Stanton Box Set

Joshua storms back into the room. “Why the fuck are you in a towel?” he growls. How do I explain this?

“I was walking past and I thought that the workers had left for the day and I came in for a sticky beak.” He glares at me.

“Joshua, what was in this room?”

His face drops and he pulls me by the hand out of the door. “I’m hungry. We are going out for dinner. Go and get some fucking clothes on,” he growls. “If you want Cameron to live with us, not to mention my fucking staff, you will goddamn wear more clothes around here.”

“I asked you a question…answer it!” I repeat as I pull my hand out of his clasp.

He scratches his head in frustration. “Don’t ask questions that you don’t want to know the answer to Natasha,” he snaps.

“This was your fuck pad, wasn’t it?”

He stills and turns to look at me. “It is in the past—it doesn’t matter what this room was for. I never professed to be an angel Tash,” he says in monotone.

I glare at him and fold my arms. “Just how many girls have you slept with, Joshua?” I ask in a sarcastic voice.

He swal

lows and looks uncomfortable. “Don’t start your shit, Natasha! I’m not going there, I’ve told you before,” he yells.

I storm down the hall in front of him and I turn and point my finger in his face.

“You… asshole are taking me house–shopping tomorrow. There is no way in hell I’m living here.” I turn and stomp off and I hear him yell after me.

“Like I said…you raving bitch. And put some fucking clothes on.”

Four hours later we are on our way home from dinner, our fight long forgotten, when his phone rings in the car. He presses a button on the steering wheel to answer it.

“Stanton,” he says, void of emotion.

A woman’s English accent sings through the speaker. “Darling, you’re back…I’ve missed you.” Joshua immediately picks up the phone so I can’t hear what is said. Bastard. I sit still as I watch him squirm. It’s obviously Amelie on the other end of the line. She’s missed him…what in the hell is that supposed to mean?

“Hi Am,” he smiles. Am now, is it? Give me a break, I want to puke. His eyes flick nervously to me. “Yes, I’m back. I brought Tash home to pick out a new house…no, we have to go back for two more weeks,” he replies. Hmm, so she knows about me. I frown as I sum up the situation. He isn’t acting guilty—is this all in my head? He laughs out loud, “Yeah probably,” he answers. Hmm, how annoying. He’s laughing and carefree with her. I’m green with envy. “No, I’m glad you rang. I was going to call you tomorrow.” I bet you were, asshole. I sit still, nearly craning my neck as I watch him. He’s happy to hear from her, in fact he’s acting like he missed her. Stop it, Natasha, you jealous psycho, you haven’t even met her. I rub my eyes in frustration. He frowns as he listens to her. “Yes, and then what happened after you gave her the antibiotics?” He nods. “Yes,” he answers and then listens again. “I will come down tomorrow to check it out.” His eyes flick to me and I give him a deadpan look. “I will bring Natasha to meet you.” He smiles, “Yeah me too.” She just told him she can’t wait to see him…I just know it. “I’ll see you tomorrow Am, bye.” The tone in his voice is the same tone he uses with me: gentle and cajoling and I have never heard him use it with anyone else. Ok, I can handle this two ways, either do what I want to do and scream and demand he sack her and look like a neurotic jealous girlfriend that I am or I can play it cool and pretend I am not threatened at all by an English veterinarian who has spent every weekend with my boyfriend for the last five years. Who he obviously has feelings for and has feelings for him. I hate her already but I pretend to know nothing. He gives me a megawatt smile and does wide eyes at me.

“Looks like we are headed to Willowvale tomorrow.”

I frown. “Willowvale, what’s that?” I ask.

He rubs his hand up my leg. “My favourite place on this earth, my horse stud.” He gives me a broad grin.

“On earth,” I repeat. “That’s a big call,” I remark.

He nods. “I hope we can live there one day. That’s the plan anyway.” I frown. I thought he was going to move back to Australia with me one day. Is that the plan: to move me here and never take me home? Am I really going to leave Australia and my friends forever if I move here? A sinking feeling of dread starts to form in my stomach. Black brothel rooms, asshole best friends who take cocaine, horses that come with vets from hell, no more Oscar’s with Abbie and Bridget, no more Sydney, no more me. I look out the window as I fall deep into thought. This move is going to be harder than I ever imagined. My eyes flick back to Joshua who is oblivious to my thoughts. He is chewing his thumbnail, his eyes on the road in front. Don’t hurt me Josh, I won’t be able to handle it. I am literally giving up everything in my life to be with you.

“This is it.” He smiles. We are driving up a sweeping road with sandstone block fences. The driveway to Willowvale. The road is lined with massive old beautiful trees on either side. Joshua is as excited as I have seen him.

“Over there are the stables for the thoroughbreds.” He points and smiles. “And this here is the stablehand quarters.”

I frown. “That is the help’s house?” I ask in shock.

He nods and smiles again. “Josh, they are bigger than most houses and made of sandstone.”

He smiles and nods. “I know, awesome huh?” Hmm, I hate to admit it, but this place is pretty damn heavenly, green rolling hills, huge sandstone buildings and fences. Adrian’s comment when we were leaving of packing my glass slippers has only heightened my nerves. He obviously thinks Amelie is a threat if he’s giving me Cinderella jokes. I’m nervous, why am I so nervous? We turn the corner and my mouth drops. There on the hill is a castle…I’m not even joking… a huge sandstone house, a castle–size house. It looks like Mr frigging Darcy’s house from Pride and Prejudice. Holy crap, I am definitely out of my league here. My heart starts to thump in an uneven beat. We pull the car up and a man comes out and shakes Joshua’s hand. He smiles and nods at me.

“She’s in the stables, Josh.” Josh’s eyes flick to me nervously and I smile innocently. Josh’s first question when he pulls up is obviously where’s Amelie? He grabs my hand and leads me inside, blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil. He leads me around the castle, I mean house. It’s breathtaking; he’s right, I do love it. He leads me up the stairs and along a wide corridor to a bedroom where he puts our cases on the end ottoman.

“This is my room, I mean our room.” He gestures around the room and I nod and smile. “There are ten bedrooms in all,” he continues.