AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As he looked at her, he felt a dawning realization. Beautiful, agonized, impossibly strong Georgie Quinn had crawled into his heart. He’d slipped easily, effortlessly, into love with her. And he didn’t mind. He didn’t mind one little bit.
CHAPTER6
Ryan and Georgie settled into a comfortable routine over the next few weeks. He’d had to return to Melbourne a few times for work. He did nothing but think about her while he was away. Worry about her. When he was in Blessed Inlet, Georgie would sit with him in the morning while he painted, then they’d go for a walk on the beach. Then she’d spend some time with Leah, or Mikayla, or Juniper. In the afternoon, she’d rest. He’d make her dinner every couple of evenings and bite back a sigh as he watched her force herself to eat it. He knew that if he hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have eaten at all. She refused all offers of meals from anyone less insistent than himself.
Other than feeding her and walking with her, Ryan had no real idea how to move forward. She was staunchly resistant to any conversation about her health. It seemed to him that she viewed it as a fait accompli. She needed surgery on her hip. He’d figured that much out. She’d confessed to not being able to take pain medication because she was afraid of becoming addicted. She couldn’t possibly have the surgery without pain relief. So she was stuck in a deadlock that he had no idea how to break. Ryan had a reasonable amount of experience treating addiction. It wasn’t uncommon in rehabilitation to find all sorts of coping strategies. From what he knew of Georgie, she was no more a likely candidate for addiction than she was of being the next NASA astronaut. She had a will of iron. But that will was a double-edged sword. It kept her alive and semi functioning. But it also made her intransigent. Something had to give.
Something did give. In a big way. Coming back from their beach walk, Ryan parked his Prado in the spot allocated to his cabin, Vermeer. There were a few cars in the lot. One he didn’t recognize. He was used to seeing the same cars every day. Juniper and William. Leah and Callum. Mikayla and Rafe. The other artists. The cleaners. He gave the car a cursory glance. It was a hire car. There was someone sitting in the driver’s seat. A man. Ryan opened the car door for Georgie, holding her cane for her while she got out. Closing the door, he turned back to Georgie as the man got out of his car. Ryan flicked him a glance. He was staring at them. Ryan felt a flash of recognition. He looked like Georgie. Before he could speak, the man stepped forward.
“Ge…George?” Georgie turned. Ryan saw the moment her condition registered with her brother. He rushed forward. “Georgie, what the fuck has happened to you?” The moment he was in reach, Georgie raised her hand. As if in slow motion, Ryan watched it arc through the air. It connected with Brandon’s face hard, in a ringing slap. His head snapped back and he stared at his sister in horrified shock. “Georgie—”
“Don’t you speak to me! Don’t you dare fucking speak to me.” She dropped her cane and shoved at him. Then she just lost it completely. “I thought you were dead!” She yelled. “You fucking asshole! I thought you were dead!” She pummeled him with her fists. Rained down blows on him. And he took it all. He couldn’t stop her. Wouldn’t stop her.
Finally, Ryan stepped in, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her away. She struggled, wriggling in his grasp, trying to kick at him with her good leg. “That’s enough now, mo chroi. Enough,” he said gently. Not knowing what else to do, he shot Brandon a look. “You stay there.” Then he scooped up Georgie’s walking stick and dragged her away, down the track. She was shaking as he half carried her up the steps into his cabin.
“Jesus Christ,” she said as she pulled away from him, holding onto the back of a dining chair to stop herself from falling over. “Jesus fucking Christ. He’s not dead. Oh, God.” Ryan watched helplessly as Georgie gripped the chair back, shaking all over as she drew in huge gulps of air. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Ryan poured her a glass of water, brought it to her. She took it in a trembling hand and took a big drink. “Thanks.” She put the glass down and covered her face with her hands. She was really shaking now. Ryan pulled her into his arms, heaving a sigh of relief when she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. He stroked her back as she calmed down. “I don’t know what to do,” she said as she pulled away.
“What do you want to do?” he asked, dropping his arms.
She shrugged.
“Do you want me to send him away?”
She shook her head quickly. “But how can I face him? Like this?” She gestured to herself, her expression one of pure derision.
“He’s your brother, mo chroi. He’s not going to care about that.”
“He’ll want to know everything.”
“Of course he will.”
“I can’t tell him.”
“Then I will.”
She shot him a look. He was surprised to see her shoulders sag in relief. “Will you, really?”
“Aye, if you want me to.”
“I do. Because I don’t think I can do it.”
“Alright then. I’ll go and see him now. You’ll wait here?” She nodded. He put his finger under her chin, tilting her head up so that he could look at her fully. Her blue eyes were clouded with countless emotions. She looked exhausted. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Lie down, won’t you?” She nodded again and he went out.
Walking up the track, Ryan tried to gather his thoughts. How the hell did you explain to a man that a building fell on his sister? That she barely survived? That she’s so cut up by your apparent death from drugs that she won’t take anything for her pain. Jesus Christ. When he rounded the end of the Long House, Ryan saw Brandon, leaning against his car, head bent, hands in the pockets of his jeans.
Juniper came out of her house as he crossed the car park. “You can talk in here,” she said quietly. Ryan jerked his head, indicating for Brandon to follow him.
“Thank you,” he said to Juniper as Brandon walked past him into the house.
“How is she?” Juniper asked.
“Not great. But maybe she’ll get better from here.”
“I hope so. Everyone’s in the Long House if you need anything. We heard the yelling but thought it would be better if there wasn’t an audience.”
“You did right. I’ll let you know if there’s anything you can do.”
