Unsuitable

“You’re only interested because you can’t work her out. That’s the thing with you, soon as you work them out, you’re bored.”

“Anything wrong with that?”

Was there? Is that what had happened with him and Sky? The minute he’d had all of her he’d gotten bored? Did he only want Audrey because she was different?

Polly slapped his shoulder. “Relationship advice from you right now is a land mine, mate.”

Reece put his forehead down on the bar and groaned. Polly paid up and left him to wallow. He got a text from Merrill saying Audrey was responding to treatment but was still critical and they’d not been able to see her. That was better news. That was hope.

He had nowhere else to go. He went home to Charlie’s, found dishes in the sink and washed up. Hung clothes out to dry, put a load of washing on, got rid of a head of lettuce a day off jelly in the crisper. Then he scared the bejesus out of Etta, and that almost made things bearable.

She was home too early for school to be out. She had a packet of fags in her hand. She wasn’t expecting the front door to be open or him to be standing on the verandah with a broom. She saw the open door first and hesitated. Her feet left the path in surprise and she shoved the fags into a pocket when she saw him. “What are you doing here, you freak?”

“Not jigging school. Not fucking up my lungs.”

“I’m not—”

“A very good liar.”

“I’m not jigging. We had a free period. I chose to have it at home. The cigs aren’t mine.”

“Are they Gin’s, because lung tar is what she needs in her life?”

“Cute. They’re for a friend.”

“Which is why you had to hide them.” He leant the broom on the side of the house and held out a hand. “And the friend won’t mind if I have one.”

“They’re not. What? You?”

“I’ve had the worst day, Ett, play nice.”

She held the pack out to him. He broke the seal and took one, raised his brows at her. “Friend got a light?”

She took the packet, put a stick in her mouth and fished a lighter from her pocket. She lit up and blew smoke at him.

“Didn’t know you smoked.” She tossed the lighter at him.

He caught it and lit up. “Didn’t know you did.” He had to hold in a cough, the smoke curling in the back of his throat, teasing his lungs.

Etta smoked like she was one of those ol

d blokes with yellow fingertips. She shrugged. Too cool. At Etta’s age he’d had responsibilities. It was only later he’d thought he was invincible.

She sat on the step. “I never take them inside the house.”

He sat beside her. “Smart.”

“I’m not a doofus. I know you think I am.”

“Your body, Ett. You can do what you want with it. But you only get the one.” She blew smoke at him. Charlie had to know she was doing this. The smell would be in Etta’s clothes.

“And for a tinsy minute I thought you were going to be rad and not act like my fricking father. What’s with your worst day ever anyway?”

“Audrey has meningitis. She’s in hospital.”

Etta leant away. “Oo, are you like contagious?”

He held smoke in his lungs. Maybe he was. Maybe somewhere inside his body he was brewing those germs that might still kill Audrey. It was impossible to believe they could kill him too. He shook his head.