Enough Time Read online

  She returns to the couch, and her cheeks flame at the memory of Ethan's kisses. He brought her whole body to life. Harry never made her feel like that. What if Ethan is the one? She imagines being married to him and sitting on the sidelines at his football games as the devoted wife. She's deep into the fantasy when her phone rings. It's Ethan.

  'Hey babe,' he says. 'Whatcha up to?'

  'Babysitting,' she says, her heart beating faster at the sound of his voice.

  'Where?' he asks.

  'At my sisters, she lives a few blocks from me.'

  'Want some company?' he asks.

  'Sure,' she says, giving him the address and dancing on the inside.

  'Be there in ten,' he whispers before hanging up the phone.

  After hanging up the phone she leaps to her feet and punches the air. Ethan's coming. She scans the room with frantic eyes and picks up the toys scattered across the floor, dumping them into a wooden toy box against the wall and flipping the lid closed. She straightens the cushions on the couch and sits for a minute before leaping to her feet to scoop up Madeleine's plastic Dora cup and Joe's last bottle. She just finishes rinsing them in the kitchen when the doorbell chimes.

  She opens the door to Ethan standing there with a goofy grin, in shorts and a singlet. Beads of sweat dot his brow.

  'What did you do? Run?' she asks.

  'Nah, the air conditioning in my car's not working, and it's damn hot,' he says, his grin widening. Her belly flutters. She touches her hair and smiles. He leans in and kisses her in a slow, deliberate way, holding his damp torso back. She's breathless when he lifts his head and she invites him in.

  He positions himself under the ceiling fan to cool off before he drops to the couch beside her, his thigh touching hers. Nerves clutter her thoughts, and she springs to her feet.

  'Wanna drink?' she asks.

  'Sure, whatcha got?'

  'Water or juice,' she says with a shrug. 'Sorry.'

  'Water with ice, if you have some,' he says and leans back. She feels his eyes on her when she heads to the kitchen.

  She returns with two tall glasses of cold water, and he downs his in seconds, cracking an ice cube between his teeth. She sips her drink and puts it on the coffee table. He turns to her, lifts her chin with a finger, and lowers his lips to hers. His tongue is cold, and it sends a shiver through her. She lifts her arms to his neck, pulling him closer. He gently sucks the soft skin near her ear, lighting her whole body on fire. It takes a minute before she realises his hand is on her breast, his thumb caressing her nipple. She freezes. What is he doing? She brushes his hand away.

  'Come on, babe,' he says. 'You know you want to.'

  God, yes, she did want to. She takes a breath; her cheeks aglow. His lips nibble her neck, and a fire ignites in her belly.

  'You make me crazy,' he groans and caresses her breast again.

  'I know...but I don't want to. Not yet.'

  He pulls her to him and forces his mouth on hers, rougher than before.

  'But I don't take no for an answer,' he says and squeezes her breast a little harder.

  His tone sobers her, and she pushes up, eyes widening.

  'I said no,' she repeats and pulls back.

  He let her go, breathless, the veins standing out on his neck. His lips curve into a sickening smile and reaches into his pocket for his phone.

  'Maybe this will persuade you,' he says, his blue eyes piercing, before he peers at his phone. He taps it a few times and scrolls through the photo gallery. She stares at him, wondering what he's doing, her throat going dry. His face breaks into a sudden grin, and he holds the screen up, like a small child proudly showing off a painting.

  'Oh yeah, babes, you're hot for me, aren't you?' he gloats.

  Zoe squints at the screen. It's a film of someone naked, twirling in front of a mirror. She peers closer; his laugh makes her nervous. Her heart sinks when she realizes she's the girl in the film clip. It's from his ensuite on Saturday night. She's naked except for her black lace panties and is pouting at the mirror and saying his name.

  'Where did you get that?' She's on her feet and stares at him, her heart thumping.

  'You did a little show for me on Saturday night,' he says, the grin never leaving his face.

  'I did not. Did you hide a camera in your bathroom?'

  'And what if I did? Nobody's gonna believe this little show wasn't for me. Everyone saw us together.'

  'But I didn't do it for you. I was alone.'

  He laughs in response.

  'What are you going to do with it?' she asks, a quiver in her voice. Her hands bunch into fists at her sides.

  'I was thinking of loading it on the Internet. Let everyone see what you're really like, Zoe.'

  'What do you mean, what I am really like? I haven't done anything.' she hisses. 'Why are you doing this?'

  'I'm doing it to get what I want.'

  He leans back on the couch, the smile never leaving his face.

  'What do you want?'.

  'What do you think I want?'

  His eyes travel her body.

  Her skin crawls and in that instant, she no longer wants him. She cringes at the thought of kissing him or doing anything else. How could she be so blind?

  'No,' she says. 'I won't do it.'

  'Everyone saw us at the party together, Zoe. Most of them think we already did it. Why else would you come to my room?'

  'But we didn't. I was wet. I was just changing my clothes. Is that what you told them? That we did it?'

  'I didn't have to tell them. This video says it all.' He starts to pant. '"Oh Ethan, kiss me now. I want you so bad."' He sticks out his tongue and licks the air in a provocative way.

  Blood rushes to her face and tears prick her eyes. His hand snakes out. He grabs her wrist and pulls her to the couch, forcing his mouth on hers. She gags and tries to turn her head, but he makes her endure it.

  'Now, you have to play nice if this is going to work; otherwise, it will be on the Internet tonight.' He let her go. 'And don't tell anyone. This is our little secret, right? If you tell, the video goes up right away.'

  Baby Joe starts to cry, and Zoe's eyes fly in the direction of his room. She tries to get up, but he catches her wrist again.

  'I've gotta get him,' she says.

  'We've got unfinished business,' he growls.

  'Not here. Not now. My sister will be home soon,' she pleads.

  'When?' he asks. 'How about tomorrow night at seven? I'll pick you up.' He lets her go. Her wrist smarts where he held her too tight. She tries to run, but he's right behind her with his hand in her hair. He yanks her back and presses his lips to hers one last time.

  'You never know, you might even like it,' he whispers and licks her cheek in a long single stroke.

  Tears splash her cheeks and her stomach surges as she stumbles into the baby's room, her whole body shaking. The image of her naked twirl, her pout, and his whispered name haunts her. What am I going to do? I can't let that video go viral; it will ruin my reputation and my family too. It makes me look so cheap. Her tears drip on Joe's soft head as she searches for his pacifier in the dark and plugs it back into his mouth. She lifts her seven-month-old nephew from his crib and puts him on her shoulder. She pats his back and rocks from foot to foot. He calms, the sound of his long desperate sucks on the pacifier easing as he drifts back to sleep. She holds him longer than necessary, more to calm herself than the baby and to give Ethan time to leave.

  She prays he's gone when she tiptoes back to the living room. It's empty. She walks through the whole house, checks every room, and locks all the doors before releasing her breath. She feels stupid when she realises he doesn't have to break in to get what he wants. She'll let him do it so he doesn't post the clip. She starts to sob. How could I be so stupid? Why did I think Ethan was interested in me? Why didn't I listen to Charli and Harry? She has a fleeting urge to call him, tell him he was right, and let him fix it for her. He'd know what to do. She scrolls through he
r phone and stops before she presses his number. No, if I do that, Ethan will post the clip sooner. Her hands drop to her lap, shoulders slumping. What am I going to do? Should I go to the police? Even if I do, he'll post it before they arrest him. I can't tell anyone. I've got to figure this out on my own.

  Tears flood her cheeks, and she takes a deep breath to stem the flow. Lisa will be home soon, and Zoe doesn't want to have to explain the tears to her sister. She swipes at her face with her fingertips and rummages in Lisa's box of DVDs. She finds a romantic drama, and Lisa laughs at her tear-stained cheeks when she walks in the door fifteen minutes later.

  'Don't know why you do it to yourself,' Lisa says. She drops beside her on the couch and watches the last ten minutes of The Notebook.

  'Me neither,' Zoe says softly.

  'How were the kids?'

  'Little angels,' Zoe says. 'They're so good for me.'

  'Hah. You should be here at five in the morning. They're the devil's spawn then.'

  Lisa laughs.

  Zoe can't help smiling.

  'Thanks for this, kiddo. You're a life saver.'

  'No problem.' She hugs Lisa tight. 'I love your kids.'

  'You'll make a great mum one day,' Lisa says.

  Zoe nods and feels her emotions waver. 'Well, better go. Dad's on his way.'

  'Are you sure you're all right?' Lisa asks, looking right into Zoe's eyes.

  'Yep,' Zoe says, forcing a smile. 'Just a silly movie'

  'Gets you every time, doesn't it?' Lisa says, pulling her sister into a hug. 'Thanks again. It's really hard with Ben overseas, but once he's secured this deal, he said it'll be months before he has to go again.'

  Zoe reaches for her backpack when Lisa lets her go

  'You'll be glad when he's back.' Zoe says.

  'You're not kidding. These two are a handful on my own.'

  'Let me know if I can help again,' Zoe says. 'Anytime.'

  Lisa pulls her into another hug before Zoe disappears out the door. Her heart pounds, and her eyes flit from shadow to shadow until her dad's car stops on the curb.

  Zoe's eyes are gritty and sore when she wakes the next morning. She hardly slept, and her head pounds. She tells her mum she's sick and pleads for a day off. Simone Verity clucks in sympathy and places a cool hand on her forehead.

  'You're a little warm and pale,' she says. 'Go back to bed, and I'll bring you some juice and a cool cloth. A day in bed will solve everything.'

  Zoe wishes that were true. She spends most of the day in bed, trying to stem the tangle of thoughts in her head and find a solution. Charli and Ella text her throughout the day and promise to visit after school. Ethan sends one too and asks where she is. She tells him she's sick and cancels their date. His return text tells her to hurry up and get well before the whole world sees her for what she is. She curls into a ball and dissolves into tears, wishing her life were over.

  That night her mother makes her chicken soup and fusses around her bed. She straightens her covers and asks if there's anything else she needs before she kisses her cheek and closes the door on her way out. Zoe's heart slams in her chest every time she thinks of Ethan and the film. How could I be so stupid?. What will mum think of me when she finds out? The thought brings fresh tears, she hates to disappoint her parents. They work so hard to give her what she has. All she wants to do is make them proud.

  Zoe stays in bed for the next two days, but it doesn't solve anything. On the third day she emerges, and surprises her mother by coming into the kitchen dressed for school.

  'Are you sure you're up to it? You still look a bit pale, and you've hardly eaten for days.'

  Her mum's face is etched with worry.

  'I'm okay. I've missed too much schoolwork already. I'll never catch up if I don't go back.'

  'Okay, but if you don't think you can get through the day, call me, and I'll pick you up.'

  'Thanks, Mum. I love you.' Zoe leans in to kiss her mum's cheek and hug her tight. Her mum squeezes her hand before leaving the room in a jangle of keys and papers. She watches her go; her chest tight and eyes wet, guilt filling her up. She prays her mum never sees the clip. She can't imagine how that will affect her florist shop. Will people stop going? It could ruin her business.

  School is a nightmare. Everyone is being so nice. They comment on her weight loss and tell her how lucky she is. Ella and Charli try too hard to please her, and she can feel Charli's eyes on her constantly. Zoe avoids eye contact, hoping she can't read her mind.

  'What?' Zoe asks when she catches Charli at it.

  'I'm worried. You look like you're about to jump off a cliff. What's up?'

  Zoe fobs her off.

  'It's just this flu thing. It's made my brain fuzzy; I can't think.'

  'So what's new?'

  Zoe doesn't laugh even though she knows Charli's joking.

  'You know you can talk to me, don't you?' Charli says her face suddenly serious.

  'Yep. It's nothing; don't worry.'

  Charli doesn't look convinced when they part to go to the next class.

  Zoe struggles to balance her science books and art portfolio while she locks her locker. Ethan approaches her from behind; his hand spreads out on her hip, and he put his lips on her ear. She smells the tang of aftershave and body odour.

  'Hey baby,' he whispers. 'Glad you're feeling better.'

  She swallows, looks straight ahead, and stands still.

  His hand caresses her hip, and her skin crawls beneath her skirt. She fights the urge to push it away and run. Instead, she stays and endures his unwanted attention.

  'We're going to have so much fun. How about Saturday?'

  'I can't. I'm going away with my parents on the weekend,' she croaks.

  He squeezes her hip hard, and a sharp pain shoots into the joint.

  'Well, you better find some time for me soon; otherwise, your parents won't want to take you anywhere.' His hand snakes around her waist and pulls her to him until his hips are touching her buttocks.

  'I want you so bad. But I won't wait forever. At seven next Thursday, it goes viral, so you better find some time.'

  She trembles all over. The imprint of his hands remains long after he's gone. She wants to scrub herself clean. She hurries to the front gates and out of the school grounds. She walks all the way to the foreshore, desperate to put as much distance as possible between them. The gentle hush of the waves soothes her. Her skin crawls when she thinks of his hands on her body. It's not fair. How can he get away with this? Why me? I haven't done anything to him.

  Chapter Four

  Charli frowns at Zoe's empty seat. She knows something's wrong, but she can't work it out. Is she upset about Harry? They've been friends for years. Maybe she regrets breaking up with him for Ethan? Charli never warmed to Ethan Walsh. She doesn't know him well, but she has seen and heard enough to form an opinion. Because his dad owns a few lucrative businesses in Delany, he struts around like he's better than everyone else. He's arrogant, rude, and brags about his conquests both on the football field and with girls in the back of his car. He's inconsiderate of others' feelings and the impact his words have on their reputation. Charli can't understand why anyone wants to date him. He's not the boyfriend she'd pick for Zoe and is surprised she's fallen for him. She hopes it's a phase that passes before she does anything she'll regret.

  But it doesn't explain why Zoe's ditching school. She's been acting weird since Monday night. She can't remember Zoe ever taking three days off. When they dropped in to visit, she didn't look sick, just worried. Is she stressing about the end of year exams already? Zoe hates exams and always gets herself worked up before each one. The problem is her stress interferes with being able to study and her chances of doing well. It doesn't make sense to Charli, but it's a habit Zoe hangs on to and has found impossible to let go of, despite all efforts to help her relax and study more. She's never ditched school before though. Charli wonders if she's had a relapse of her illness and called her mum to collect her. She t
ries to focus on Miss Allen's interpretation of a Van Gogh painting, but her mind is on her friend. She phones her as soon as class is over. It goes to Zoe's voicemail message. Charli talks to Ella over lunch.

  'Maybe she had an appointment or something she forgot to tell us about?' Ella says. 'Let's try her again.'

  This time she picks up and tells them she isn't feeling well and is at home.

  'Everything all right?' Charli asks.

  She hesitates before reassuring them she's fine.

  Charli doesn't believe her, but she keeps it to herself. They're joined by Jake and a couple of other students in their year. Charli catches Ethan looking at their table, and he nods to her with a grin that makes her flesh crawl. She gives him a half-smile and nods back to be polite. What's going on? Next to Ethan is Jael. He looks in her direction and nods as well. This time her smile is genuine, and she feels her face flush when she turns back to the table.

  When Ella and Charli call at Zoe's after school, there's nobody home and she doesn't pick up her phone.

  'Something's up with Zoe,' Charli says.

  'Yep. Think she regrets breaking up with Harry?'

  'Maybe. Do you think there's more to it than that?'

  Ella shrugs.

  'Who knows? We should ask her tomorrow.'

  They never get the chance. Zoe sends Charli a text to say her parents are taking her on a surprise trip to Bali that night to celebrate her dad's promotion to Chief Executive, and she'll be out of mobile phone range until Tuesday. Charli tries to call her back right away, but the call goes to voicemail. Despite the little gnaw of worry at the back of Charli's mind, she thinks some time away might be good for Zoe.

  Chapter Five

  Zoe clips the belt across her lap and settles back in her seat. She loves flying and relief washes over her as the plane ascends. Dark clouds loom outside the window and the plane shakes and rattles until they emerge above them. Her parents, Lisa, Madelyn, and baby Joe take up the remainder of her row. A tiny thrill courses through her. They're going to Bali. There will be four days of massages, delicious food, and friendly people. It's the perfect distraction. The flight from Delany is two and a half hours. She plugs in her earphones, accepts a glass of cola, and loses herself in the music, pushing thoughts of Ethan to the back of her mind. The flight is smooth and uneventful. Madelyn and Joe travel well, both falling asleep during the flight and waking when the wheels hit the tarmac in Indonesia.