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He nods, turning his can in his fingers. “Alex thinks it’ll do you good to get away,” he says softly.
My eyebrows rise. “Oh?”
“Tell me to mind my own business if you want,” he says, “but it’s obvious that something’s going on with Juliette.”
I inhale, then give a long sigh. “It’s complicated.”
“It always is.” He tips his head to the side. “Is she still with Cam?”
“Like I said, it’s complicated. He’s in Australia at the moment—his brother had a heart attack, and his wife is about to have a baby. Juliette’s looking after his mum, who had a kind of breakdown.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah. I don’t think they’re together together, if you know what I mean. But she hasn’t broken up with him, either. I’m just waiting, hoping she’ll work it out.”
“That’s tough for you, man.”
I shrug. “It is what it is.” I look up as Alex walks back through the living room and joins us.
“James is just coming,” he says, “and then we’ll get started again.”
Tyson gets to his feet and heads off to the bathroom, and Alex and I start clearing up.
I glance at him as he stacks the plates. “Tyson said you suggested I go to Sydney because you thought it would be good for me to get away.”
“Yeah.” He picks up some of the rubbish. “I know you and Juliette are having trouble.”
“How did you know?”
His eyes meet mine. “You haven’t given her the Rubik’s Cube since she started work on Monday.”
My eyebrows rise. I’m surprised he’s picked up on that. But he’s right. Since she came back, we haven’t done it. I don’t know why. But something’s awry between us. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked that he’s noticed. We’ve all worked together for years, and he’s pretty astute.
“She’ll get there,” he says. “Hang in there.”
My throat tightens, and I look away. “I dunno. I thought she was done with him, but then his brother fell sick, and now… I feel like I’m losing her.” I don’t normally talk like this, and I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I don’t know what to do.
“She has a strong sense of duty,” he says, “and Cam’s brother falling ill has knocked her for six. But she’s not the sort of woman to stay in a failing relationship. He’s let her down, and eventually she’ll walk away.”
“Maybe.” I crush my can with a hand. “But I’m tired of things being out of my hands, you know?”
“Yeah, I get that.”
“I know this is the reason you hate relationships at work. But I’m not waiting forever. If she stays with him… if she doesn’t leave soon… I can’t continue to work with her.”
He sighs. “Yeah, I know.” He scoops a few crumbs onto the plate on the top of the pile. “What would you do?”
“I’m not sure. I was thinking about helping out at Greenfield.”
His eyebrows rise. “Working there, you mean?”
“Yeah. Atticus—the deacon who runs it—has asked me if I’d consider leading some of the adventure therapy sessions. It would be cool to help out some youngsters. Maybe even work there full time.”
He nods slowly. Then his lips twist. “Kia Kaha wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“You’d be fine.”
“Come on, the building was all your idea. There’s more than a little of your heart left in the walls.”
