Nobody but Him Read Online Free PDF Page B

Lizzie reached over to hold her hand, ‘I know the circumstances are crappy. Beyond crappy, even. I’m here to help you with whatever you need, you know that.’
    ‘I know it and I’m grateful.’
    ‘Good. And now that you are fully caffeinated, relaxed and grateful, spill your guts sister. What is the deal with you and my boss?’
    Julia turned away from Lizzie, staring out to the sweeping views. She knew she owed her friend an explanation. At least, half an explanation.
    ‘Remember when you took off to London after we finished high school? I’d just had my eighteenth birthday and I was here all on my lonesome that summer before I went to Melbourne for uni?’
    ‘I still haven’t forgiven you for not coming with me.’
    ‘Well, when you were chasing all those pale-skinned English boys, I met Ry, here in Middle Point.’
    Lizzie’s mouth dropped open in shock. ‘You. Are. Kidding. Me.’
    ‘Not kidding. He was fresh out of uni, one of those rich city boys pretending to be a beach bum for the summer before the family firm snatched him up.’
    ‘And by ‘met’ you mean … ?’
    Julia nodded. ‘Yes. With your boss. Well, he wasn’t your boss then, obviously. Your future boss.’
    ‘Ooh, an older man. Lucky you. Not that he’s my type.’ Lizzie winked. ‘Too blonde.’
    Julia shivered at the realisation that her hormones were telling her Ry was still very much her type.
    ‘I didn’t know he was back here and he clearly didn’t know I was here either. And I’m realising that there’s no such thing as six degrees of separation in Middle Point. It’s more like half a degree. And now he’s back.’
    ‘Well and truly. So how come I don’t know about him?’ Lizzie sipped her coffee, scrutinising Julia’s face for clues. ‘You never mentioned anything about a city boy called Ry. Even after all these years.’
    ‘It was the dim, dark ages before Facebook, remember? When we didn’t feel compelled to reveal every single detail of our lives to the whole world. And in all the years since, I didn’t want to think about him, to tell the truth. I left him behind when I left Middle Point.’
    Lizzie shook her head. ‘Well, there’s no hiding now, is there? I saw the way he acted after he ran into you at the pub. He is still mightily pissed at you. There has to be more to this story than a teenage break-up.’
    Julia looked out to the sky, hoping the tranquillity of the view would make it easier to talk about him. It didn’t.
    ‘I can confirm he’s still pissed at me. Judging by the conversation we had this morning on my front doorstep.’
    ‘Not good?’
    Julia could barely think about what had happened without feeling embarrassed. Talk about sleeping with the enemy. The thought of telling Lizzie that Ry had almost kissed her — and that she’d wanted him to — was even more humiliating. Her was Lizzie’s boss. He was married. And he’d been a big enough mistake the first time round.
    Julia straightened her shoulders, attempting to portray a confident resolve. ‘I’m here to do what I’ve got to do with Mum’s house and her things, and then I’m heading back to Melbourne. We’ll just stay out of each other’s way. That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?’
    ‘Hard?’ Lizzie snorted. ‘Just a little. No one coughs in Middle Point without the whole town catching the flu. Good luck with that plan.’
    ‘I’ll just stay away from the pub. And my front yard. Easy.’
    They sat in silence for a while.
    ‘So.’ Julia could hear the hesitation in her friend’s voice. ‘Have you decided what you’re going to do with the house?’
    Julia shook her head. ‘I thought it would be easy, you know? To come back a year later and make a clean break. Pack up Mum’s things, sell the house and go home. I mean, Melbourne’s my life now. I’ve got a fantastic job. Great friends. It’s got awesome coffee and the best shopping in the country. It’s not like I ever plan to come back here to live or