Evelyn Vine Be Mine (10 page)

Eventually, she looked away and slipped into the bed. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Donny is in love with Fredi isn’t he?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to…she already knew.

She sighed and turned her back to me, snuggling down into the covers.

“Too bad she’s a lesbian,” I whispered into the dark.

Briar shouted a bark of laughter, then collapsed into giggles. She slowly turned over and studied my face with interest. A smile began to tug at the corner of her mouth and her dimple began to crease.

“Night Evie,” she said simply.

“Good night,” I mumbled back.

***

I was sad to leave Sydney at the end of the week, but still excited about going home to Darwin for five weeks. Billy was quiet as he drove me to the airport, but he stopped me as I jumped out of the car.

“Here,” he said, handing over a wrapped parcel, “I want you to have it.”

I looked over at him in question.

“It’s the original,” he said with a grin, “I had it framed for you.”

I nearly dropped it as I realised what I was holding. My favourite picture.

“Th-Thank you,” I stuttered, unable to find something better to say.

“No problem,” he said with a shrug, “Feel free to come and stay whenever you like. Briar’s friends are always welcome.”

I nodded slowly and slid the package into my carry-on bag.

“Study hard Evie and I might even find you a place working for me,” he said, clapping me on the back. My heart sped up at the thought of working for Bright Photography and I walked into the Sydney airport with a large smile. Once on the plane, I carefully unwrapped the photo and stared at its framed beauty. A wicked smile spread over my face.

I’m going to hang it above my bed!

***

All three of the triplets met me at the airport in Darwin and as soon as I stepped out the doors, they picked me up in a tight, painful group hug. I let them though, but only because I knew that this was probably the most amount of attention or affection my family would show me for the entire visit. Mike bugged me with questions about Sydney the whole way back to our house. I was almost relieved when the car stopped and I was attacked by my mother instead as she pumped me for story ideas. I sighed in annoyance.

Looks like I've become one of my out-of-town siblings that get pestered by constant, bizarre phone calls about their 'interesting' lives.

Poor Zane usually suffered the worst. Mum thought working in the special forces was sexy and exciting, a perfect profession for one of her heroes. If you asked me, being married to someone that got shot at and was away for months at a time was NOT sexy.

Paul and I spent the most time together while I was there. He was on university holidays as well. Unfortunately, he was often out with his friends, preferring their company to that of his little sister's. By the end of the first week, I was badly missing Briar and her family. Even her friends would have been nice. She and Candy rang a few times, but hearing about all the fun they were having didn't really help. Cooper emailed me every couple of days, which made me feel slightly better, even though he couldn't visit, but the highlight of my holidays was probably the email I received from Zane. I'd hurried to send one back, hoping that he would get to read it before he moved on to somewhere without internet access.

I was relieved when it came time to return to Alice Springs. I grabbed my suitcase and rolled it to the top of the stairs. I eyed them warily, before calling softly for Paul to carry it down for me.

There was no answer.

I called for each of the triplets.

Again, no answer.

There was however, loud banging and scuffling coming from outside the back door and I left the suitcase to see what was happening. I groaned at the scene before me, knowing that I'd have to break up the fight if I wanted a lift to the airport. I have no idea what the fight was about, but all three triplets were hammering into each other with their fists and rolling around in the grass. Paul came out the door with a frown.

"I'll handle this Evie," he said gruffly, puffing up his chest, "Stand back or you'll get hurt." Then he pounced right in and started fighting alongside them.

I rolled my eyes. Sure, Paulie. That really helped.

I stalked back inside to find Zane's whistle he used to use whilst 'training' us. I walked right up to the pile on, unaffected by their brutal show of violence (I did grow up with nine brothers remember) as I blew the whistle loudly. They froze, their heads looking around in alarm as if expecting big brother Zane to be hiding behind a bush or something. Seeing only me, they slowly got to their feet and started checking their injuries.

"What's up lil E?" Jake asked with a big grin.

"I need someone to carry my suitcase down the stairs and a lift to the airport," I said softly, then added hesitantly, "Please."

"I'll get it!" the triplets shouted, pushing and shoving each other as they raced inside.

"I'll give you a lift Evie," Paul said, wiping the blood from his lower lip with a sheepish expression.

I smiled at him in amusement and went to hug my mother goodbye.

***

It felt good to be back at the university I realised as I walked down the hall to my room. I couldn’t wait to get back to my room and savour some peace and quiet before Candy returned tomorrow. When I reached my door though, I found Fredi and Briar sitting against it, arguing. They looked up at my approach and grinned. I stopped short. Their smiles looked positively evil and I shook slightly in worry.

“Evie!” they shouted, jumping to their feet and running to hug me.

“We’ve been waiting for you to get back,” Fredi said with a smug smile, “We’ve been back for two weeks!”

“You have?” I asked curiously.

“Yes!” Briar answered enthusiastically, “You missed the Camel Cup! It was awesome! My camel won!”

The Camel Cup was an annual event and was pretty much a horse race…only with camels, and it was a lot less posh.

“Er…awesome,” I whispered, a little overwhelmed by their exuberance.

Fredi laughed loudly, “You should’ve seen Stone’s face when his camel sat down in the middle of the race!”

Briar joined in with the laughter, clutching at her belly. I shuddered as I pictured the harsh expression he would’ve worn. Camels were unpredictable, stubborn creatures and it wasn’t uncommon for one to give up part-way through the race.

Fredi abruptly stopped laughing and eyed my outfit with disdain. “You need to get changed,” she commanded, pulling me inside my room.

“Why?” I asked worriedly as Briar started flipping through my closet.

“Because the band is playing at the uni club tonight,” Briar answered, frowning at the clothes she pulled out.

I opened my mouth to tell them no, but Fredi skewered me with a look. “Don’t even argue. I want you to see us play.”

I sighed and nodded, not bothering to argue because a small part of me was curious about the band.

Briar huffed in frustration. “This won’t do,” she said firmly, “Fredi, go and get me something from your wardrobe. Evie has nothing appropriate.”

Fredi grinned and raced out of the room.

“No, wait!” I cried in alarm, but neither girl heeded me.

That’s how I found myself being dragged through a dark courtyard on our way to the club, stumbling a little in the red high heels and trying to pull down the hem of the black leather skirt I was wearing. The skirt probably reached mid-thigh on Fredi, but with my long legs, it was considerably higher. The long-sleeved white shirt I was wearing was tight and thin, revealing my purple push-up bra even without the plunging V of its neckline. It wasn’t doing much to keep me warm either. I shivered against the frigidness of the late July night and cursed my lack of a jacket. My loose hair whipped across my face in the strong breeze and I longed to tie it back in a pony-tail.

My phone rang just as the club appeared in sight and I searched through my small bag for my phone. I frowned at the name on the screen, before accepting the call.

“Hello?” I asked softly, aware that Briar and Fredi had stopped to wait for me and were listening intently.

“Hiya Evie!” my older brother Logan greeted me, “I tried ringing you at home, but Mike said you were here already.”

“I got back this afternoon,” I mumbled, unsure as to why he was calling me. Logan and I had never been close and I’d only seen him once since I’d moved here. I was pretty sure it had been an apology visit after Cooper had told him off.

“You should have called me to meet you at the airport,” he said sternly.

I blinked, lost for words.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, unable to think of a better response.

“Whatever,” he brushed it off, “What are you doing tonight? Wanna come over?”

My mouth dropped open in shock and Briar raised an eyebrow in question. I knew she wouldn’t let me ditch them, but I didn’t want to turn down Logan when he’d made the effort to call me.

“Hold on a second,” I told him, covering the mouth piece and looking hesitantly between Fredi and Briar.

“Do you guys mind if we meet someone there?” I asked quietly. They gaped at me.

“Sure,” Fredi said, recovering first, “That’s cool.”

“Um, you still there?” I whispered into the phone.

“Yeah,” Logan replied, “You coming over or not?”

“I-I’m already going out,” I replied, “Would you…would you like to meet us at the uni club?”

He was silent for so long that I thought he had hung up.

“Logan?” I whispered tentatively.

“Sorry,” he said with a laugh, “I thought you said you were going to the uni club.”

“I did. I am,” I mumbled.

He laughed for a few more seconds. “Well alright then,” he replied, “I’m actually driving past it now. I’m on my way home from work. I’ll do a U-y at the lights and meet you in there.”

He hung up before I could tell him off for talking whilst driving.

I put my phone back in my bag and looked up to find Briar and Fredi smiling.

“He’s meeting us there,” I said, pushing past them carefully and continuing the walk toward the club. They hurriedly caught up to me, just as the bouncer stamped my arm with an underage brand. I hesitated in the entrance foyer, knowing that Logan would probably enter soon and that he’d find me more easily if I waited here.

“I’ll wait here with Evie,” Briar said to Fredi, “You’d better meet up with the band.”

Fredi nodded and gave my ass a slap as she walked past. “See you in there, girls!” she called, sashaying into the club in her tight leather pants and backless green top.

“So when’s this guy going to get here?” Briar asked me, watching my face intently.

“He should be here now,” I answered, turning to look at the line outside.

Logan was two people away from the bouncer and he gave me a big grin and a wave when he saw me.

“Wow,” Briar breathed beside me. I rolled my eyes at her and looked back at my brother with a frown. I hoped he was still with that girlfriend...Logan was a chick-magnet and I was not looking forward to the attention. I eyed him critically as he passed his ID over. He was one of my shorter brothers, standing at 5’11” like Cooper and Paul. His muscular body was still covered by his crisp Flying Doctor pilot uniform, though he’d left his hat in the car, revealing the number two cut of his black hair. His blue eyes sparkled as he moved closer, close enough that I could see the small smattering of freckles over his tanned nose (much like mine) and his shadow beard.

“You’ve put on weight,” he said with a grin, eyeing my body from heels to chest. He suddenly frowned as he stared at my thin shirt.

Here we go, I thought, expecting the protective older (or younger in the triplets’ case) speech about my slutty outfit. But I’d forgotten Logan wasn’t like the others. Like Cooper, he wasn’t overbearing and pushy. Instead of being cool, sensible and easygoing like Cooper though, he was relaxed and carefree, holding his own set of rules and code of behaviour.