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Oh my God. Stop. You’re fifteen now. Enough of this childish infatuation. He’ll never look at you that way.
Get. Over. It.
Smiling like a crazy person, I let go of my plate, letting him stack it with the others balancing on his palm. “Well, whatever you get me, I’m sure I’ll love it. And thanks for doing the dishes. You’re very helpful.”
“I do my best.” Skirting around the table, he gave me another smile before heading toward the open sliding door and the kitchen beyond.
I watched his every step, drinking in the strain of his white t-shirt over well-defined back muscles, dropping to his firm ass beneath his cargo shorts.
“Nerida.” My mum’s voice wrenched my gaze to hers, where she sipped on a glass of white wine.
“Um?” I blinked. “I mean, yes?”
“You can go to Daintree rainforest. On one condition.”
Dad snickered into his beer bottle. “You beat me to it, my love.” Cocking his chin at me, he said, “The one condition—for us to find it acceptable to let our only daughter go camping in the rainforest for three nights—is that Aslan goes with you.”
A jangle of crockery as Aslan spun around, doing his best not to drop the plates. “Me?”
Dad shifted in his chair, smiling at his employee, secret overstayer, and unofficially adopted son. “You’re the only one I trust to keep her alive. As proven by your impeccable track record.”
“But...” Aslan marched back to the table and dumped the plates down with a clang. “I’ve read about that rainforest. It’s home to an insane number of dangerous creatures. Saltwater crocs, death adders, taipans, redbacks—”
“Precisely why you need to go. You have your eyes open to everything that can kill my precious little fish. She has her eyes full of hearts as if they’re going to fall in love with her, not murder her.”
“I do not have eyes full of hearts.”
Dad huffed. “Did you or did you not ignore me when I told you to get the hell away from that tiger shark last week?”
“It was only a juvenile. It was harmless. It cruised on by and—”
“And could’ve turned around and devoured your leg.”
I crossed my arms. “I would’ve punched it in the nose, and it would’ve let me go. I’m not stupid, Dad. I know how to defend myself. I know to line up with their attack head-on. I know the best way to avoid being bitten is to hold onto their nose, do my best to flip it upside down so it goes into a catatonic trance, or failing that, whack it in the gills.”
“Knowing isn’t the same as doing, Nerida.” Dad’s good mood faded a little. “We love you. Most dearly. We trust Zara’s family to keep you safe, but don’t think for a moment that I’m going to kiss my only daughter goodbye and let her go sleep in the bush without someone watching over her. And I only have one tent, so guess who you’ll be bunking with.”
Aslan groaned under his breath. “Jack, I really don’t think—”
Dad ignored him, chuckling. “I mean...it could be worse, Neri. I could come with you. Would you prefer that? I’ll share your tent and check your shoes each morning for snakes. I’ll even stand guard while you pee against a tree to make sure nothing bites your—”
“Stop. Please stop.” I shuddered. “Please don’t even joke about that.”
“Aslan’s going, or you’re not going.” Mum smiled, her voice kind but sharp.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Aslan growled. “We have a busy week. I just put in the order for more testing apparatus for the water samples that Sydney Aquarium ordered. I thought you wanted me to—”
“We can survive a few days without you. It’s Neri we can’t survive without.” Dad lowered his voice and patted Aslan’s crossed arms. “Please, mate. Think of it as a forced vacation. You work too much as it is. You haven’t seen any part of Australia apart from our boat, this town, and our garden. There won’t be any government bureaucrats out there. No threat to your status on our shores. You’ll have fun.”
“Fun?” Aslan groaned again. “None of that sounds fun.”
“You’ll be with Neri; she’ll force you to have fun.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Aslan muttered.
Dad laughed and stood up, stretching his spine from a long day. “I don’t trust anyone as much as I trust you, Aslan. Please tell me you’ll keep my daughter safe. And enjoy yourself while doing it.”
My cheeks heated as Aslan’s dark gaze snapped to mine.
