I smile as I shakily take the hand he is holding out for me. He pulls me into an embrace and I burst into full-blown sobs. I hate it when people are nice to you when you are on the edge-it makes you fall apart. I stand for a minute in his arms crying hysterically.
“Tash, let’s go back. Try and work this out with him. He loves you. He’s frantic,” he whispers into my hair.
I shake my head. “He has been sleeping with Amelie,” I sob.
“Honey, you left him. Remember. I don’t think he was sleeping with her all the time. I think it was just one time from what I heard.”
“What did you hear?” I sob.
“He was screaming at her and telling her that he loved you and that he was going to kill her if she didn’t get away from him.”
I start to really sob. “What was she doing?”
“She was crying, and then she went outside and Cameron and she had a big fight. When I was leaving Adrian had asked the bodyguards to escort her from the building.”
I cry again, out of pity for her. I put my head into my hands and slump back into the chair. Maybe he does love her and she knows it and yet he is denying them a future together out of obligation to me. This is my worst fucking nightmare. He’s sacrificing his own happiness to give me mine.
“Get me back to Australia, Max, I need to get out of here. This isn’t my happy ever after I dreamt about.”
“But Tash.”
“No … are you going to help me or not, because if not you can fuck off right now too!”
He smirks. “Really, fuck off.”
I smirk back. “Basically.”
“So you want me to basically fuck off.”
I smile through my tears as I nod.
“I will go and buy us some bus tickets to another state and then we will get a plane back to Australia. But I want you to ring Joshua and tell him you are safe first.”
My eyes widen with horror. “I am not ringing him Max; he will just talk me around. I have no resistance against him. Please, you text him and tell him you are coming with me and that I’m safe.”
He rubs his face in frustration. “Tash, you are asking too much of me. I will lose my job.”
“Please Max, I’m begging. I need your help. I have no other options.”
His eyes hold mine as he thinks. “Let me buy the tickets and then we will go for a walk and text him before we dump the sim.”
An hour later we have caught a cab to the other side of town and Max takes out his phone. He blows out a heavy breath as he types the text.
I have found her.
She’s safe.
He rubs his forehead in frustration and a text bounces immediately back.
Thank god.
Where are you?
I will come and get you.
“Natasha, honestly. Can’t you just talk to him? He will never forgive me if I do this. Joshua has been very good to me,” he urges.
“Please Max, he’s confused and is only with me out of obligation. He just wants me to be safe and in time this is what is best for him. He will eventually understand.” My lip quivers with unshed tears again.
I’m sorry.
She won’t come back.
I am taking her home to Australia.
I will call you when we land.
Once again, I’m really sorry.
With that he pulls his phone apart, takes the sim out and throws it into the bin. He looks at me solemnly. “Our bus to San Diego comes in two hours. From there we will get a plane to Honalulu and then fly direct to Sydney. I hope you know what you are doing Natasha. Are you sure you won’t regret this decision?”
My eyes fill with tears as pain lances my heart. “Every day,” I whisper.
“Tash, put your seat up.” I force my bleary eyes open. “We are in Sydney, honey.”
I nod gratefully, unable to speak. Only five days ago I boarded a flight to LA filled with such hope, such joy in my heart. Now I am returning empty and tired. I am emotionally exhausted. I have nothing left.
An hour later I stare out the window in silence as Max manoevres his Audi through the city. We are both lost in thought. What am I going to tell work? Where do I start? I fell in love with my cousin who turned out not to be my cousin, murdered my beloved father and left my so-called boyfriend. He then took a drug overdose because he may be a cocaine addict and he nearly died so I went to him and then found out he is sleeping with the other woman he’s in love with. This is like the world’s worst James Bond film … on steroids. I frown as I summarise the events so far. I am so being punked-where are the fucking TV cameras? They are going to think I am the world’s biggest loser … and guess what? They’re right, I am. We park out the front of my building and Max parks the car.
“I’m going to text him now.” He pulls out a phone we have just stopped and purchased. I swallow and nod as he starts to type.