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Face still hidden, she said, “He scared me.”
Rand’s voice was suddenly sharp in his throat. “He hurt you? What did he do?”
Rie sat around to face him squarely. “No, no, he didn’t hurt me. He made me feel…” She screwed up her face. “I can’t talk to you about this.” She shook her head, eyes cast down.
“Ohhh, I get it.” He snickered. “He’s too close. He’s trying to pry off that armour of yours, eh. Brave man. He rocked your world didn’t he? And what did you do?”
“I pushed him away.”
“Wow.” He paused to take this all in. No wonder the two of them were at each other. “I’ll bet that made him feel sensational. Fair cop, he’s angry with you.”
“He’s not angry with me. Apart from what you just saw and I provoked that,” Rie admitted with a rueful look, “he’s been incredibly sweet.”
“So, I guess you could try again.” There was a kind of rightness about Jake and Rie getting together. He was so rock steady, level headed; she could do much, much worse than hooking up with him.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Shit, I’m not saying marry the guy.” Rand crossed his leg, ankle on knee. “He’s cool; he’s possibly even better looking than me.” He raised his eyebrows as though this was a moot point and readied for her elbow, but still grunted when it came. “Got some natural Godzilla about him, what’s not to like?”
“But if I just concentrate on the tour?”
“You’ll go mad, Rie. Seriously, you need to do something else for yourself to get some perspective, and why not spend time with Jake?”
Rie put her head on his shoulder again. “I think he really hates me now. He said some stuff about me still being a frightened kid.”
Smart guy Jake. “And what do you think about that?”
She put her hand in his. “Crap.”
“Yeah, right.” Rand twisted his neck around to look at her. “Rie, the only reason you act so tough is because you’re so frightened. I love you with all my heart but I’ve never been able to talk you down off the ledge. I used to get really fucking anxious about that.” He drew a breath. There was no point telling her he still did. “Then I figured out you have to do that for yourself. If Jake can help you, well—”
“He can’t help me.”
“Are you sure about that?” Rand draped his arm over Rielle and snuggled her against him, tapped a rhythm on her bicep. Not the song playing, something else in his head.
“No. Unless it’s got a stage, a mic, a pole, or a trapeze attached to it, I’m not sure of anything anymore.”
“Well, here’s what I’m sure of. You might be my scared little sister, but you’re also the bravest person I know. You’ve never backed down from anything, so I reckon you’ll work this out. And if you need me, you know I’m here.”
They sat quietly. The DJ had Megan Washington’s indie pop track I Believe You Liar spinning. And that was just spooky.
Rielle said, “You know you’ve just about got your accent back.”
“I know mate. Bonza eh.” He hammed it up.
“So are you going to fuck Harry’s brains out?”
“No,” he said, dropping back into his hybrid accent. “I’m going to take her to bed and make sweet love to her.”
“Why do I get the crude descriptions and you get the romantic ones?”
He released her and stood, he was still worried and he’d have to watch her, but for now she was ok. He gave a devilish laugh and twirled a fake moustache. “Because, my dear, you were raised by wolves and I’m a misunderstood poet.”
26. Recognition
Jake surveyed his travelling companions in the airline lounge and for the first time in his life, wasn’t partially crippled by the thought of flying. On a morning meditation and half a Zanect, he was in better shape than all of them.
They were universally pale, bleary-eyed and struck dumb. Stu rested his head on Ceedee’s shoulder. How sipped strong black coffee. Roley had commandeered a row of seats and was stretched full length, an arm draped across his face. Rielle wore her sunglasses, and in another cluster of seats, Jonathan and the rest of Problem Children were in a similar state of anguish, caused by bright morning light, too much alcohol and not enough sleep. There was no sign of Rand, or Harry, but Jake knew Harry might fly separately with her crew.
