were a few of her boxes of things still stacked against the office wall. She opened one of them and rifled through it, locating her SLR camera in the bottom, packed carefully in its case. She pulled it out and looked through the lens, adjusting some of the settings and snapped a quick shot of the bookshelves, with the armchairs in front. It was a peaceful scene, reminded her of those special moments she’d shared with Aunty Di and mum as a kid, drinking tea and feeling all grown up.
On the desk her phone buzzed. She stood and reached for it.
“Hello?”
“Hi there, honey.” Callum’s deep voice sent a shot of adrenaline through her veins. She hadn’t looked at the screen before answering, wasn’t expecting to hear from him. It’d been months since he left her in Coffs Harbour.
“Callum, what a nice surprise.” She adopted a neutral tone. The last thing she wanted was to let him know how much he’d hurt her. It’d only end in an argument, since he’d feel the need to defend himself and somehow, he’d turn it all around to show how it was really her fault all along. It was a game he liked to play, and she had no desire to go there — things between them were finished, including his manipulative games.
“I hadn’t heard from you in a while, thought I’d check in and see how you’re going down south.”
He paused, waiting. She sighed. The sooner she could end the call the better. “I’m fine, thanks. How’s things up in Airlie Beach?”
He chuckled. “It’s great. We’re playing four nights a week at the resort, making good money. Can’t complain. I even went snorkelling out on the reef with the rest of the band yesterday. Amazing! You should definitely do it sometime. The colours… wow.”
She couldn’t help smiling. His voice was warm, he was in a good mood, and his charm never failed on her. Still, she couldn’t fall for it again. Not after what she’d found in his unit before he left.
“That sounds great. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
“You should come, I’ve got space at my place. Come on, you’ll love it. You’ve never really warmed to Coffs.”
The invitation was a surprise. He’d barely looked back when he left. It’d torn her heart out to see how little he thought of her and what they shared. Now he was acting as though she’d chosen to stay behind.
“No, thanks for thinking of me though.”
He hesitated. “No? Just like that? You’re not going to think about it? You don’t even like living in Coffs, and you can quit that crappy waitressing job… there are much better opportunities up here.”
“Are you missing me, all of a sudden?” asked Emily.
“Of course. It’s not the same here without you.”
Emily shook her head. He never changed. “Well, I’m not in Coffs Harbour anymore. I moved.”
“What? Where are you? You didn’t even send me a text to let me know you moved?” His voice was laced with irritation.
She didn’t want to tell him the truth, wasn’t sure what he might do knowing she was part owner of a bed and breakfast. “I’m staying with my aunt for a while, until I figure out what I want to do next.”
He grunted. “You could’ve told me.”
“We’re not dating anymore, Callum. Why should I keep you up to date on anything I’m doing? It’s not your business anymore.”
He was silent and she rubbed a hand over her face, waiting for his response. His voice was cold. “We never had that conversation.”
“I know. I’m aware of that, but you left and didn’t ask me to go with you — so I assumed. Anyway, it’s for the best, since I really don’t think we suit each other. I believed we were right together for a long time, but I was wrong.” She’d hoped to avoid this conversation but now they were having it, she could see it was needed for both of them. Closure was important, so they could each move on with their lives.
“Of course we suit each other, honey. We’re great together… we have so much fun. Well, when you’re not being a downer, we have fun. Sometimes you’re a bit too uptight, but that’s something we can work on. We can get you to loosen up a bit, no worries.” His grin resonated through the phone.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to work on loosening up, Callum. This is me, it’s who I am. I have no desire to be someone