Page 43

‘Now!’

Carter looked up at the posts as his pace slowed.

Isaac ran at him. Don’t focus on him . He held the ball with both hands, his pointer fingers finding the seams on either side.

Then he dropped the ball and swung his foot forwards to meet it.

The timing was perfect. Isaac’s body slammed into him, but held him up so he didn’t hit the ground.

Carter’s aim had been true, and the kick sailed over the horizontal bar.

‘Yes, Carter! Nice work.’ Isaac released him as he found his footing. ‘A field goal from outside the forty would give us an extra two points. Let’s see if you can do it again.’

Isaac ran for the football. They were only using one half of the field as the others worked through drills on the other half: sprints; kick chases; high jumps and catches.

The trainers were moving between them but without Jonathan and Ray, they were light on.

Carter didn’t have time to spare a thought for Ray.

Trying to frame a woman for stealing your possessions because she turned you down for a date was low and not something the Scorpions CEO would want associated with him or the club.

Everyone knew that. It was why they all had a signed agreement that included the code of conduct as well as a strong moral clause.

If you wanted to be a Scorpion, then you had to act like one.

Carter shared the same values and, in short, didn’t give a shit what happened to Ray.

Besides, all of his worry was with Indy.

Emery had said she’d find her so it was probably best he kept his distance for the time being.

It was the right thing to do, but he hated it.

Isaac passed Carter the ball and he took it back to the sixty-metre line while the captain hovered around the thirty.

‘Let’s do it,’ Carter called and started running. They went through the play again. His aim was a little too far left but the ball still made it between the posts. But Isaac forgot to catch him.

‘Sorry, man,’ he said, offering Carter a hand to help him up from where he lay flat on his back in the grass.

Carter wanted to laugh but the wind had been knocked from his sails. ‘You would’ve been called for a late tackle if I was the opponent,’ he wheezed. Isaac pulled him to his feet and he bent in half, trying to get some regularity back in his breathing.

‘Yeah, I was too busy looking to see if your kick went through.’ Isaac rubbed the back of his head and gave a laugh, before a confused look spread over his face. ‘What the hell’s wrong with Gray?’

Carter looked over his shoulder to see Ethan barrelling down the slope to the field, cutting a close path through their teammates, who threw him dirty looks. He didn’t stop until he’d reached Carter and Isaac.

‘Carter!’ Ethan’s breathing was heavy with exertion. ‘I just ran into Emery. Indy’s leaving.’

‘What?’

‘Go.’ He pointed behind him. ‘They’re in the carpark, packing the ute.’

Carter’s insides froze. Leaving. Packing. Indy! His eyes met Isaac’s.

‘What are you waiting for?’ the captain said.

Carter launched into a sprint. Leaving, packing, Indy .

The mantra played over and over in his head, faster and faster, matching the tempo of his legs.

He skidded to a stop on the gravel a couple of metres from the ute.

Emery was there, putting Scout into the dog box on the back.

Her eyes looked puffy and red and his heart sank down to his knees.

‘Is it true?’ There was no point in asking, because her face gave him his answer, but he had to know for sure. ‘She’s leaving?’

Emery nodded and mouthed a yes. It’s highly likely she said it, but the hammering from his heart was echoing too loudly in his ears for him to hear it.

She pointed past the tray to the paddock at the front of the property where the horses were.

Indy was there, rubbing the nose of the gelding he’d seen her riding.

The black of her oversized T-shirt caught the melancholy mood of the moment.

He went to her. ‘Should I take you saying goodbye to a horse and not me as a good sign?’

She slowly turned around, her bottom lip slipping between her teeth, her blue eyes the roundest he’d ever seen them. Not good. Not good at all. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into him. It didn’t matter if anyone saw them now.

‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured into her hair. ‘I’m so sorry, Indy. This is all my fault.’

‘It’s okay. Emery told me what happened. I don’t blame you.’

It should’ve eased the torturous ache in his heart but it didn’t. ‘Where are you going to go?’

‘I don’t know yet.’

‘Go to Sydney. Surely there’s a bus you could take? I’ll give you the keys to my place and you can stay there. Clear your head for a bit and find something else.’ Was there too much hope in his voice? Shit. He wanted her, wanted them, so badly.

Indy pulled back and slowly shook her head. ‘What would I do in the city, Carter? It’s not that I don’t appreciate the gesture, but I can’t.’

‘I don’t …’ He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. ‘I don’t want to say goodbye. I don’t want this to be over.’ He blinked a few times to clear his vision.

‘I don’t see that there’s any other way,’ Indy said quietly.

‘We’ll figure it out.’ Desperation clawed at him. ‘Please, Indy. We can make it work.’ He was so close to begging, but she was already shaking her head, tears making her eyes glassy.

‘I don’t know who I am away from this mountain, and I don’t want to be who I was before I came here. I don’t know where I’m headed or what I’m going to do. But I do know that I need to figure all of that out on my own, because you deserve more.’

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His eyes searched hers. The walls he’d knocked down over and over had been reconstructed. This wasn’t an argument he was going to win, yet he couldn’t stand to lose.

‘But I love you, Indy.’

Her tears spilled over, tracing paths down her cheeks. It was the saddest thing he’d ever witnessed.

Unable to just stand there, he gathered her back up in his arms, holding her as close as he could.

‘I’m so sorry, Carter.’

She didn’t love him back. He wanted to cry too. He was alone in his feelings. Fuck, it stung. He couldn’t blame her—it hadn’t been enough time, but there wasn’t any left. Was it all for nothing? He tightened his grip, breathing her in. How could this be the last time?

‘Do you regret it?’ he asked.

She pulled her head back and traced his jaw with her finger. ‘Never. Do you?’

He shook his head before crushing his mouth to hers.

Her lips were soft, moulding to his, parting.

A light moan escaped her and he was frantic to hold onto it.

To hold onto her. As soon as they stopped, she’d leave, and they’d be over.

He’d lose her and he couldn’t do a single thing about it.

His kiss took on an edge of desperation.

‘Indy, it’s time,’ Emery called.

Indy ended the kiss and pressed her forehead to his. ‘I’ve got to go.’

His throat clogged up, making any reply impossible.

His arms dropped to his side, and she walked away.

She climbed into the passenger seat beside Emery at the wheel.

Carter stayed where he was as the engine rattled to life and they drove slowly past him.

Indy’s face peered out the back window, her hand pressed against the glass.

He stared after her, soaking her in until the ute pulled out the gate and she disappeared. Taking everything he had with her.

Indy turned in her seat, ripping her hand away from the glass and letting her tears fall in torrents. She hated crying. It was so unproductive but, damn, the release was needed. She sniffed, not bothering to wipe at her eyes.

‘If you don’t stop crying, then I won’t be able to stop and we’ll need to pull the car over,’ Emery whispered, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze before returning her own to the steering wheel. ‘Why did you do that? Why did you have to say goodbye to him?’

‘Because he deserves so much more than this,’ she whispered.

‘He’s a national sports star, a household name, the golden boy of rugby league.

I can’t taint him anymore. Not with my past or my present or my lack of future.

We’re too different. He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. He deserves everything.’

‘You love him too, don’t you?’

Indy tilted her head up as the tears fell impossibly faster. ‘From the moment I met him.’

‘Oh, Indy.’ The ute swerved viciously to the left as Emery swung the wheel to the side of the road and launched across the centre console to wrap her in a hug.

Indy leant into the comfort of her friend. They stayed like that until Scout started whining from the dog cage in the back. Indy’s tears dried and she wiped away their remnants, knowing there’d be more to come later.

Emery sat back in the driver’s seat. ‘Where am I going to take you and Scout?’

‘The pub.’

‘Do you really think that’s a wise idea? You can’t just drink away your problems.’ Emery pulled back out on the road as Indy gave a dry laugh.

‘While disappearing into the oblivion of alcohol seems really, really good right now, that’s not what I meant. It’s cheap accommodation and I reckon I can convince Iggy to let me keep Scout in the garden until I figure out my next move.’

‘Maybe Iggy can give you a few hours pulling beers to pass the time.’

Indy rubbed her temples. ‘That’d be handy, seeing how I don’t have a car to get anywhere else. The joys of living on a mountain and working at least six days a week with food and board covered means that I have savings, but I don’t want to spend it all at once.’

‘I’ve got to admit that I’m glad you’ll still be close by,’ Emery said. ‘I can’t imagine being at Windale without you. I considered quitting, you know. To really stick it to Nova for letting you go.’

Indy smiled at the comradery. ‘I’m glad you didn’t. Imagine the crap Mara would get up to without you there teaching her the ropes. And it’d be impossible to sneak down to catch a glimpse of Dustin at the creek.’

Emery laughed. ‘True that.’

They fell quiet. Was this the last time she’d ever drive down this road? She’d have no reason to venture up the mountain if she wasn’t working or living on it.

As they hit the flats, Emery glanced over at her. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be okay?’

Indy took a deep breath, shaking with the need to break down. But she couldn’t. Not yet. ‘I hope so.’ Carter’s face sprang to mind. ‘Em, I need you to promise me something? And swear you won’t break this promise.’

‘I swear,’ Emery said, immediately. ‘What is it? You know I’d do anything for you.’

Indy did. Hot tears pricked the back of her eyes. She blinked furiously. ‘You can’t tell Carter where I am.’

‘What? Why?’

‘It needs to be a clean break. I can’t drag him down anymore.’

‘Indy! You don’t actually think that’s true, do you?’

Her jaw tightened. ‘Promise me, Em? Don’t tell him. Or I’ll have to move and not tell you where I am.’

It was a low blow and hurt washed over Emery’s face. ‘I promise.’

Indy pressed her forehead against the window. ‘Good.’