Page 11 of Ruby’s Outback Love

CHAPTER FIVE

Sydney NSW

Two Months Later

RUBY

I’d felt empty inside when Phil left to return to Brisbane the day after we’d made love. Heading to Sydney was hard and I’d entertained the idea of applying to a university in Brisbane to be closer to the man I loved. After agonising over moving, giving the possibility a great deal of thought, I’d decided against it.

I loved Phil with all my heart, but arrangements were made, accommodation settled, so Sydney it had to be. We hadn’t managed to catch up again – either I was busy with assignments, or he was on duty.

When my phone dinged with an incoming message, I set my computer aside and picked up the phone. I was disappointed to find it was a message from my sister, Rosemary, who now lived on the Central Coast, and not Phil. She wanted to know if I was interested in spending the weekend with her.

I typed back that I had decided to travel to Brisbane to surprise Phil. She responded with a smiley face.

While I had the phone in my hand, I decided to give Phil a call. I hadn’t heard from him for a couple of days, he wasn’t answering my texts or returning my calls and I was beginning to worry. The call again went directly to voicemail, I frowned and left a message telling him I was concerned.

I convinced myself he must be busy with Uni, he had finals coming up and he’d been working hard to achieve a promotion to Sergeant.

I made the decision to book a flight out the following day and jumped back on the computer. I couldn’t wait to surprise him and looked forward to a weekend of loving and fun. I hoped he wasn’t working, but even if he was, we would work time in to be together.

It didn’t take long to organise a flight; I didn’t bother with a rental car or hotel. I’d grab a taxi from the airport to either the police station or his apartment.

I decided to give the station a call to find out if Phil would be working, I wouldn’t tell them why I wanted to know.

The call engaged and a man identified himself as Constable Baxter.

“Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me if Phil Thacker will be at the station tomorrow?”

“Who are you, Miss, and why do you want that information?”

Hmm, who was I? His girlfriend? Fianceé? He hadn’t officially proposed. So, I went with what was safe.

“I’m a friend from his hometown - Bourke.”

“Oh, you must be in town for his engagement do at Cally’s on Saturday night. Lucky bastard that Phil, a beautiful woman and she’s carrying his baby.”

Chills raced down my spine. I’d known something was terribly wrong and the reason I hadn’t heard from Phil dropped into place. Reminders of Phil’s distraction when I’d spoken to him over the last couple of weeks came to the forefront of my mind. I’d thought he was distracted by study and work, obviously not.

Play along.

“Um, yeah, the engagement. I was wondering if he knew someone who could give me a ride from where I’m staying.”

“I’m sure someone would be able to, Phil isn’t here though, he’s taken a few days off. To celebrate, I guess. If I could have your name and number, I’ll get someone to call you back.”

“That’s okay, I’ll text him. Thanks.”

I disconnected the call and my whole world crashed down upon me. How could Phil have deceived me in this way? He’d used me. Taken my virginity and tossed me aside like a piece of garbage. I bet he and his fellow cops had a great laugh about how gullible I’d been. I hated them all – Phil for breaking my heart and the cops for having a laugh at my expense. How did I know, you ask? I just knew, cops always stuck together. It was a ‘got your back’ type of thing. They were all arseholes. Not just cops, men were all arseholes. I’d never trust any of them again.

I cancelled the flight, not caring I’d lost the money and shut down the computer. When my anguish turned to anger, I sent Phil a text -

You fucking arsehole, I hope you rot in fucking hell!

After turning the phone off, I stripped and crawled into bed.

Despite my determination not to cry, I broke down and sobbed. I wanted to scream at Phil, beat him unconscious, but most of all I wanted to know why? Why had he broken the promise he’d made to me? Why had he taken my heart and smashed it into a million pieces?

***