Life & Love of the Tormented

Chapter Fifty Three

"You're going back to Brisbane already?", Ria asks puzzled after I've hung up the call to Ben. Sadness begins to radiate off her features.

"Only for the weekend sis. I'm not ready to go back, back just yet...", I assure her.

"Oh good! I mean cool!", She laughs nervously. "I've just loved having you here. Mum and I both love having you here", Ria smiles at me. "I hate that you don't live up with us and so I don't want you to leave yet", she leaps forward and hugs me.

"Well I'll be here for a bit longer don't worry. I'm even driving my car back here on Sunday", I say returning her smile.

"Oh?"

"Well I'll be here for a while longer yet and I will need my car so mum can drive hers", I shrug.

"Would you move up here?", Ria asks me.

Ria's question hits me like a freight train...

Would I?

Honestly it has crossed my mind. Other than my friends and school I don't have anything tying me to Brisbane...

But then again I don't know... There's more job opportunities there...

Hmm...

I don't know...

"I don't know sis...", I reply. My tone shifting into a serious one.

"Well let's not worry about that now. Let's just have a good night!", Ria jumps up beaming. "Sister pamper night?", she suggests while throwing her hands around making theatrical gestures. "I've got a new jelly watermelon face mask we could try! And I can do your nails!"

I hold up my hand, "I have acrylics Ree", and I laugh.

She shrugs, "You can do mine then!", she says excitedly.

"Whatever, how about we start with dinner first?", I suggest while still laughing at her dramatics.

Ria and I end up ordering pasta from a local Italian restaurant down by the esplanade. When we go to pick it up, after Mum has left for her 'ladies dinner' we decide to stay down by the water front and eat our food on the beach.

  Both of us sit, perched on a rock while looking out at the waves. The ocean edge laps against the boulders beneath us.

  "So...", I say breaking the silence.

  "Mm?"

  "You got a boyfriend?", I ask.

  "Eww no!", Ria shrieks.

  I burst into a fit of laughter. "What do you mean 'Eww No!'", I ask using air quotations with my hands.

  "Have you not learnt anything in your twenty four years of life big sister?", she asks sarcastically. "Boys are gross! They smell! They're rude! They think they know everything and half of them don't even have manners!".

  I can't stop laughing. I was so different to Ria at fifteen. I was boy crazy. Never minded male attention... Until I met Jed. Then he destroyed everything and now I guess they entertain me for five minutes then I fuck them off... Well all those who came before Carter...

  Fuck.

  Carter.

  I miss him.

  "They're disgusting! Unless they actually want to get to know me, they're not getting a ounce of my attention!", Ria declares, breaking me from my thoughts of Carter.

  "Yes girl!", I cheer before erupting into laughter again. "I hope when you get to my age you still have the same thoughts about boys", I say through giggles.