Page 117 of Pretty Mess

Mac clears his throat beside me, his eyes searing the side of my face. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. It was an honest mistake.”

Tyler licks his lip. “I don’t know about that.” He tries a smile and winces at the pain in his nose. “I reckon Wes might be right about our Aunty Sue. She turned every tiff into a full-on horse’s head in a bed.”

An awkward silence drops until Mac finally breaks it. “I’m going to find my wallet,” he says to me. “Try not to move around. I want to check you over.”

“I’m fine,” I immediately say.

He rolls his eyes. “Humour me.”

“Every minute of every day.”

“Cheeky.” He gently touches my cheek, his eyes soft. Then he moves silently out of the room into the bedroom.

I turn back to Tyler, to find him watching me.

“Sorry,” he says. “Shit. I can’t believe I thought you were hooking. Or that I hit your boyfriend. What a first impression of our family.”

“To be honest, that’s probably the best one he could have at the moment.”

“True.” Silence falls, and then he stirs. “I’m going to make this right.” He looks towards the bedroom. “He’s where you got the money from for Ben, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll pay him back.”

“Tyler, we need to talk about?—”

“No,” he interrupts. “I’m going. Walk me out.”

“You don’t have to go.” I climb to my feet and follow him to the door. “Pleasestay.”

“I can’t. I have to do the right thing.” He huffs. “That would make a change.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get help. I know you don’t trust me.” He holds up a hand when I start to protest. “It’s okay. It’s right that you don’t, but I’m going to earn it back.”

“How?”

“Please don’t ask. I hadn’t got that far.”

I huff a laugh, and he pulls me into his arms, dropping a kiss on my head. “Sorry about the smack.”

“Don’t be. It happens to everyone.”

He sets me back. “I feel better knowing you have a boyfriend. And that Mac is someone who will look after you.”

“It’s still casual,” I feel the need to say. “It isn’t like that,” I add slowly.

“I know. It’s something more. You’re in love with him.”

“Shush, for fuck’s sake,” I whisper, sneaking a look behind me. I relax slightly when I see Mac isn’t there. “It’s early days,”I settle for saying—a statement that is both true and nebulous enough not to get me in trouble later.

“Might be, but you’ve still fallen for him.”

“That means nothing.”

“It means something to him. Look at how angry he was. I reckon he thought you’d got someone on the side.”