Losing Faith (Surfers Way) (25 page)

Quade squeezes my hand as we walk into his place. A sweet vanilla perfume hits me head-on. Heat prickles at my cheeks.
Will she be as sweet to me as she smells?

In slow steps we reach the lounge room.

Straight out of the pages of a fashion magazine, she rises to her feet and glides towards us in a flowing peach and maroon summer dress. She is tall, with captivating brown eyes and perfect olive skin. Her long, silken black hair floats behind her with each step.
She’s stunning.

My heart jumps into my throat. I think something resembling the word “hi” slips out.

“Lacey this is Nari. Nari, this is my girl, Lace,” Quade says, squeezing my hand in his.

“So you’re
the
Lacey, huh?” she says and smiles.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand tall. I swallow hard. “Yup. That’d be me.”

She offers her hand. “Well, it’s so great to finally meet you. Of course Quade probably won’t admit it, but he’s told me so much about you.”

I shake her hand and huff out my nose in relief. “All good, I hope.” That’s what people say to something like that, don’t they?

“I’ll get us something to drink,” Quade says and moves into the kitchen.
Could he have left the room any quicker?

“Come sit down,” she says with a smile. “You’re making me nervous.”

A nervous laugh bubbles up my throat. I sit on one couch, and Nari sits on the other.

“Can I say something?” she says and leans in closer, giving me another dose of vanilla. Damn, she smells good.

“Shoot.”

“He finally seems happy. I can see that in the way he looks at you.”

Heat rushes to my face. “Thanks. That’s nice of you to say.” The next thing I want to say is a little harder to voice, but I know that I need to. It’s important. “I know he’s had some hard times, and I wanna thank you for being there for him, Nari.”
Even though I’m hell jealous that you were.

“Of course. He’s a beautiful person and I’d do anything for him. I’m just glad he has someone like you in his life … and your family too. He talks so fondly of them. Family is really important to him. Yours included.”

“My parents adore him. I swear my mother has a crush on Quade. I just wish his own mother appreciated him more. It’s pretty sad.”

Glasses rattle in the kitchen. What’s taking him so long?

“Yeah, it is sad. I know it takes some people time to grieve, but to me, there must be other issues in her life that are stopping her from moving on. How do you get along with her?”

“Um, I don’t. This afternoon a prime example.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had a run-in with her and she basically told me that you were back in town to whisk him away from the lowly pizza girl, although that’s putting it kindly compared to what she actually said.”

Nari shakes her head. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”

“She’s convinced you’re here to get back with Quade.”

She rolls her eyes. “Quade and I are friends. I’m here to say goodbye in person before I move to Western Australia in the new year. I also wanted to see how he’s getting along. It was a big thing for him, moving back. The pressure he put on himself to come here and make everything right was enormous.”

Of course, now I’m curious. Maybe as time goes on, Quade will open up to me more about this stuff. “Yeah. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been.”

“How hard what would have been?” Quade says as he walks in. He hands Nari a bottle of beer and a tall glass of Coke with ice to me.

“Now, now, girl talk is classified,” Nari warns Quade.

“No ganging up on me,” he says. “Why don’t you both come out back and keep me company while I cook the steaks?”

We sit outside on the back porch and talk about med school, legal studies, pizzas, and schoolkids as Quade cooks meat on the barbeque. The more I get to know Nari, the more grateful I am that Quade has her in his life. Craziness aside, I can see why Mrs Kelly latched on to her.

After dinner, I kick both Quade and Nari’s arse at Uno. Five times in a row.

A couple of hours later, Nari lets out an almighty yawn and stands up from the table. “I’m going to say good night, you two. I’ll be leaving early in the morning.”

I stand up from the table. Before I know it, Nari has pulled me into a hug. “Take care of each other,” she says softly in my ear.

“I promise. Please come visit. Anytime.”

Nari turns to Quade, and offers him her hand. “You got yourself a good egg there, Quade.”

Quade chuckles as he shakes her hand. “Sure do. All the best, good doctor.”

---

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, oh, ow, oooh, oh God.” The words spew from my mouth garbled and in between gasping for breath.

“I know it feels so good,” Quade whispers against my neck, biting on the sensitive flesh of my earlobe.

I’m in pain. Horrific pain. My foot. Cramping. I’m dying.

He puts my leg up onto his shoulder and the pain tears down my calf muscle.

“Ahhhh,” I cry out, trying to focus on the good sensations where our bodies meet.

“Yeah,” he growls.

“Owww. No,” I grunt out.

“No?”

“My foot … cramps … we need to stop.”

“Oh,” he says, slowing his hips. “So this scream is a bad scream, then.”

“Yes!” He moves off me. I jump from the bed and stretch out my leg and foot.
Mother effer-

“For a second there, I thought you were putting on a show for Nari. Making it clear that I’m your man,” he whispers loudly.

“Don’t be such a caveman.”

In reality, if she overhead, I’m okay with that.

---

That afternoon, I’m on Quade’s doorstep when he pulls his truck into the driveway after work. After the debacle with the cramp this morning, the mood was well and truly killed.

“I’m good to go. No more cramps,” I inform him.

Quade hauls me into his arms, carries me through the front door, and plonks me on the couch.

He wastes no time settling between my legs, slamming his lips into mine. His mouth is hungry, as is mine, but I’m not getting enough air.

I hold his face in my hands and create more space between our lips.

“Slow,” I tell him.
Kiss
. “Been thinking about this all day, don’t rush.”
Kiss
.

My phone rings.
Go to voicemail, I’m busy
.

I have no idea how much time passes, but kissing this man has my body on fire. I want to jump his bones, but this feels so good.
We can always come back to this …

“Making out with you is like the best thing ever,” I mumble against his lips.

He scoffs. “That doesn’t say much about our sex life.”

“I happen to think it says
everything
about the sex. I swear I could have an O on the spot after a good pash-sesh with you.”

My phone rings again.
Goddamn it! Trying to pash with my boyfriend here!

“Do you need to check that?” Quade says, rolling his hips against mine and letting me feel exactly how hard this little kiss-fest has got him.

The call goes to voicemail. Then it starts ringing again.

“Okay, I’ll answer it.” I move out from under him and snatch the phone from my satchel.

I answer the call from Lily.

“Hi, Lil. Having a pizza emergency?” I joke. Quade moves one hand to the waistband of my shorts and pinches my nipple through my shirt with the other.

“Oh thank God, Lacey, I’ve finally got you,” Lily says, catching her breath.

I sit up straight and swat Quade’s roving hands from my boobs. “Is everything okay?”

Quade stills.

“Something’s happened. Your dad is in bad shape,” she says.

I clutch at my chest. “W-what?”

“The hospital rang. It’s your mum.”

“What? My mum?” Didn’t she just say it was my dad?

“There was an incident at the hospital.”

“What kind of incident?” I screech.

She huffs into the phone. “Your dad won’t say but he’s talking to himself and pacing around.”

I look to Quade. “Just tell him I’ll be right there.”

“Anything else I can do?” Lily asks.

I stand up and do some pacing of my own as I “um” and “ah” about what we need to take care of. Quade snatches his car keys from the table and waits by the door.

“We’ll need to shut the shop,” I tell Lily.

“It’s okay, I’ve sorted it out. I just got off the phone with Marco. Him and Cat are on their way in.”

I let out a deep breath. Lily has this situation under control.

“Can you put Dad on the phone?” I ask.

“Sure.”

The handset ruffles. “Peppi,” he chokes out.

“Dad, I’m on my way but you need to tell me what’s happened.”

“Someting’s wrong wit ’er ’eart. I-I can’t lose ’er … she’s my everyting,” he whispers.

Her heart? Oh no …

“Dad, I’ll be right there.”

---

Quade and I rush into the shop. Dad is pale and sitting at a table in the corner, staring into space.

“You’re ’ere,” he says, slowly getting to his feet. His hand shakes as he fishes a set of keys from his pocket. “Let’s ’op in de car, Peppi.” His voice is shakier now.

“Mr Marone, you’re in no shape to drive,” Quade says and takes him by the arm. “Get in my truck and I’ll take you both.”

Dad gets in the back and I scramble into the front seat. I hold on to the handle as Quade manoeuvres the twists and turns of the roads to Newcastle.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but drive faster, Q.”

---

The three of us rush into the emergency entry. I almost trip over my feet as I run up to the counter. “Maree Marone,” I blurt out. “I’m her daughter, and this is my dad.” I grip Dad’s hand beside me.

The grey-haired nurse on duty checks a chart beside her. She runs her hand over her forehead, pushing the fringe from her eyes. She looks to her colleague, a lady of similar age, I’m guessing. The other woman shrugs.

“I’ll get the doctor on shift to come out and see you shortly,” the first nurse says.

“How long will that take? I need to know what’s going on,” I demand.

“Peppi,” Dad says, warning in his tone.

“How are you calm right now?” I ask him.

Dad nods to the nurse. “Tanks, Fran. I’m sure you’re doing everyting you can for my girl.”

“I’ll have the doctor out to see you as soon as he’s able, Enzo. And yes, I promise we’re doing everything we can.”

With my dad to my right, and Quade to my left, I turn around and walk over to the waiting area.

A set of bloodshot eyes look up. Really?
Fuck!
Can this day get any worse?

My mother is in the hospital and
she
is here?

“Mum?” Quade says, taking long strides towards her, crouching at her stiletto heels. “What are you doing here?”

Not that I want to see this woman again, but I move to stand beside Quade. I hope everything is okay. Mrs Kelly looks up at me, her blue-green eyes holding such sorrow.

“I-I didn’t mean it,” she stammers and shakes her head. Her skin is pale and her eyes flit about as if she’s had way too much caffeine. Then her gaze focuses on me and she chokes on her breath.

“Mean what?” I ask, my voice gruff with unshed tears.

“Your mother,” she whispers and casts her eyes downwards.

My heart dives into my stomach.

“What the hell did you do?” Quade booms.

“We were arguing … and then she clutched at her chest.” A lone tear rolls down her face.

Oh God. Is this really happening?

“You gave my mother a heart attack?” I screech.

Tears stream down Mrs Kelly’s face, which doesn’t look so perfect now with evidence of her tears, of her guilt.

“I don’t know,” she cries. “They took her away. They won’t tell me what’s going on because I’m not family.”

Family
. What in the hell does this woman know about family?

“You need to leave,” I snarl at her.

“But—”

“But nothing,” I cry out. “This is
my
family,” I dig at my chest with my thumb. “And since when do you even care? According to you, I’m just the plain girl in the pizza shop who sluts around. Your words.”

Dad is suddenly at my side, but continues to move closer to Mrs Kelly. “You said dese tings about my daughter?” Dad barks, his accent coming through stronger than normal.

Quade stands between my dad and his mum. “Mum, I think you should go,” he says in a calm, measured tone and offers his hand to her. She nods and takes it, staring into space.