Page 63 of Crashing Into You

“Fuck this,” I mutter. I block her number as well. When I look up Jeff’s face is creased with concern.

“Maybe you could?—”

“Nah. I’m done. The sponsors are happy, aren’t they? You said the content was doing great numbers. So, job done. Time to move on.” Despite the fact that my chest feels as though it’s cracking open, this is what I have to do. Put on a brave face again, good old Bryce, loves a beer and a shag. But I also love to surf. “Where am I booked to go next?”

“What?”

“My next comp. Or filming. Or something. I need to get out of here.”

“Mate, if you want to surf, go surfing. You don’t need me to organise that. You’ve got nothing booked until Christmas, just like you wanted. Remember?”

“Fuck.” I bang my hand into the table so hard the cups rattle. “Well, change it. I want to do something.”

“What about your sister?”

Shit. I need to stick around for Millie and get her sorted. This whole thing with Claire drove it from my mind for a moment, but now it comes flooding back, adding to my agony. “Okay. Give me a couple of weeks, then I want to head out again.” I can’t bear the pity in Jeff’s eyes. But to his credit, he nods, putting the agent persona back on once more.

“All right. I’ll sort something out. And maybe you should still come to the Ocean’s Curl party Friday. Might do you good to get out, chat with some new people.”

Yeah. It might. Or it might be fucking shit. But I need to do something, anything, to try and dislodge this pain in my chest. “Fine.” I stand up, putting money on the table for the coffees. “I’ll see you there.”

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Claire

Ididn’t want to go into Lorne but my fridge was pretty much empty, and it was preferable to having strangers come to my house with a delivery. I can’t bear to speak to anyone at the moment. Two days have passed since the call from Bryce. Yelling at him didn’t make me feel any better; if anything I feel as though, somehow, I’ve made a huge mistake. I just want to close my gates and stay in my house forever, living with my memories of everyone I’ve lost, like some sort of ghost in a Victorian tale.

It’s completely ridiculous, of course. I refuse to disappear into my sorrow. I just need a couple of weeks to sort my head out, then I can get back to my life again. A little bit older, a little bit wiser. I’m going to take this as a learning experience, to not give my heart so easily again. Which is what I tell myself as I drive the winding road into Lorne, blinking back tears.

The town is getting busier now, people starting their Christmas holidays early. Schools break up next week and the place will be overrun then. I’m lucky to get a parking spot on the main street today; I’ll have no chance next week.

I’m glad I’m not at work. I don’t know if I can face going back in a couple of weeks, but I hate the thought of letting Anna down. Another thing to feel shitty about. I grab my groceries as quickly as I can and head back to my car.

I put the bags in the back, then realise I forgot to get milk. Shit. Now I have to go back.

I huff out a sigh, locking my car and heading down the street again. I pass the café where Kylie works, keeping my head down, hoping she won’t notice me.

No such luck.

“Claire! Claire, wait up!”

I slow to a stop. I can’t escape this, I guess. Even though I don’t want anything to do with Bryce. Thank god I’m off work, otherwise I’d be trying to rip his poster off the wall. I sigh, turning around. I wonder what excuses she’s going to try and give me, not that it’s any of her business how Bryce treated me, though a very small part of me still clings to hope. Kylie jogs up to me. She’s still wearing her apron from the café, tied over a long brown dress, her sun-streaked hair tied up in a messy bun.

“What the fuck is your problem?”

Woah. This is not what I was expecting. I would be angry, but I can’t feel much at the moment.

“What do you mean, what’s my problem?” A little flame of anger licks through me, despite how numb I am. “I don’t have a problem.”

“Oh, you don’t.” Kylie folds her arms, looking me up and down. “So you just turned your back on Bryce and blocked him for no reason, then?”

“What? He ditched me! Got what he wanted and then buggered off.” A small hook of pain sinks in my chest.

Kylie’s head goes back slightly, her brows drawing together. “Ditched you? Didn’t he tell you he was going to Melbourne?”

“Yes. He promised he’d come back. But he didn’t and I couldn’t get hold of him.” My breath starts to hitch in my chest. “And then I saw this.” I open my phone and bring up Bryce’s socials. He hasn’t posted anything since the picture of the girl. Seeing the thumbnail images of us together, laughing under the cardboard wave at Torquay, kissing on my balcony, feels like a punch in the chest. I show Kylie my phone. “He posted it around the time he was supposed to be showing up here to be with me. So what the hell am I supposed to think?”

Kylie looks at me as though I’ve grown an extra head. “This photo?Thisis why you blocked him?”