Page 116 of Outback Secrets

‘Because the moment I said it, it suddenly seemed like a good idea.’ When Tilley hit her with a sideways glance, Henri continued, ‘Since I got home, Mum had been blathering on again about me finding a suitable match, you know how she does—listing off potential husbands without any care as to whether the guy is actually someone I’d choose for myself—’

‘I’ll admit she can be a little intense sometimes, but she—’

‘You’re not really any better. That night I had dinner with you and Frankie and everyone in the pub, you were all ganging up on me about my non-existent love-life. The moment I lied to Mrs Brady about me and Liam, I realised it was the perfect way to get you all to leave me alone.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Tilley sounded genuine this time. ‘None of us meant anything by it. We just love you and we worry about you being alone and away from home all the time.’

‘I’m fine. I like my job but when I come home for the holidays, it’d be nice if I didn’t have to put up with everyone trying to fix things in my life that aren’t broken.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Tilley said again.

‘Would you stop apologising? It doesn’t matter now anyway.’

‘Okay. And Liam agreed to this?’

‘Obviously,’ Henri replied, realising how crazy it was that he actually did. Perhaps he’d always intended to seduce her into a fling? ‘Don’t you believe me?’

‘Oh, I believe you,’ Tilley said, sounding amused. ‘It makes so much more sense than what you originally led us to believe.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, if you’d said from the beginning that you’d had a one-night stand with Liam, I’d have totally bought it, but the way you made it sound like a relationship heading for commitment after being back in town five minutes? That didn’t ring true for two people who, up until then, all evidence pointed to being commitment-phobes.’

‘I’m not a commitment-phobe, I’m a realist.’

Tilley didn’t comment on this. ‘It might have been more credible if you hadn’t started staying over there almost every night, but that felt like you were trying too hard to look legit.’

‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

Tilley shrugged. ‘Maybe I’m not actually as interfering as you seem to believe. I wasn’t sure what you were up to, but it also wasn’t my business, and every time I saw you together I thought maybe I was wrong.’

‘Do you think Mum suspected anything?’

‘Noooo. She’s so desperate for someone who lives in the Bay to sink their claws into you and keep you here that she only saw what she wanted to.’ Tilley glanced across at her. ‘What are you planning to do when you leave? Are you going to keep pretending to be together indefinitely?’

‘No. I was going to tell Mum on Boxing Day that we’d decided to end things. I was going to say we broke up because Liam, like her, didn’t want me to keep flying.’

‘Oh, she’ll hate you and love him for that.’

‘That was the idea. Hopefully she’ll have forgiven me by the time I come home again.’

‘If not, you can always stay with Liam.’ Tilley cackled as if that was the funniest thing ever. ‘So, you’ve just been staying over at his place because of the charade?’

Henri looked out the window, so Tilley couldn’t see her face. ‘Something like that.’

‘Well,’ Tilley said, indicating to go around yet another road train. ‘This story has made my day. I wish you came home more often, Hens; you certainly make life more exciting.’

Henri didn’t both replying, and instead switched on the radio. The latest song by Lady Gaga filled the car. Neither of them said anything else until they were just passing the ‘Welcome to Geraldton’ sign, then Tilley reached out and shut off the music.

‘Hang on,’ she said, looking away from the road long enough to frown at Henri. ‘If all this was just a ruse, then why do you need the morning after pill?’

Busted. Heat flooded Henri’s cheeks, but it wasn’t embarrassment so much as anguish. She couldn’t bring herself to tell her sister the whole truth—it would be too painful to say aloud.

‘Well, pretending to be together meant a lot of fake kisses and a lot of fake touching. We got a little carried away last night.’ If Tilley chose to believe it was only last night, that was her prerogative.

‘Carried away as in you had sex?’

Henri didn’t need to look at her sister to know she was grinning like a lunatic.

‘Yes! What else would I mean? But it was just that. Just sex. It doesn’t mean anything, so don’t go reading anything into things,’ she snapped and pointed up ahead. ‘I think there’s a chemist just off the corner on the next road.’

‘Don’t bite my head off,’ Tilley said after another minute’s silence, ‘but you seem pretty wound up over a one-night stand that didn’t mean anything.’

‘I’m just annoyed we forgot to use a bloody condom and I have to go and sort it out. I’m also annoyed that I can’t do it myself because of this damn ankle.’

Henri was fairly certain her sister didn’t buy the story but for once Tilley didn’t push the issue, and for that she was grateful.