How To Lose Weight And Survive The Apocalypse

Chapter 27

"Oh, snap," said Bailey softly as we stared at the woman. In the dusk light, she looked bird-like, all delicate bones and twitchy eyes.

Trying to bring some normalcy to the situation, I said, "Okay, let's talk this out. I'm Karla. What's your name?"

"I'm Mellie." She patted her hair flat, a gesture I remembered from when I used to date Dean, making sure everything was in place and perfect, every minute of every day. She spoke in bursts, as if desperate to unload. "I've been with Dean for a year. I'm a legal secretary at his firm. We're a serious couple, but we're not allowed to tell people at work we're together because, you know, of how it looks. But soon he's going to get promoted, and then I'll move in. I mean, things will be different now, I guess. Better. We can be together properly."

Hot pity washed through me. I used to be this girl. I'd desperately tried to establish my relationship with Dean at every turn, and somehow he'd still slipped through my fingers. I noticed the dark shadows beneath Mellie's eyes and the way her fingers trembled. I wasn't sure if she was nervous that Dean wasn't here, or that he might arrive any second, but I felt for her. I softened my tone. "Mellie, I spoke with Dean on D-day, and he said he had broken up with you."

"No!" She shook her head frantically. "I was in Adelaide for work. He was visiting his mate in Tassie to set up a business thing. We weren't broken up. We weren't!"

"Okay." I nudged Bailey. "Can you grab her a drink of water please?"

Bailey walked to the sink, and Rueben spoke, his voice flat. "I'm going to put Mischa in bed."

"No, you're not!" squawked Mellie, rising from her stool on shaky legs. "This is my boyfriend's place! You can't treat it like a hostel!"

"Mellie, I have Dean's permission to be here," I said calmly. "I know where he keeps the spare key, and I was here long before you. And if push comes to shove, there's three of us and only one of you, plus I have a gun. So let this man put his daughter to sleep and let's talk this through."

Defeated, she slumped back in her seat and took the water Bailey offered. Rueben nodded, avoiding eye contact as he said, "Call me if you need me." He carried Mischa through to the spare room and shut the door behind them.

Why is he being so sulky? I wondered. The last thing I needed was more drama in this place. Putting him aside, I turned back to the twitchy Mellie. "So, you've made it back here from Adelaide?"

She drained the water gratefully. "It took forever. And I had to check in on my parents in Geelong. But I was as quick as I could be, I swear. They wanted me to stay, but I knew I couldn't. I would never make Dean wait."

Bailey and I shared a look. "Mellie, Dean isn't here, and as far as we know he's not coming back," said Bailey carefully. "He's still in Tassie."

"No. No way." She shook her head fast, pale eyes filling with tears. "Dean will come for me. I rode in the back of a horse wagon to get here. I walked for four days barefoot. I made it. He'll make it too."

I wanted to shake her in that moment, to make her wake up. "He probably could, but I don't believe that he is. He's at my brother's farm, where he's got food and water and shelter. I know Dean – there's no way he's leaving that kind of security for anyone."

"He wouldn't abandon me," she said obstinately.

"You can come with us," said Bailey. "We have space on our yacht, and we'll take you to him."

"No!" Her voice was louder this time. "Dean will come for me, and I need to be here. What if you take me away, and then he arrives, and he thinks that I didn't wait for him? He'd..."