Micah Johnson Goes West (Get Out, #2)(13)

Micah leaned in excitedly. “It’s pretty good, actually!”

“Gross,” Dec said. “It tastes like somebody dumped a tube of Colgate in your milk.”

“I seem to remember you liking Blue Heaven,” Micah reminded him. “That’s worse.”

“Yeah, don’t go pointing any fingers at spearmint milk,” Simon said, “lest you… find… the finger pointed back at you?” He trailed off. “Some things sound better in your head.”

“And in your case, a lot of the time.”

“You guys still haven’t answered my question,” Micah said.

“There was a question?” Simon asked.

“I think you need another coffee,” Dec said.

Micah didn’t think it was the best idea to replace an alcohol buzz with a caffeine buzz, especially when it came to Simon Murray. “The reason why you’re both here,” he prompted them.

“Oh, that,” Simon said. “Just a little holiday.”

Declan nodded.

They were being a little vague. “Where?”

“Albany,” Simon said. “I saw something about it online. I know it’s the wrong time of year to see whales, but we can come back in winter if we want. I like whales.”

A look passed between Simon and Dec, a hint of some shared memory Micah wasn’t privy to.

“Yeah, whales are cool.” Dec grinned.

“But, I mean, the rest of Albany looks great too. I love the coast. All those rocks and water. Like something out of a Bront? novel.”

“Don’t they usually end badly?” Micah asked, remembering vaguely that both lovers died at the end of Wuthering Heights.

“Not Jane Eyre,” Simon said.

“Um, a woman goes crazy and burns a house down and cripples the hero and makes him blind,” Dec reminded him. At Micah’s look, he got defensive. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to sit through a BBC production of some old book?”

“But Jane still ends up with him. And they’re very happy living in the remains of their home. I’m sure they ended up getting it renovated or something,” Simon reminded him. “And don’t try and save face in front of Micah. You liked Pride and Prejudice.”

“That’s Jane Austen, not Bront?. Jane Austen likes a happy ending. The Bront?s are dour and miserable.”

It looked like World War Three was going to erupt at their table, so Micah stepped in as the role of the UN. “How long are you going down there for?”

Crisis averted. “About a week,” Dec said.

“We’re going to take our time driving down,” Simon added. “See what’s along the way. Did you know Western Australia has the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere?”

“How exciting for them,” Micah drawled.

Simon threw a sugar packet at him. “Don’t be so snobbish, Micah! It would be even longer except a really bad storm washed part of it away.”

“Jetties and rocks,” Micah told Dec. “I don’t know how you’ll contain yourself.”

“I’m actually looking forward to it.”

That look passed between Simon and Dec again. Simon suddenly grew very interested in his empty cup of coffee and took off to get another one.

“Is everything okay?” Micah asked, not sure if he should butt in.

“Everything’s fine,” Dec said, and he obviously meant it. “We just have a lot of decisions to make, and Simon… well, Simon’s wanting to procrastinate just a little bit longer.”

That was something Micah could relate to. “I’m sure it will all work out.”

“Of course it will,” Dec said. “We’ve survived this long. We’re stuck with each other.”

He didn’t have to tell Micah how happy he was with that revelation. It was written all over his face as he watched Simon walking back to their table.

“Perth doesn’t seem that bad.” Simon sighed contentedly as he sank back into the booth.

Micah wished they would move here. It felt good having friends again.




BUT SEEING them only reminded him how lonely he was.

Once they went their separate ways, Micah activated Grindr and found an interested party. Afterwards, he went home, had a shower, and blocked the guy so he couldn’t contact him again.

And lay in bed, unable to sleep and miserable.





Chapter 4


MICAH, WHO had already been giving a hundred and ten percent at training, pushed through the barrier to give a hundred and twenty throughout the week. He wanted to show the coaching staff that there was no way they could leave him off the team roster for the game that weekend. Sam told him to take it easier in case he did himself some damage, but it wasn’t advice that Micah was about to take on board.

He was happy, however, that he would be back in Melbourne, however briefly, as they had an away match with Collingwood. This meant he could stay with his parents and his brother, and for a short time at least feel that he was home again. He had to make the team, so the Johnsons wouldn’t come to the game for nothing. He wanted them to see him on the field, in his new colours, possibly kicking a goal or at least taking a really good mark—to prove that leaving them was actually achieving something.