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“Tully,” his father chided.
“No,” he said flatly. He glared at both Shane and Lindsey. “I won’t ever be quiet about it. Jeremiah can save your life, the life of those kids, and every person in this whole fuckin’ city, like he damn well did today, and you’d still use him for ratings. Remember what I said about eating a whole bag of dicks—”
I pulled his arm, dragged him over to the Jeep, and pushed him so his back was against the door. He opened his mouth, another rant about to pour forth, no doubt, so I shut him up the only way I could think of.
I took his face in my hands and kissed him.
In front of everyone, and they were all watching, but I didn’t care.
He grunted in surprise but slowly and surely the tension and the anger left his body. When I was sure he wasn’t so mad anymore, I put my forehead to his. “It’s been a helluva day, Tully. It’s not over yet. Your brother needs you.”
Tully’s face crumpled a little, more tears fell, and he nodded, his forehead to my chin. He let out a shaky breath and regrouped. “Okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Tully scrubbed his face, ignored the news crew, then looked over at Ellis. “Come on. I’ll drive you.”
They were all looking at us. I had just kissed Tully in front of them, so it wasn’t surprising. Embarrassing still, nonetheless.
“We’ll be there shortly,” his mum said.
Ellis opened the passenger door to the Jeep. “Get in the back,” Tully said. “That’s Jeremiah’s seat. Learn your place.”
“I gotta open the door to get in.” He climbed through and sat down on the very wet seat. “Christ, did you park it in the sea?”
Tully started the engine. “We were in a fucking cyclone, Ellis.”
I lifted the box carefully and took my seat in the front. Tully and Ellis were still bickering, and their mother was giving Rowan instructions about using the BBQ to feed people, while their dad was showing Shane and Lindsey to his car.
When he got to the top of the crest, Tully stopped the Jeep so we could see the view over Darwin.
It was hard to put into words. We could see where the cyclone had touched down, its trail of destruction like jagged wounds gouged open.
Ellis’ jaw dropped, his eyes wide and teary.
When Tully saw his brother’s face in the rear-vision mirror, he began the drive down. Slower this time. We drove past Tully’s street, just able to see that his house looked intact. We wouldn’t know for sure until we went inside, but there was no debris and it all looked decidedly calm.
Unlike just a few streets over.
There were more people out on the street now, clearly in shock and distraught, and Tully slowed the Jeep to a crawl as he drove into Ellis’ street.
These were once huge luxury houses. Like Tully’s, like his parents’ house.
Now they looked like they’d been through a woodchipper.
Tully pulled up to one particular pile, getting off the street the best he could. The road was a minefield as it was, but the sound of sirens was getting louder and louder, and there was a good chance emergency vehicles would be arriving soon.
We got out, and Tully pulled his seat forward for Ellis.
He was pale and dismayed, and as he stood there looking at where his house once stood, his chin wobbled, and his hand shook as he ran it through his hair.
Tully put his arm around his shoulders, and for a while, no one spoke.
Then Ellis turned around to look at his neighbours’ houses. “The Bakshis were in Perth, I think. Mrs Mahoney left to be with her daughter. John and Rayna went south.” He pointed to a house down the road. “But the Lims were staying. God, so were the Wards...”
He began walking down there. Then he began to run.
“Ellis, wait,” Tully said, running after him.
