We paid at the counter and followed her out the door. She looked kind of agitated as we made our way back to the car. She got in and started the car while we scrambled in as well. The door was barely shut before she took off down the road. She didn't say a word and looked like she didn't trust herself to speak. Mum and I were giving each other worried looks as she sped off down the road. We drove for about five minutes, but it wasn't towards where we had been today on our travels.
We went down a long, straight stretch of road that followed the beach out of town and away from the usual tourist hangouts and campgrounds. There was a small gravel road that went off towards the beach and ended at a small turnaround section/car park. Beyond that was a small walking track that went through some bush, over a dune, then down onto the beach. It was an area that I had never been to before, and it appeared to be used very minimally. Mum was looking around with a questioning look on her face as though she had no idea why we were there either.
Susie brought the car to a stop, but she still didn't say anything. She sat there for a few moments just staring out the windscreen. She then leaned forward with her forehead against the steering wheel and her hands, but still, she didn't say anything. Mum was looking quite concerned, and she reached across, putting her hand on Susie's back, rubbing it gently and comfortingly.
"Susie? Is everything alright?"
Much to my surprise, she laughed. It wasn't a particularly joyous sound, though.
"No. I don't think I am alright, Beth."
"What's wrong?"
Susie raised her head and looked at Mum as though it was the most ridiculous question she had ever been asked.
"What's wrong? Hmm, let me see. I am in shock, and I am so damn confused it's not funny, and I just don't know how to deal with all this. The last few days have been a lot to wrap my head around, but then watching you two almost make out in a public place like there would be no consequences. It blows my mind that you of all people would take such a ridiculous risk. Well, like I said, I'm not sure how to deal with all this or how to feel about it."
Mum nodded and took her hand back as though her touch might burn Susie somehow.
"Okay... Yeah, that was careless and foolish. I shouldn't have allowed that to happen, and I am sorry we put you in that position. I understand if it's all too much."
I could see Mum withdrawing already. It may have been a mental withdrawal, but it was manifesting physically as well. She was doing the very thing I had seen her do with Dad when he got angry. She pulled her arms in tight, squeezed her legs together, and put her head down as though rolling into the foetal position while remaining upright. She was shrinking away from the conflict. Her heart was breaking, and I could see it. I wanted to say something, to scream and rant at Susie and to ask her how she dared to hurt her that way, but at the same time, I could see her point.
I felt responsible somehow for all of this, and now to make things worse, I was in the way of their friendship getting back on track. It was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. I don't think either of them was expecting me to say anything, but I couldn't just let it slide now.
"I'm sorry."
They both turned to look at me; Susie almost seemed embarrassed, and Mum looked like she was about to cry as she shook her head as though saying, "No".
"This is my fault, and I should be the one to apologise. I need to step back from this whole situation. My presence here is just creating confusion, and now I have upset something far more important than my feelings. I'm sorry, Mum, but I think I need to put a stop to this before you, Granny, or even Susie, get hit with the fallout of this."
Mum had a panicked look in her eye and was shaking her head, and even Susie was looking at me like I had lost my mind. Mum reached out her hand and gripped my arm tight as though I was about to jump out of the car and run away.
"No."
They both spoke at the same time, saying no. Mum was looking like she was about to yell at me, and Susie looked confused. She spoke up just as Mum was about to say something.
"Jeff, you're not understanding me. I don't think either of you are."
There was a long pause where it became completely obvious that we had no idea.
"I'm not telling you to stop. I can see how much this means to you, to both of you. You are clinging onto each other as your lives depend on it, and right at this moment, it's obvious that you need each other. I wasn't saying what I said to make you stop. I was just trying to point out that you weren't being as careful as you need to be. I don't want you to lose what you have, but neither do I want you to be ridiculed by people who will be only too happy to chase you out of town, the way they did with my family. I don't want that for you. When I said I was feeling confused and conflicted, I meant that I didn't want you to do something that would cause it all to end badly, but at the same time I wanted you to keep going because it was so hot, and the idea of watching you two turns me on like crazy. The thought that you two were about to go at it right there in the cafΓ© had my heart pounding. Thinking about you two fucking is driving me crazy. Beth, just remembering all the things we used to do and revisiting all the places where we did those things together, has had me wet all day."
"Oh, God, me too. I know we can't go back to those days, but today I wish we could, even for just a day or two. I want to bring Jeff with us and show him how we were."
The thought of that had me rock hard in an instant. Susie grinned as she thought about doing that and then gave Mum a look that could only be taken as someone who had an evil idea.
"We can't go back in time, but we can still show him if you want."
It was like the air had been sucked out of me as I realised what she was saying. I would have gladly given my left arm to watch these two gorgeous women making love. Mum had a look that was equally uncertain and excited. As though she was potentially being teased.
"Really? You would still be interested? After all this time?"
She gestured to her own body with a look of scepticism.
"I'm not exactly in the same shape as I was back then."