Page 63 of Road to Rosalee

‘No, you’re wrong. You mean the absolute world to me, Zai.’

He fired a tempestuous look her way. ‘You have a real funny way of showing it, Melody.’ His heated gaze burnt her like a branding iron.

‘I showed you this afternoon just how deeply I feel about you.’ It was a desperate, last-ditch effort to get him to believe her.

‘Anyone can jump in the sack. It takes a decent person to do the right thing from the start if you expect it to go anywhere.’ His voice was wavering, torn.

She knew he was speaking out of anger, and she couldn’t blame him. She’d broken her promise to always be honest with him – she had no right to defend herself. Not wanting to say anything she’d regret, she tightened her lips and shook her head, blinking faster.

He regarded her, tears shimmering in his baby blues as understanding dawned between them. ‘This was a mistake. I never would have slept with you if I’d known you were married.’

He was dead-on. She blew a breath, wishing her guilt would go with it. ‘I know.’ She felt like the worst person in the world right now, times a million.

‘I’m not sure how I feel about you anymore.’ He wouldn’t meet her eyes, then he turned his back.

‘I think it’s best I go,’ she said in a whisper, all the butterflies he’d created within her dropping, dying.

‘Yeah, maybe it is,’ he replied, staring out the window into the darkness of night.

Chapter

18

After a sleepless night – spent tossing and turning for the first half, then wandering the hallways of the homestead until dawn crept over the horizon – Melody felt like absolute crap. It felt as though a lifetime had passed since she’d arrived here. Tomorrow, her dad, Sarah and Beau would be arriving, and a few days after that, her grandparents, who she was still to meet. And Georgia – Matt’s sister – and Patrick and their boy, Danny, would be rolling back here for Slim and Sherrie’s wedding too. Talk about terrible timing. Just when she’d thought she’d reached a point of knowing where her life needed to be, her possibilities with Zai were done and dusted, gone forever, all because of her stupidity. She didn’t hold a glimmer of a chance that the fire they’d ignited so naturally could ever be rebuilt from the ash that remained. And she couldn’t blame him in the slightest. This was all her fault. She’d done the wrong thing. Part of her wanted to run to him, to tell him just how much she loved him and how utterly sorry she was, that she would do absolutely anything to make it up to him. But the other part of her knew that would do no good. Zai was a man of high morals and, however unintentionally, she’d gone and played him for a fool.

She suddenly, desperately, needed to talk to Sarah. She grabbed the homestead phone and dialled her mobile number, rapping the desk with her fingers as she waited.

‘Hello Melody.’ Sarah’s voice was singsong sweet.

‘Hi Sarah, how’s the drive going?’ Melody couldn’t help the melancholy in her voice.

‘Yeah, really good. On track to arrive tomorrow.’

‘Wonderful.’ Melody wished she could sound as pleased as she was – she couldn’t wait to see the three of them.

‘Is everything okay? You sound a little upset, love.’

‘I’m okay, sort of … do you have time to chat?’ Her voice sounded ridiculously high, but she resisted the urge to clear it. ‘I need a wise woman’s advice.’

‘I’m not too sure about the wise part, love, but yes, of course.’

‘Have you got somewhere private we can talk?’ She didn’t want her father hearing any of this.

‘We’ve just parked and your dad is grabbing some fish and chips from the roadhouse, so we have about ten minutes of privacy.’

Having collected herself enough to dive into an explanation that seemed to veer from one situation to the other, Melody finally paused and swallowed down the ball of emotion gathering in her throat. She had chosen to leave out the fact she and Zai had slept together – that was just too much for her to confess.

‘Okay, so let me put this into perspective.’ Sarah’s tone was thoughtful. ‘You and Antonio agreed to take time out and that’s when you came to find your dad, and then you went out to the station and Zai has won your heart.’

‘Yes, that pretty much sums most of it up.’

‘Right, well, it’s not something that can’t be rectified, given some time.’ She sighed, and then drew in a breath. ‘I’m not sure how your dad is going to feel about you and Zai hitting it off. Zai’s got a rep as a bit of a heartbreaker. I mean, as much as I adore him, I’m not sure if he’s relationship material, Melody.’

‘I know, and I understand what you are saying, but he’s told me he’s in love with me. And I believe him.’ She choked back a sob. ‘Then again, he may not be any longer, after …’

‘After what, Melody?’

Melody couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. ‘I’ve gone and ruined everything,’ she said between sobs.