"Kane." Brooke had come to see him after hearing Kirsty. Although she saw him differently, she thought he at least deserved a chance to explain.
"Brooke." Kane finished folding some towels. "It's great to see you again."
"I'd like to talk."
"Cool. Would you like to take a walk?" She nodded.
They left the gym in complete silence. Kane kept staring at his feet, not quite knowing how he could redeem himself. Brooke broke the ice when they were out of the vicinity of the complex. "I spoke to Kirsty."
"What did she say?"
"Stuff, about your family. I'm sorry I was so bitchy yesterday I was just in shock. I would like to hear what you have to say about it, about everything. I still want to get to know you better."
"Where do I start?" Kane stopped walking, and paused to look out onto the horizon. "Us Phillips' never did amount to much. My father, well, he didn't do a lot. He was always out of work and taking his anger out on us. It was like a cycle. He'd hit Scott and then Scott would hit me. My Mum couldn't take anymore. She took her own life because she was sick of my father's beatings. I almost felt like that." The emotion was getting too much for him, the hurt he had felt almost ten years before still got to him. He could almost feel his bruises stinging.
"Some things happened. My Dad left us with my aunt; he said it was for a week but he never came back. My brother got even more messed up, kidnapped my teacher and got sent down. I felt good. Then I met Dani Sutherland, Brooke you have to understand, I thought she really liked me. We got on really well, when no one else would give me the time of day. She asked me to help her carry some shopping home. I tried to kiss her; I thought that I could make her see that she liked me. I kept blocking out what she was saying, but you have to understand I didn't mean to do it."
"That's still no excuse Kane, you could have stopped."
"I know. I was deluded. When the police approached me, I got scared. Deep down I knew what I did was wrong, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. I pleaded not guilty, and I thought when I got off, that was that. I would get my second chance, and everyone would just forget. It didn't happen. I knew I deserved it but everyone hated me, and when I moved schools I thought it would all go away but somehow people found out and hated me everywhere. It felt like the whole world was against me. I started to blame Dani; I thought that what I did was justified somehow and that she was in the wrong for accusing me. We tried mediation, and though she might have felt better for me saying sorry, I still had no friends. I tried to get my life together; I got a job on a ferry, just as a deckhand, and thought that that would be a new start. Turned out the Sutherlands were on the ferry, and things got worst when the ferry started sinking."
"Wow. I didn't know you had been through so much." Brooke's life paled in comparison.
"You'd be surprised. Anyway, I'm a useless swimmer, so Kirsty had to pull me to shore. I woke up in the bush, alone, and went to look for here but of course she kept running away, and getting the wrong idea. She was suffering from heatstroke, you see, and I was trying to carry her to water. Eventually, she realised we had to stick together, despite our differences. We had trouble sleeping, and I told her about how my father used to lock me outside sometimes, and I couldn't sleep then." He saw Brooke's expression. "The next day, we managed to find Shelley, her mother, and she had this snake on her which I had to get rid of. It bit me, and I think Kirsty kept trying to talk to me about stuff, but I was a bit out of it."
"So you bonded out there?" Their meeting wasn't as Brooke expected.
"Yep. Her parents made sure she didn't see me much, after we were found. It was weird, being alone again after being that close with someone. I had to keep seeing her. We met up in secret, and after I had an argument with someone, I threatened to leave. She kissed me then. I didn't know what to do. I knew it was wrong from the start, me and her, me and anyone for that matter. We got together for a bit, even ran away, but that didn't work out. Eventually I had to leave her. I had nothing to offer her then. That's why I'm back here." Kane had never been that open in his life, apart from with Kirsty. He wasn't in denial anymore, and he could admit that.
"Well Kane, it's going to take a while for me to get over what you did, but at least now I know the facts." She had a moment of realisation. "You said your brother hit you."
"Oh, " Kane wanted to keep him a secret. "I'm afraid Scott is your brother too. I'm sorry you've just inherited the worst family ever."
"No, don't be. My Mum's just as bad; she was an alcoholic when I was younger and I had to look after my brother while trying to prop her up for parents evening."
"My parents never turned up for that sort of stuff either."
"I used to hate it so much. I kept thinking that my real father would never do this; he'd always be there for me and stuff. Guess I was wrong, " she sighed. She'd flown all the way to Summer Bay in hope of a better life, but now she wasn't sure if it was better here. Nothing was like what it seemed.
"Brooke, I'm sorry I don't match up to what you thought I'd be like, " said Kane instinctively. "I wish I could make it up to you. You're welcome to stay with me for as long as you want."
"Really? Cool." Their eyes met. In a perfect world they would have hugged, but something stopped both of them. Perhaps it was the fear of getting to close to someone. "I'd better tell my Mum. No doubt she's far too busy to care."
"I'd better get back to work too. I have to do most of it as my staff have deserted me. Here's the key to the apartment. Make yourself at home."
"Thanks, " said Brooke as she received the key. "I could always come by and help you later."
"That's great." Kane smiled as he walked away. He felt a special bond with Brooke now, one that he'd never felt with family before.
***
It had begun to rain. Dani stared at the droplets of rain, casually streaming down her window. It made her feel safe, staying inside. She wouldn't have to face the big bad world, especially a certain person in it. She didn't have to get dressed, she didn't have to eat and she certainly didn't even have to think about him. She could just see which droplets of rain would travel down her window the fastest.
There was a knock at the door. Dani said nothing.
"Dani, it's me. Scott."
She was still. The watching the rain was much more interesting than talking.
Scott opened the door. She had to talk sometime. Now was his chance to be there for her; he had never seen Dani like this. She had told him about her assault, but he'd never seen her so upset, so silent.
"Are you alright?" Stupid thing to say. It was obvious she was upset. Awkwardness brought out the worst in him. "Dani, please say something."
Half of her wanted to lash out; he'd been keeping it all in for hours. This is what he did to her, turned her from a calm collected woman into a clumsy wreck.
"I'm fine." That was her other half, wanting to pretend nothing had happened. She wiped away her invisible tears. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
Dani nodded profusely. "Totally fine."
"Will you come downstairs?"
"Is Kirsty there?"
"No."
Dani knew where she'd be. With him. "Great. I'll just get dressed." One glance at Scott told him she wanted him to leave the room.
"I'll make you a cup of tea." He smiled weakly and left the room.
***
It was good to be free. The Yabbie Creek air, however polluted it was, tasted so much better. Prison took everything away from you, your dignity, your self-respect. Now he was going to get it back, starting with a visit. Kane hadn't visited Scott Phillips for a while; ignoring his visitation notices and letters. Now he was going to find out what his brother had been hiding from him.
"Poor Aunt Rose, " he said mockingly, opening the cast iron gate to her house. "She never stayed around to see me get out. Her loss." He knocked on the front door.
"Yes?" A bedraggled woman, holding a screaming toddler opened the door.
"I'm looking for Kane Phillips."
"He doesn't live here anymore — Sara I told you no sweets before bedtime, " After a firm slap from the mother, the toddler started to repeatedly kick the her in the ribs. "I think he moved to Summer Bay, he didn't leave a forwarding address or anything."
"That's fine." So Kane obviously inherited the place, every last bit of it. That wasn't right. Scott would claim his share. He wouldn't let his stupid aunt leave him in poverty. "Thank you very much, " said Scott with a smile. Revenge would be sweet.