cry, sitting upright and swinging my legs off Ethan’s lap.
‘Hey,’ he says fondly. ‘I wasn’t sure if I’d catch you before you go to the hospital.’
‘I’m heading in later.’ It’s an effort to sound bright and breezy, but I’m giving it a good shot. ‘What’s the time?’ I haven’t even looked
at a clock yet.
‘It’s just after midnight here,’ he replies as Ethan shoves his watch in my face. ‘I don’t know about where you are,’ Ned adds.
‘Ten fifteen,’ I tell him, glancing at Ethan and giving him a silent thumbs-up.
‘Say hello from me,’ Ethan whispers, waving.
I put my finger to my lips and then make a swiping motion across my throat. He looks bewildered.
‘Have you been out with Zara again?’ I ask Ned, registering the time he’s calling me.
‘No, Tate,’ he replies, prompting a hypocritical surge of relief to rush through me.
‘I thought he was in New York.’
Ned yawns loudly. ‘He came back for a client meeting. We wanted to go over a few things before I head out there next week.’
‘You sound knackered,’ I point out.
‘You sound a bit rough yourself. Are you alright?’ he asks.
‘Yeah, had a pretty big night with Tina and Nell.’
‘Aah, okay,’ he says. He asks a few questions about Dad before calling it a night. We agree to chat in a couple of days before he flies out to the US.
‘Love you,’ he says.
‘Night-night, love you too,’ I reply, hanging up and glancing at Ethan. He’s staring at me strangely. ‘What?’
‘Why didn’t you say hi to him from me?’ he asks with a frown.
‘Because you stayed the night at my house,’ I reply. Duh. ‘He doesn’t know you that well. He’ll probably think you’re trying to get into my knickers or
something.’
He casts his eyes heavenwards.
‘What are you up to for the rest of the weekend?’ I ask, nursing my coffee cup. I don’t put my legs back across him.
‘Manning the Cellar Door. Mum’s covering for me this morning. What about you?’
‘Hanging out at the hospital.’
Ethan gets to his feet, placing the coffee mug on a side table. ‘I’d better get going.’
‘Want a lift home?’ I ask.
‘You’re probably still drunk,’ he points out with amusement.
‘Oh.’ My brow furrows. If that’s true, how am I going to get to the hospital?
‘Go back to bed,’ he says, reading my mind. ‘Sleep it off and head in this arvo, after you’ve had some lunch. I’m going to jump on a bus.’
I feel a twinge of guilt at not going to see Dad right away, but I doubt he’ll want to breathe in my boozy fumes.
I walk Ethan to the door and put his number into my phone, letting it ring until he pats his pocket. ‘Got it,’ he says with a sleepy grin. There’s that dimple again. ‘See
you Monday,’ he says,
‘Yes, please,’ I call back with a very croaky voice.
‘Milk, one sugar?’
I’ve actually cut out the sugar in the last few years, but I could do with a pick-me-up so I say yes. He brings it through a short while later, along with a couple of headache tablets
which he tips onto my palm.
‘Where did you find these?’
‘Kitchen drawer.’
‘Nice one.’ I tuck them away.
He lifts up my feet and sits down, letting my legs drape across him. This is so weird. It’s as if we’ve slotted back into our past. He might be a wine buff now with a sexy chest, but
he’s remarkably similar to the boy I used to know.
‘What was Liz’s face like?’ I ask him with a smirk.
‘She was pretty shocked,’ he replies, mirroring my look.
Out of the blue, I crack up at the thought of Liz finding him half naked on the sofa. My laughter must be infectious because soon we’re both clutching our sides.
The phone rings and I waggle my hand in its direction on the other side of the sofa, trying to stifle my giggles. Ethan passes it to me without answering it.
‘Hello?’ I say into the receiver.
‘Is that you, Amber?’
Christ, it’s Ned.
‘Hello!’ I cry, sitting upright and swinging my legs off Ethan’s lap.
‘Hey,’ he says fondly. ‘I wasn’t sure if I’d catch you before you go to the hospital.’
‘I’m heading in later.’ It’s an effort to sound bright and breezy, but I’m giving it a good shot. ‘What’s the time?’ I haven’t even looked
at a clock yet.
‘It’s just after midnight here,’ he replies as Ethan shoves his watch in my face. ‘I don’t know about where you are,’ Ned adds.
‘Ten fifteen,’ I tell him, glancing at Ethan and giving him a silent thumbs-up.
‘Say hello from me,’ Ethan whispers, waving.
I put my finger to my lips and then make a swiping motion across my throat. He looks bewildered.
‘Have you been out with Zara again?’ I ask Ned, registering the time he’s calling me.
‘No, Tate,’ he replies, prompting a hypocritical surge of relief to rush through me.
‘I thought he was in New York.’
Ned yawns loudly. ‘He came back for a client meeting. We wanted to go over a few things before I head out there next week.’
‘You sound knackered,’ I point out.
‘You sound a bit rough yourself. Are you alright?’ he asks.
‘Yeah, had a pretty big night with Tina and Nell.’
‘Aah, okay,’ he says. He asks a few questions about Dad before calling it a night. We agree to chat in a couple of days before he flies out to the US.
‘Love you,’ he says.
‘Night-night, love you too,’ I reply, hanging up and glancing at Ethan. He’s staring at me strangely. ‘What?’
‘Why didn’t you say hi to him from me?’ he asks with a frown.
‘Because you stayed the night at my house,’ I reply. Duh. ‘He doesn’t know you that well. He’ll probably think you’re trying to get into my knickers or
something.’
He casts his eyes heavenwards.
‘What are you up to for the rest of the weekend?’ I ask, nursing my coffee cup. I don’t put my legs back across him.
‘Manning the Cellar Door. Mum’s covering for me this morning. What about you?’
‘Hanging out at the hospital.’
Ethan gets to his feet, placing the coffee mug on a side table. ‘I’d better get going.’
‘Want a lift home?’ I ask.
‘You’re probably still drunk,’ he points out with amusement.
‘Oh.’ My brow furrows. If that’s true, how am I going to get to the hospital?
‘Go back to bed,’ he says, reading my mind. ‘Sleep it off and head in this arvo, after you’ve had some lunch. I’m going to jump on a bus.’
I feel a twinge of guilt at not going to see Dad right away, but I doubt he’ll want to breathe in my boozy fumes.
I walk Ethan to the door and put his number into my phone, letting it ring until he pats his pocket. ‘Got it,’ he says with a sleepy grin. There’s that dimple again. ‘See
you Monday,’ he says,
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