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Chapter 25
“Did I spoil something?”
Emma was surveying him over her coffee cup, her gaze solicitous.
Solo frowned. “Spoil something?” His brain was still numb from this morning’s interchange with Polly.
“Last night, when I turned up. You and that girl. You kind of looked pretty close. And then I got the dagger eyes from her.”
Solo shook his head, then shrugged, his fingers working round the rim of his mug of black coffee. “No.” He felt Em’s blue eyes on him; she knew him too well. “Okay, I guess we had a bit of a thing for a few weeks, but it’s over now.”
“Oh.” They both sat in heavy silence. “Nothing to do with me turning up, then.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. It felt like it was cracking a faceful of concrete. “Don’t give up easily, do you, Em?”
She placed her hand on his wrist, tentatively. “I want you to be happy, that’s all.”
He put his hand over hers and took comfort from the warmth, but there was no zing. He felt like he was talking to an old, old friend. A sister, even.
“You need to stop doing this guilt trip on yourself. Maybe you turning up was a catalyst for…” He gulped. “Me and her realising we’re not suited. So perhaps you did me a favour.”
He wanted to howl at the moon, except outside the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day with families sipping takeaway coffees while their kids ran around the playground across the street. Beyond the little strip of park, the Indian Ocean sparkled; people werehappy.
“That’s hardly doing you a favour.” Her voice was sad.
Solo suppressed a heavy sigh, added a sugar to his coffee. Unlike smoking, he’d given up sugar years ago, but something had to take away the bitter taste in his mouth.
“I’m so sorry, Solo.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be fine. I’m moving on from here in a month.”
“Are you coming back to Sydney?”
He shrugged again. “I’ve got a phone interview next week with The Mayfield Hospital.”
“The one that specialises in neuropsychiatry? The one you’ve had your mind set on for years?”
“The very one.” He tried to feel positive. And for a moment a little prism of something like relief gave him a tiny burst of energy. He would dive into his career, forget about those green eyes and that tumble of dark curls and the way her lips reminded him of ripe peaches, her kisses… the way she made him laugh…
Heat burned into him.
Ohshit.He’d just spilled coffee all the way down his white T-shirt.
Emma tutted and handed him a napkin. “If you want to talk…”
He gave a tight smile, rubbed at his chest. “I’d rather not. What time is Drew expecting us to call?”
Emma tossed back a thick strand of glossy hair and looked at her watch. “In ten minutes.”
“Cool. So, fill me in, how’s he going?”
Her face lit up. Why hadn’t he realised years ago what a perfect couple they were? Or maybe he had and had just chosen not to acknowledge it. In fact, why hadn’t he realised that he and Emma were not the perfect couple? She’d looked up to him at university. After that she’d liked the fact she was dating a doctor. And him? He’d liked the fact he was dating the most beautiful girl from their cohort. The growing apart had been gradual, insidious.
“He doesn’t remember much, you know.” She pulled a face, her tone suddenly awkward. “About, you know, all the abusive calls he made. He was so out of it. A complete mess.”
“I know.”
“After you told me he was doing that I got him to give me his phone. And I probably shouldn’t have, but I erased all the messages before I gave it back. I don’t want him to remember how badly he treated you when you… after you… saved him, that night.”
