Page 5 of Ruby’s Outback Love

“You’re a good friend.” I stood and tugged the back of my swimsuit from the crack of my butt. “Swim?”

“Yep.” Briony extended her hand towards me and I pulled her onto her feet.

We raced down to the water and screamed as we leapt from the bank and into the water.

***

PHIL

I dragged my fingers through my hair, placed my pen on top of the books which lay open on the desk before me and slumped back in my chair. I’d been trying to study for more than two hours. The first of my final exams were in three days and I was nowhere near ready. I needed high marks if I was to have any chance of getting into the police academy and online university to study Criminology.

Problem was, I dreaded leaving Bourke. Well, not so much the town, but Ruby. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, how many times I fucked Francine, I couldn’t get Ruby out of my mind, or my heart. I’d been crushing big time on the girl since she’d started high school and it terrified me.

Ruby was smart, like in genius smart, while I needed to study my arse off to get good grades. While I stressed to the max, Ruby seemed calm and breezed through, always topping her year with near perfect scores. She was far too clever to be interested in someone like me. A doctor, lawyer or scientist was who she would end up with, someone who could match her intelligence and make her happy.

So, as we’d matured, I’d kept my distance at school. Although I focused on friends my own age, I still found myself watching Ruby and longing to spend more time with her. Was it because I knew she had maturity far beyond her years and would show me up in front of my friends? Or was it because I was scared shitless one of my male friends would see the beauty of her mind and move in on my territory?

Who the fuck was I kidding? Ruby wasn’t my territory and never would be. Somehow I needed to get past my feelings for her. Maybe joining the police force and moving to Brisbane would help. I’d chosen to go to Brisbane instead of the academy in NSW because I wanted city training and experience. Eventually I hoped to transfer interstate so I could come home and help the people where I’d grown up.

Whenever our parents had set up a get together, I’d jumped at the opportunity to spend time alone with Ruby. We would swim together, discuss books, our future plans and dozens of other topics.

It was definitely her mind which attracted and bewitched me. Her beauty was far deeper than her gorgeous face and sparkling brown eyes. She was short and curvy, something I’d heard many a girl or boy pass derogatory comments about. It pissed me off that they judged Ruby on her weight. I felt sad that they couldn’t see what I saw – she was a very special girl.

Lately though, since Francine and I had hooked up six months earlier, I’d often seen Ruby watching me with…..was it longing and sadness in her eyes? Of course it wasn’t. I only wished it was. She no longer attended my track meets or cricket matches and I missed seeing her.

When I’d asked what had happened to cause the difference in her, she’d shrugged and said she needed to spend more time studying and less time playing. When she stopped attending family get togethers, I became even more concerned, but she continued to insist she was focused on studying. In my heart, I knew she was lying to me, but couldn’t get her to admit what was really wrong. As we drifted apart, the ache from emptiness in my heart intensified. It was a void Francine couldn’t come close to filling.

Ron King had taken to hanging around Ruby and just the thought of him putting his hands on her had my blood boiling.

I was so screwed up and the sooner I got out of town and away from everyone, the better. I suspected Francine was now fucking Brian when I wasn’t around and I couldn’t wait to put space between us.

I sighed and pushed to my feet. Hopefully, in two months’ time I’d be at the police academy in Oxley, Qld, enrolled in Uni and working my arse off. I’d have no time to think about anything back home. Yeah, who was I kidding?

CHAPTER THREE

Bourke NSW

Two Years Later

RUBY

I’d done it! I’d passed my final exams and had an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) of 99.35. Sydney University had accepted me into a Bachelor of Nursing Degree and in two months’ time I would relocate into university student accommodation.

I flopped back on the blanket, peered up at the crystal clear blue sky and listened to the flowing water of the Darling River as it trickled and fell over rocks and other debris before making its way to where the watercourse widened, deepened and began flowing with purpose.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

Phil’s voice caused me to almost jump out of my skin, he was the last person I’d expected to see. I sat up as he dropped to the blanket and planted a kiss on my cheek.

“I hear congratulations are in order?”

“Thank you. Who told you?”

“I called in at your place and your mum told me. She said she didn’t know where you were and that you’d been gone around an hour. I knew exactly where you’d be. Daydreaming?”

“Yeah, the next phase of my life is scary and exciting. I love it here. The peace and quiet of nature, hearing critters scurrying in the brush. I did the best of my studying right here over the past two years.”

“When do you leave?”