A Boy in the Hand is Worth Two in the Head

Chapter 16

Despite my vehement protests, Will had sent me back into the house after my moment of idiocy. He’d told Mr. Doherty that I was getting dehydrated, and bless his soul, Mr. Doherty wouldn’t let me back outside unless it was to clean the barn, which I’d already done. I’d tried escaping back to work, where Will was, but he’d sent me right back again. I felt so useless, particularly because Will hadn’t mentioned a single thing about what I’d said to him, not about our jobs, nor him trying to kiss me. I didn’t know what had come over me. I’d tried to kiss him in my drunkenness before, and he hadn’t gotten crazy and flipped out on me. In fact, according to him, I’d tried to do a lot more than kiss him, but he’d managed to keep his cool, and not make a big deal about it. Unlike me.

I heard a voice behind me, as I sat sullenly on the couch, with nothing on the TV in front of me.

“E.B? What are you doing in here?”

“Dehydration,” I lied easily. “It’s a bit hot out there, I'll be back soon.” I showed him my water bottle that Mr. Doherty had all but glued to my hand.

Matt lugged his bag onto his shoulder.

“Want to give me a lift down to the station then?” I’d have to go and get Will’s car, I noted, but I couldn’t let Matt catch the bus, or even less so, walk to the bus stop, which was halfway down the street.

“Yeah, I’ve got to get the car though,” I told him. He shook his head.

“Glen said I could take his car down. I was going to leave it there, and he was going to send you and Will back to get it after lunch. Suppose it would be easier if you brought it back now, hey?”

I sighed, and got to my feet, taking my drink bottle with me. “Keys?” I asked. Matt pointed to the study, and leaning in, I felt the familiar metal ring, remembering the last time I’d gone into that room. I shuddered, and ignored Matt’s pointed look.

The keys jingled on my fingers, and by the time we’d made it to the car, I really did feel like I was becoming dehydrated. My head ached, and my mouth was dry, but it wasn’t because I hadn’t drunk enough water. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Will’s car, a few paddocks over, getting gradually closer. I pulled out of the drive before Matt could even get his seat belt on, and see Will. As much as I was convinced that he had no romantic feelings for me whatsoever, I was baffled as to why I cared, and why I had pretty much sobbed in front of him this morning.

I couldn’t like him, surely.

The trip into Middleton passed far too quickly. I had no idea why I was so jumpy. If I kept being that ridiculous around Will, this weekend was sure to be terrible. I’d already vowed to him that I’d take him to his first nightclub, and he’d insisted on coming with me to talk to my dad on Thursday afternoon. That phone call back had been even worse than I’d expected. He was already grumpy, and when he’d found out it was me, he’d put on an even more hurt voice. It infuriated me, but I was set that I was going to see him, and at least meet his future wife, my future mother-in-law. I shuddered at the thought.

Mum knew that I was going to see him, and while I could hear in her voice that she wasn’t too pleased about it, she wasn’t stopping me. More than anyone, it was Will who didn’t want me to go; the guy who had never met him, and only heard a few stories about his past with me from around twelve years ago. I guessed that that was probably worse.

He’d insisted that he would go too. However, I didn’t think it was because he was excited to meet the guy. In addition to his reluctance to stay with my family by himself, who he’d also never met, and his need for a guide for when he would go anywhere alone because he was terrible with direction, that would leave him with no other option, but to come and hold my hand as I faced my dad, he’d said. I also think that he was a bit reluctant to let me near someone who had hit me before, but I didn’t say anything about that, and neither did he.