Close to Home by Janet Gover

Author:Janet Gover
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2020-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

19

Jenny sat on the fallen tree, playing stupid games on her phone and trying not to look at the time. She had run out of lives on Candy Crush when she heard the sound of the motorbike engine on the road leading to the creek. She shoved her phone in her pocket and ran her fingers through her hair. The motorbike pulled up under a river gum and Finn hopped off. He removed his helmet. Jenny darted towards him, stopping herself just before she threw her arms around his neck, because that would have been too much.

‘Hi,’ she said.

‘Hi.’ He seemed just as uncertain as she was. This was the first time she’d seen him since they had exchanged their first kiss in this very spot.

‘Hi.’ Now she felt silly. Couldn’t she say anything else?

‘I wanted to come yesterday, just in case you were here, but my dad had me rehearsing all afternoon.’

‘That’s all right.’ They hadn’t actually made arrangements to meet yesterday. Or today for that matter. She’d just been here, hoping. And somehow he’d guessed that she would.

‘Dad went out this afternoon. I was going to do some work on the new act. I’ve had some ideas. Do you want to come and help me?’

Did she? She could think of nothing she wanted more except, perhaps, to find a way out of being stuck in this town. And, now she thought about it, maybe the two things were really one. ‘Oh, yes.’

‘Let’s go then.’

He’d brought a spare helmet strapped to the back of the bike. She didn’t need any help to put it on this time, but he stood close as if wanting to help anyway. Then he hopped on the bike and she swung on behind him. Without hesitation, she put her arms around his waist and moved as close to him as she could. He started the engine and they roared out of town. Jenny was torn between wanting her friends to see her like this, and being afraid someone would tell her parents. They’d forbid her to do this wonderful thing and that would break her heart.

It was so good to be here, on the back of Finn’s bike, her arms tight around his body, her face pressed close to his shoulder. They couldn’t talk, but she could feel and almost taste the warmth of him. The wind and the road flashing past gave her a sense of freedom she’d never had before. She could look down at the tattoo on Finn’s forearm and understand exactly what it meant.

The white gate appeared way too soon for Jenny’s liking. She didn’t want to slow down and turn towards the buildings. There were adventures out there she wanted to have, and she wanted to have them with someone who understood.

Finn circled the main circus lot and parked on the far side of one of the corrugated iron sheds. They dismounted and he stuck his head through the open shed door.

‘Coast is clear. Come on.’

Once inside and away from prying eyes, Finn relaxed.

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