Outback Living

Chapter Twelve

Stiles keeps his distance from me for the next week. The only time we're anywhere near each other is at breakfast and dinner, and he is out of the house as soon as he has finished. Our conversations are clipped and stifled. I haven't told anybody about our nearly kiss. Luckily I have Kira and Danny here for a couple of weeks to keep me distracted. My Aunt has basically taken me off chore duty while they're here.

I take them horse riding and we got on picnics and I show them 'my' brook. In fact that's where we are right now, a blanket underneath us as we eat our sandwiches. Danny leans on his elbows with his legs stretched out in front of him, Kira has her head in my lap. It's a little overcast today and I'm pretty sure we might get rain later on in the evening. Misty and two of the older horses graze on the tiny bit of grass near the waters edge.

I haven't dared talk about Stiles since my birthday, too afraid that I might let slip what nearly happened, so when Kira mentions his name, I freeze.

"Haven't seen Stiles around much since the party."

Her words get Danny's attention and now they both stare at me with expectant looks.

"Yeah, I thought you said you guys had decided to be friends." Danny adds.

I don't look at either of them at first, mulling over their words in my head. I should tell them, they are my best friends after all.

"Yeah, we um, kind of had a moment I guess." I explain with my face scrunched up a bit.

"What do you mean, a moment?" Kira asks sitting up.

I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking again.

"Well you know how I followed him into the shed?" She nods her head. "Well we got talking and then my parents came up and then I started crying."

And I'm overcome with embarrassment, by the tears I shed that night.

"Then he held me and then suddenly everything sort of happened in slow motion. He leaned in a little, wiped a tear from my cheek and I thought he was going to kiss me, before he pulled his hand away, reminded me that he has a girlfriend and then walked out."

They're silent for a while before Danny let's out a low whistle.

"Shit." He says.

"I know and now everything is awkward again and we're back to not being friends."

I cover my face with my hands, willing myself not to cry as Kira's arm comes over my shoulder.

"And to make it even worse I think I've completely misjudged Malia."

They gesture for me to go on and I relay what Stiles told me about his girlfriend that night. When I've finished relaying my story to them, I'm totally convinced that we were all so wrong about the leggy brunette. None of us know what going through a divorce as an only child is like. I scold myself and everyone else for being so judgemental. What right do we have to be the judge, jury and executioner?

I suddenly have the urge to find Stiles and set things right immediately. But the decision to go back to the house is made for me, when large droplets of rain start to fall. We had sat for so long talking, that we hadn't noticed the storm clouds that had rolled in. We hurriedly gather our things, climb up on our horses and head back. We make it just before the skies open up fully. We unsaddle our mares and make a dash for the house.

It's a big storm, with thunder and lightening and it doesn't let up for the longest time. Those of us that are in the house, watch the spectacle from the back porch. I cling to a porch pole, watching the sky light up. My eyes instantly search out the carriage house. I can just make out the silhouettes of four people, standing under their own porch, through the torrential rain. I see Scott, Allison, Issac and Derek and then a bit further down are Chris and Noah. Stiles is nowhere to be found.