What We'll Leave Behind - Len Webster Page 0,2

been the first to take off his thongs to dig his feet in the sand and wiggle his toes.

He was kilometres from home. His brother, Rob, couldn’t breathe down his neck or control his life. Julian loved his brother, but Rob didn’t have to hold his hand like he had when they buried their mother eleven years ago. When their mother died, it had been like their father had, too. That was when Julian noticed the shift in his brother’s attitude. Rob had grown up and taken care of them. Julian didn’t want to grieve. He wanted to live as brightly as his mother had.

The slam of the front door had Julian pulling away from the view of the calm, clear blue water and peering into the living room. Because Dean Evans’s father was one of Melbourne’s richest investors, getting a private villa on Karon Beach was easy for them. Julian hadn’t complained that he hadn’t gotten a room in the larger, grander villa next door. Rick and Justin had brought along their girlfriends, while Julian, Dean, and Willa were single. But in reality, he knew that Dean and Willa had been hooking up for months. The two were stupid to believe that no one had noticed.

It didn’t surprise Julian when Willa Avana stalked past him and went into his bedroom. Julian sighed, scratched his temple before following her into the room. Once inside, he watched as she paced next to the king-size bed. Then she pursed her lips as she started mumbling. Her damp, black hair was pulled over one shoulder, water soaking through her cover-up.

With her dark brown eyes and her high cheekbones, Willa was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met. They had gone to and finished university together. Once, during a night out in Toorak, Julian had made a move. In the corner of the nightclub, Willa had cupped his balls and violently squeezed, telling him that she’d cut them off if he tried again. After that incident, he decided he valued his dick more than Willa.

She stopped and balled her fists tight, shifting her attention to him. “I should just be a lesbian!”

“You’d make a hot one,” he pointed out as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m serious,” she deadpanned.

Julian raised an eyebrow. “Same here.”

Willa rolled her eyes. “You just want me to do a chick in front of you.”

“I’d give you an arm, a lung, and my left testicle. And I’m very fond of my balls.” He smirked.

She unclenched her fists and threw her arms in the air. “You’re impossible. I came here to tell you that your friend is… Argh!”

“Actually, you came here and told me you should be a lez. And lesbihonest, I am nothing but a supportive friend.”

Shaking her head, Willa took two steps back before she sat on the bed and stared at her hands. “I should have just let him come here on his own. I mean, how can we have a great holiday when all we do is fight? We’re not even together!”

I’m, like, the last person someone needs to express their feelings and shit to.

“‘The heart wants what the heart wants,’” he quoted. Whether it was Shakespeare or a fortune cookie, he didn’t know. It sounded appropriate enough.

She lifted her gaze from her hands to him. “Okay, Confucius. Lay your wisdom down on me.”

Julian untangled his arms and let them fall to his sides. Then he looked around the room for a means of escape. Jumping out the window wasn’t ideal. Sure, travel insurance would pay. But he wouldn’t get to enjoy his holiday. His eyes roamed the room until he noticed the towel he had dropped on the floor by the end of the bed.

“Can’t help you. Dr Julian has decided you need Dr Phil or even Maury Povich.” He took two steps until he was at the foot of the bed.

Willa squinted at him. “That’s all you have? Come on. You’re his friend. What’s wrong with him?” she asked in a demanding tone.

He groaned. “Deano needs to get laid,” he said as he picked his towel up.

“Is that it?” she asked, frustrated.

Julian nodded. “What else could it be? He likes you. You like him. When people like each other, they normally fuck.”

“Hmm,” Willa mumbled as her brow furrowed.

“What is ‘hmm,’ Willa?” he asked, intrigued by the flash in her eyes.

She got up from the bed and pointed at him. “‘Hmm’ is hmm, you asshole!” Then she marched out of the room.

He